Previously Saved Version Review: Shallow Dive into a High-Tech Obsessive Love Story

In this romantic-thriller film Previously Saved Version, Naoki and Mayumi are the perfect couple living in a floating residence in space in the year 2200. However, their idyllic and seemingly perfect life has dark secrets that outsiders are not privy to – Naoki had turned his wife into an android years ago to live out his perfect life fantasy and has been controlling her every move for years. What are the consequences of this shocking betrayal? Will Mayumi get the justice that she deserves after essentially turning into her husband’s vanity project?

The movie has a runtime of 118 minutes with Kei Ishikawa and Brad Wright serving as screenwriters.

Previously Saved Version Review

In Previously Saved Version, Hideaki Ito, known for his intensity in films like Terra Formars, plays Naoki, a robotics genius consumed by grief and desperation. Much like his previous roles, Ito embodies a character on the edge, driven by love and loss. His performance is magnetic, and you can’t help but be drawn into his obsession. However, despite his efforts, the film feels like it’s missing that emotional core, leaving you to wonder if it ever really wanted to dig deeper into its themes of love and identity.4r

The movie begins with Naoki and his wife Mayumi living in apparent bliss in their space mansion in the year 2200. Mayumi, a former pottery artist, is suffering from amnesia after a traumatic accident. Naoki, ever the loving husband, seems dedicated to helping her recover. But things are not what they seem. Mayumi is, in fact, an android—a synthetic recreation of Naoki’s late wife, resurrected from her saved memories. And Naoki has been recreating her over and over, trying to restore the version of her that loved him the way she once did.

This movie creeps up on you, slowly pulling you into its sleek, futuristic world. The chemistry between Hideaki Ito and Yuko Araki is palpable, but what’s more intriguing is Naoki’s quiet torment. On the outside, he’s calm, collected, and completely in control, but behind his eyes is desperation and a Psychotic behaviour that drives him to keep trying, no matter how hopeless the situation might seem.

You can feel Naoki’s inner conflict bubbling beneath the surface. But his quest to restore his wife to her former self is disturbing. He wants her back, but each time a version of Mayumi doesn’t quite meet his expectations, he coldly destroys her and starts over again. This repetitive cycle becomes exhausting not just for Naoki, but for the audience as well. The film succeeds in making you feel his frustration, but it also risks feeling like it’s going in circles, much like Naoki himself.

Visually, Previously Saved Version aka Futsugona Kioku is stunning. The film’s space setting is gorgeously designed, with lush cinematography by Piotr Niemyjski and impressive special effects that create a sense of isolation and otherworldliness. Naoki and Mayumi’s home in space is sleek, cold, and vast—an eerie reflection of their emotionally distant relationship. There’s a sense of loneliness that pervades every frame, mirroring Naoki’s own emotional isolation.

But as beautiful as the film is, the world it builds feels hollow. Much like the empty space that surrounds Naoki’s home, the story lacks emotional depth. We never really get to explore the larger implications of living in space or what life is like for others in this futuristic society. The film briefly mentions that the wealthy have abandoned Earth, leaving it behind as a wasteland, but we never see the full impact of this decision. Instead, the movie feels like it’s more concerned with aesthetics than substance, focusing on its high-tech visuals rather than delving into the deeper questions it raises.

Despite the intriguing premise, Previously Saved Version struggles to make you care about its characters. Naoki’s obsession is compelling at first, but as the movie progresses, it becomes harder to empathize with him. His emotional journey feels one-note, and while Hideaki Ito does his best to bring nuance to the role, the script doesn’t give him much to work with. His character is so singularly focused on resurrecting his wife that he becomes emotionally stagnant, and the film misses the opportunity to explore his grief and guilt in a more meaningful way.

Similarly, Yuko Araki’s portrayal of Mayumi feels underused. Her character’s revelation that she’s an android should be a pivotal emotional moment, but it’s played out with such detachment that it barely registers. Mayumi’s character is never fully fleshed out, and her lack of emotional response to her situation feels like a missed opportunity to explore the complexities of her existence. Does she feel like a real person? How does she reconcile the fact that she’s a synthetic recreation of someone else? These questions are barely touched on, leaving Mayumi feeling more like a plot device than a fully realized character.

At nearly two hours long, Previously Saved Version drags in parts, with its pacing suffering from repetitive plot points and a lack of narrative drive. Much like A True Gentleman, which had issues with meandering and predictability, this film could have benefited from a tighter script. There are moments when you’re waiting for the story to move forward, but instead, it lingers on the same beats, leading to a sense of frustration.

While the film attempts to explore themes of love, memory, and identity, it never fully commits to any of them, leaving the audience with more questions than answers. It’s a slow burn, but one that never quite ignites, leaving you feeling like there’s something missing beneath the glossy exterior.

Final Thoughts

Previously Saved Version is a visually striking film with a fascinating premise, but it ultimately falls short of its potential. Hideaki Ito as Naoki and Araki Yuko as Mayumi are excellent, bringing a brooding intensity to their role—but the film’s repetitive structure and emotional flatness keep it from being truly memorable. The chemistry between the leads is undeniable, but the film’s underdeveloped characters and lack of narrative focus leave much to be desired.

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