Dystopian Sci-Fi Thriller Brings Fan-Favorite Assassin To Life On Streaming

Directed by Karyn Kusama, it stars Charlize Theron in the lead role alongside Marton Csokas, Jonny Lee Miller, Sophie Okonedo, Pete Postlethwaite, and Frances McDormand.

Aeon Flux begins in 2011 when a devastating pathogenic virus kills 99 percent of the Earth’s population. Centuries later, the remnants of humanity live in the walled city called Bregna, governed by a congress of scientists.

Although Bregna offers an illusion of utopia, its inhabitants live in constant fear and are haunted by nightmarish visions.

Viewers are then introduced to Aeon Flux (Charlize Theron), a warrior aligned with the Monicans, an underground rebel faction connected by telepathic technology and guided by the Handler (Frances McDormand).

Following a mission to dismantle a surveillance station, Aeon returns home to find her sister Una (Amelia Warner) was mistaken for a Monican and has been killed.

When Aeon Flux is assigned a mission to assassinate the city’s leader, Trevor Goodchild (Marton Csokas), the layers of deception begin to unravel.

She stumbles upon a conspiracy orchestrated by government council members, manipulating both the Monicans and the unwitting citizens. As she delves into Bregna’s history and her personal link to Trevor, a shocking truth emerges.

Aeon Flux went through a troubled development process, including script rewrites and changes to the director. Karyn Kusama was eventually hired for directorial duties, and the film ultimately had a different tone from the original animated series.

After Kusama completed the movie, the studio extensively re-edited it, altering storylines and characters as her version was deemed too artsy.

Aeon Flux received a dismal reception from critics and holds a very poor critics rating of nine percent on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. While some praised Charlize Theron’s performance and the film’s visual style, others criticized its convoluted plot and departure from the source material.

The lack of character development and the film’s pacing were also points of contention.

Unsurprisingly, Aeon Flux struggled at the box office. Despite an estimated budget of around $62 million, the film only managed to earn $52 million worldwide.

Its underwhelming performance was attributed to various factors, including competition from other blockbuster releases and the lukewarm critical reception.

By comparison, Peter Chung’s original animated series gained a cult following for its avant-garde animation style and complex storytelling.

The character Aeon Flux was known for her acrobatic feats and morally ambiguous nature. Each episode features elements of social sci-fi, biopunk, allegory, and dystopian fiction.

In late 2005, Dark Horse Comics released a four-issue limited series of comic books that complemented the Aeon Flux movie.

This story is a precursor to the film, blending Peter Chung’s original designs and characters from the TV series with the movie’s setting and storyline.

The depiction of Aeon in the comic even resembles Charlize Theron.