15 reasons why you should watch Blade Runner right now

12. The costumes

Costuming is an incredibly important part of creating a film world. Carelessly-created costumes are boring at best and distracting at worst. They can often tell you more about a character, simply through the structure of their look and they way they wear it.

In Blade Runner, Deckard dresses quite a bit like the standard rumpled detective. He sports a brown trench coat (what detective would be complete without one?), along with the kind of tie and collared shirt that wouldn’t look out of place on Philip Marlowe. Don’t let this fool you, though. Deckard becomes increasingly disheveled as the film moves forward, reflecting his growing unease as he tracks down the replicants. Deckard also apparently has a really hard time matching his ties to his outfit.

In stark contrast, Rachel’s clothing makes her look almost as if she’s a sculpture come to life. She wears many heavy fabrics and angular lines, including some serious shoulder pads. Even her hair is markedly sculptural in many scenes.

On rare occasions, she’s seen with her hair down or in more vulnerable clothing, such as a voluminous and soft fur coat that looks so comfortable and glamorous that I feel a twinge of envy thinking about it. At these times, she is also personally vulnerable. Ironically, she appears the most human when she finally accepts that she, too, is a replicant.