Everything You Need To Know About Blade Runner So You Can Skip The Original

The rain is always falling in Blade Runner’s Los Angeles. Down past the neon billboards, down past the space ships leaving the dismal planet Earth for brighter and more luxurious off-world colonies, down into the winding and narrow alleys where Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) spends his days hunting down androids.

Blade Runner imagines the America of 2019 to be a damp, depressing dystopia. Within that gritty landscape, one of the most influential science fiction movies ever is set. Though there have been eight versions of Blade Runners since 1982, it's taken 35 years for a Blade Runner sequel. And now, the wait is over.

Out October 6, the heavily anticipated Blade Runner 2049 will further Blade Runner’s world and plot in thrilling ways. Harrison Ford even punches Ryan Gosling. But if you’re going to partake in the blockbuster phenomenon of the year, it’s best you study up on your Blade Runner terminology. Otherwise, you’ll be wandering through a cyberpunk world of confusion. Seriously. You’re going to thank us later.