Lotus Land

A world-weary cop is forced out of retirement to settle old scores once and for all in this stylish dystopian mystery from Van Poelgeest (Little Bird) and Filipe (Stranger Things: Tales from Hawkins). In a Blade Runner–inspired future world, burly former police detective Bennie Strikman has fled gritty Toronto and wants nothing more than to raise his son in their tranquil cabin in the heart of the Canadian wilderness. But an attack on the government’s clandestine Keeper Program forces him back into service and into the moody urban fray. Naturally, things don’t go as planned—and it turns out Strikman’s got secrets of his own, including mysterious psychic abilities. As he reconnects with old colleagues and lovers in classic noir fashion, each new revelation pulls the grizzled veteran further into a web of intrigue and deception. Though Van Poelgeest and Filipe generally hit familiar story beats, they breathe new life into the “one last job” trope. Van Poelgeest’s hardboiled plot provides the perfect backdrop for Filipe’s atmospheric artwork, complemented by the masterful colors of painter Patricio Delpeche. The result is a polished if well-worn neo-noir gem. (Sept.)