Mortal Engines, directed by Christian Rivers and released in 2018, is a visually ambitious post-apocalyptic film based on the novel by Philip Reeve. Produced by Peter Jackson, who famously brought The Lord of the Rings to the big screen, the movie offers an imaginative and sprawling depiction of a future world where cities are mounted on massive moving platforms, traveling across a desolate landscape and consuming smaller towns to survive—a concept known as “Municipal Darwinism.”

Set thousands of years after a catastrophic event known as the “Sixty Minute War,” the world has become a barren wasteland, with massive, mobile cities like London dominating the landscape. These “traction cities” hunt down smaller settlements to gather resources in a world of ever-diminishing supplies. The story follows Hester Shaw (Hera Hilmar), a mysterious and determined young woman with a scarred face, who seeks revenge on the powerful and ruthless Thaddeus Valentine (Hugo Weaving), the man responsible for her mother’s death.

At the heart of Mortal Engines is a tale of rebellion, survival, and discovery. Hester, initially a lone assassin bent on revenge, finds an unlikely ally in Tom Natsworthy (Robert Sheehan), a historian from London who gets caught up in her quest after he uncovers some of Valentine’s dark secrets. Together, they embark on a dangerous journey through the perilous wastelands and airships, uncovering a plot that threatens the future of humanity.

One of the most striking elements of Mortal Engines is its stunning visual design. The concept of massive, mobile cities is brought to life with incredible detail, and the steampunk-inspired world-building is rich with imagination. The moving cities, particularly London, are awe-inspiring in their scale and complexity, with gears, engines, and architectural wonders churning across the screen. The visual effects, especially in the chase and battle sequences, showcase the epic scope of this dystopian future.