Anything real should be a mess

With Replicants, the idea of ‘more human than human’ magnifies their potential, but also the faults inherent within their creators. In K’s case especially, we can see that he has had this potential bubbling inside him throughout his existence, but denial of his reality kept him in check. During his discussion with Stelline, they touch on the authenticity of memories. Stelline gives a clear definition of what it is to have, and learn from a real memory:

Ana Stelline: “If you have authentic memories you have real human responses.”

It’s this idea which lights the spark of change in K. In order to feel human, he must experience what life is (echoing Morton’s revelation in the opening scene). Life is a paradox – in order to feel happy, you must have felt despair. To feel loved, you must first experience loneliness, in order to be free, you must first be a slave.

This shows us that the Replicants, especially K, have the literal potential to be more human than human, having experienced the lowest lows, even worse than those of humanity. The pendulum must now swing the other way.

With this idea as a central point in the movie, we must also apply it to the humans that remain on Earth. This reveals the reason behind the deterioration of human society. With humanity’s mastery of technology comes a trade off: convenience for purpose. When you automate a process, you stop doing it. Typing replaces writing, the internet replaces libraries. Replicants replace our need to be human. With this lack of purpose for those that remain, comes the baseless pursuit of pleasure. Instant pleasures are a brief escape, but fade quickly, leaving only an intangible malaise. The humans that still live in this planetary mausoleum reflect this, evident by the way that they don’t acknowledge their spectacular surroundings (a similar phenomena in dwellers of modern day mega cities). Dwarfed by mega structures, they never look up at the world they live in.

This demonstrates existential apathy. Like K, they ignore their reality because it reminds them of their insignificance and lack of purpose.

It’s in this scene where Stelline makes K look up.

There’s no wall between K and audience, we are empathically connected to his existential plight. We want K to be real, we too want to be real, but the consequences mean that K (and by extension the audience) will be forced to start living.

K’s hopes, dreams and fears, converge as Stelline watches his memory. His years of torment and oppression are lifted with her words.

Ana Stelline: “Someone lived this yes. This happened.”