Where to Stream Blade Runner?

‘Blade Runner’ was initially considered a mediocre sci-fi film at the time of its release and later went on to become one of the cult hits and a leading example of neo-noir films. Directed by Ridley Scott, the movie is loosely based on acclaimed author Philip K. Dick’s 1968 novel, ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?’.

Since it came out, ‘Blade Runner’ has been extremely influential and it can be felt not just in other films, but games as well, like the upcoming ‘Cyberpunk 2077‘. The movie also managed to garner praise for the thematic complexity and the rich visuals. It has also been recognized as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. ‘Blade Runner’ also has a sequel titled ‘Blade Runner 2049‘, which is just as brilliant.

The movie has several versions including a director’s cut and a final cut, and you must be wondering where you can watch the movie that seems to have so much hype surrounding it. Before we tell you where to watch ‘Blade Runner’, let us first tell you what it is about.

What is Blade Runner About?

The story of ‘Blade Runner’ is set in 2019, which is this year, but at the time it was made, the future could have held limitless possibilities. We are introduced to Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former police officer who is detained by officer Gaff (Edward James Olmos) and brought to Bryant (M. Emmet Walsh), his former supervisor. We are made aware that Deckard’s previous job required him to be a ‘blade runner’ or someone who was responsible for tracking down bioengineered beings known as replicants and killing or retiring them. He is informed that four of these beings are on earth illegally, and when he starts to leave, his former supervisor makes some sort of ambiguous threat, making him stay back. Then they watch a video of a fellow blade runner, Holden, who performs a ‘Voigt-Kampff’ test, which is used to determine if a being is a replicant or a human, based on the emotional responses.

However, they see that the test subject, Leon, kills Holden during the testing. It falls upon Deckard to eliminate these replicants created by the Tyrell Corporation – Leon (Brion James), Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer), Zhora (Joanna Cassidy) and Pris (Daryl Hannah). Deckard goes along with Bryant to meet Eldon Tyrell (Joe Turkel) of the Tyrell Corporation to administer the test on one of the replicants of the same model, that is Nexus 6, to see if it works. However, Tyrell insists that the test be conducted on his assistant Rachael (Sean Young) first. Deckard conducts a longer than standard test to conclude that Rachael is a replicant believing she is a human. Tyrell informs him that she is a new type of replicant who has false memories as an emotional ‘cushion’.

The hunt for the replicants begins, while the replicants try to track down Sebastian, a gifted genetic designer who works with Tyrell. In the course of the hunt, Deckard first eliminates Zhora and is told by Bryant that he needs to eliminate Rachael as well. However, when he tracks her down, he happens to tangle with Leon, and the latter gets the upper hand. But soon, Rachael steps in, to Deckard’s rescue, using his gun to kill Leon. Grateful to her for saving his life, he promises not to track her down, and they also share a passionate moment of intimacy.

Back at Sebastian’s apartment, Roy tells Pris that the others are dead. He makes Sebastian take him to Tyrell and demands more time from his maker. Upon being told this is impossible, Roy seems to waver for a moment, but then he kills Tyrell and Sebastian. Deckard is hot on the trail once again, and at Sebastian’s apartment, he faces Pris, who he kills just as Roy returns. Roy chases him but his body begins to fail. When the chase turns fatal for Deckard, with him nearly falling from a roof, Roy shows what is perhaps a moment of humanity, and hoists Deckard to safety. He then delivers the iconic monologue of all his memories being ”lost in time, like tears in rain”. Gaff shows up as well and says that it is too bad that Rachael won’t live either. The movie ends with Rachael and Deckard together, as we see them leaving the apartment block.

This is the basic plot of ‘Blade Runner’, without focusing on how the various versions of the movie differ ever so slightly. Now let us tell you where to watch ‘Blade Runner’.

Is Blade Runner on Netflix?

Netflix has an amazing collection of movies and television shows, and the platform is especially careful in curating its sci-fi content. Although ‘Blade Runner’ is not on Netflix, you can watch some great sci-fi movies like ‘Ex Machina‘ and ‘The Fifth Element’ on the streaming giant.

Is Blade Runner on Hulu?

Hulu has a rapidly developing library, and they make smart additions to it all the time. However, one aspect that goes overlooked sometimes is the Hulu Originals, which are brilliant in their own right. Though ‘Blade Runner’ is not on the platform, nothing portrays dystopia better than ‘The Handmaid’s Tale‘ (at least in television), which you can watch on the site.

Is Blade Runner on Amazon Prime?

Amazon Prime has a library that cannot be easily bested and the platform tries to cater to everyone’s needs. Though ‘Blade Runner’ is not available to Prime subscribers as is, you can rent or buy the movie and watch it on the platform. It costs $3.99 to rent and $9.99 to buy it. Check it out here.

Where Can I Stream Blade Runner Online?

‘Blade Runner’ can also be streamed elsewhere if you don’t have subscription to any of the major platforms. Just head to YouTube, Vudu or FandangoNow and rent or buy the movie. YouTube lets you rent the HD version for $3.99 and buy it for $14.99, while FandangoNow lets you rent the SD and HD versions for $2.99 and $3.99 respectively. You can buy these versions for $9.99 and $13.99 respectively. Vudu has the best deal since it costs $3.99 to rent all versions of the movie and $9.99 to buy them. They also offer the Ultra HD version. So choose accordingly.

Where Can I Watch Blade Runner Online For Free?

Unfortunately, at this moment, there is no option that lets you watch ‘Blade Runner’ online for free, using legal means. You have to wait till it is available on some platform that lets you use the free trial period.

However, considering that ‘Blade Runner’ is a sheer work of brilliance, we would urge you to pay for the movie.

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