Four decades later, the film Ridley Scott doesn't consider sci-fi, "Blade Runner," is still a revelatory vision of the future. Anyone trying to comprehend the franchise's scope should watch it first – with the only question being which version.
When the film first screened, producers insisted that "Blade Runner" be released in a modified cut, with neo-noir narration from star Harrison Ford to clarify the story for audiences, and a new happy ending. The theatrical cut included the voiceover, but Ford hated it, and ironically, so did the executives who had initially requested it (via Vice).
Subsequently, Scott released a 1992 Director's Cut and later the 2007 Final Cut, now considered the "official" version of the film. There the filmmaker returned to the original, ambivalent ending and, of course, got rid of the voiceover. Scott also added a famous "unicorn scene" that created the question of whether blade runner Deckard (Ford) was himself a replicant. Ultimately, the Final Cut is the best version of the film to watch as of 2022, and it's available on HBO Max.
