Whenever I read a book or novel, the visuals are one of the key factors that determines my level of interest in a story. Johnny Mneumonic was a bit difficult to place at first. I'm not sure I really knew what to picture for until I just happened to rewatch The Matrix for the first time in years. With gauges, strange piercings, lots of black and off-the-wall clothing and makeup, I suppose I imagine Johnny Mneumonic's version of the future to be filled much with people dressed the same way---though with a little more of a 90's feel to it, I must admit. I began to picture some kind of weird ska music video, mixed with techno, Bladerunner, and goth culture. But let's switch gears to The Matrix here.
In The Matrix, the Wachowski siblings created an aesthetic that went against the clean, minimalistic idea of the future that so many filmmakers tend to favor. The idea of a gritty, darker future is something that definitely feels more real, though I'm not entirely sure that I like it. It's just too dark, too seedy, too weird, and too dangerous. Kind of akin to moving backwards towards a future with questionable morality and decay, rather than a future meant to improve the human race. Perhaps body modification and less of an influence on technological aesthetic is an improvement towards a more straightforward, raw culture.
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