Mortal Engines (2018), directed by Christian Rivers and produced by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens, is a visually stunning post-apocalyptic science fiction film based on the novel by Philip Reeve. Set in a dystopian future where cities are mounted on wheels and roam across the Earth, it is a film that blends action, adventure, and complex social themes.

In the distant future, after a cataclysmic event known as the “Sixty-Minute War,” the world is left in ruins. In this new age, cities are not static but are rather massive, mobile settlements called Traction Cities, which travel across the Earth, scavenging other smaller cities for resources. The film focuses on a young woman named Hester Shaw (Hera Hilmar), who is on a quest for revenge against Thaddeus Valentine (Hugo Weaving), a powerful figure from the city of London who is responsible for the death of her mother.

The story unfolds when Hester, while attempting to kill Valentine, is saved by a man named Tom Natsworthy (Robert Sheehan), an unlikely hero who is thrust into a world of political conspiracy, hidden histories, and the deadly machinations of a giant war machine. As Hester and Tom form an uneasy alliance, they uncover a dark secret about Valentine’s plans, which could spell disaster for the entire world.

Hester’s journey leads her to an ancient technology that can threaten the fragile balance of power, forcing her and Tom to confront dangerous forces determined to control the future of civilization.