The new science fiction film “In Time” is predicated on a single high-concept: In the near future, aging ends at 25. Beyond that, people have one year left to live, their remaining time is displayed on a bioluminescent watch on their arms. With time serving as currency in this new world, the wealthy are essentially immortal, while the poor typically live day to day, struggling to earn more time to stay alive.
The conceit sprung from the mind of writer-director Andrew Niccol, who explored similar territory with his 1997 feature debut, “Gattaca,” which presented a world in which the genetically gifted constitute the world’s upper class. The filmmaker freely acknowledges the connection between the films — referring to “In Time” as “‘Gattaca’ revisited” — but he said his latest feature, which opens in theaters Friday, afforded him an opportunity to examine society’s obsession with image in a different way.
“Even as far back as ‘Gattaca,’ I always realized that the ultimate goal was to live forever,” Niccol said.