
Movie review
ARQ
Woke Score
Lower is better
- Release Date
- September 16, 2016
- Age Rating
- R
- Runtime
- 88 min
Where to Watch
United States · Last checked 5/13/2026
Stream
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Breakdown
Factors & Ratings
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for ARQ.
Representation / casting choices
Leads fit the near-future setting with no swaps or signaling; one Indigenous supporting actress appears without story or marketing emphasis on diversity.
Political / ideological dialogue
Characters mention corporate control of energy and rebel resistance, but these drive the action and survival plot without lectures or modern ideological framing.
Identity-driven story themes
Core story follows time-loop mechanics, invention, ex-lovers rebuilding trust, and resource conflict; no arcs center on race, gender, sexuality, or group identity.
Institutional / cultural critique
A ruthless corporation pursues the tech amid global shortages while rebels turn violent; this uses common dystopian tropes about power and resources, not modern activist critiques of systems, patriarchy, or Western norms.
