In a post-apocalyptic world of never-ending winter, ‘outsiders’  live mostly underground.

Due to their unsanitary conditions, sexual contact has become dangerous, even fatal. Masturbation has become the paradigm of sexual experience and an array of low-tech devices for this purpose has come into existence.

In this bleak reality, Czuperski (a dealer of such machines) and Tania (a sex addict) make a deal: she allows him to develop experimental new devices on her in exchange for pleasure. Inevitably, their relationship soon spirals out of control.

This isn’t sci-fi as you might know it. Sexual but not erotic, dark and claustrophobic, in the vein of 1990s cult classic, HARDWARE. It shares a similar flesh-meets-metal aesthetic and noisy soundtrack.

Strong performances help to sustain the film along with its abundance of fresh ideas. An accomplished, oddball début from Gonzalez and a welcome new chapter in dystopian storytelling.