Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
Two old friends living in a dystopic future become trapped in a mysterious time loop — one that may have something to do with an ongoing battle between an omnipotent corporation and a ragtag band of rebels.
ARQ is a competent low-budget Netflix sci-fi thriller that uses the time loop mechanic effectively within a dystopian setting. The plot layers in corporate espionage and shifting loyalties to keep things interesting beyond a standard loop premise, though it never fully capitalizes on its ambitions. Acting is serviceable but unremarkable from its small cast. Cinematography is functional and claustrophobic but constrained by its limited budget and single-location setting. Novelty gets a slight boost for blending the time loop with a post-apocalyptic corporate war backdrop, though it remains derivative of better loop films. The ending provides reasonable closure with a twist, though it doesn't fully satisfy.