ARQ

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Tony Elliott directs. Daniel Grant behind the camera. Keegan Jessamy scores. Kye Meechan cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in Spanish, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

• 188 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
• 2Shot for just $2.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
• 3Released 10 years ago.
• 4Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Spanish, English.
• 5Directed by Tony Elliott, shot by Daniel Grant. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
• 6Original score by Keegan Jessamy. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
• 7Editor Kye Meechan shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
• 8Robbie Amell and Rachael Taylor and Gray Powell carry the top of the cast.
• 9IMDB entry: tt5640450 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
• 10Classified under 8 themes, including "post-apocalyptic future", "time travel", "deception", "time loop".

The technical file

Cinematography

Daniel Grant

Original score

Keegan Jessamy

Editing

Kye Meechan

Production design

Oleg M. Savytski

Costume design

Patrick Antosh

Makeup / hair

Traci Loader

Runtime

88 min · 1h 28m

Aspect ratio (typical)

1.37:1 (Academy)

Status

Released

Budget

$2,000,000

Original language

EN

Certification (US)

R

IMDB

ARQ (2016) ↗

Rotten Tomatoes

43% 🥫 Rotten

IMDB rating

6.3/10 · 43,884 votes

MPAA

TV-MA

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

• 

  ▶
  Official Trailer

  Trailer · Official

Community reviews

What people are saying

• CinemaSerf2022-03-28
  ★ 5/10

  This is quite possibly the slowest burn of a film I have ever seen. It is reminiscent of a video game that you used to play: initially you don't get past the end of level one; then you progress slowly but surely through the game learning from your mistakes, though frequently having to start again from scratch.... Well this is one of them, with Robbie Amell and Rachael Taylor caught in a time loop that gradually reveals a story of betrayal and duplicity as they try to protect a gizmo that might just be the answer to humanity's energy problems from "Torus", a company that wants it too. Unfortunately, and as usual for Amell, this is a rather dry, uninteresting piece of drama - neither character really has any depth; the dialogue and effects are repetitive and all in all it amounts to little more than a digital "Groundhog Day" with apples and fisticuffs.

  Read full review ↓
• RalphRahal2025-03-31
  ★ 7/10

  ARQ is a neat sci-fi flick that's enjoyable enough to keep you from hitting the fast-forward button. The directing by Tony Elliott is straightforward and effective, keeping the action tight and focused without getting bogged down in unnecessary distractions. Cinematography-wise, the film does well considering its confined setting, creating just enough claustrophobic tension to maintain interest. The visuals aren't mind-blowing, but they serve the story perfectly, giving it a gritty, futuristic vibe without leaning too heavily on special effects. The acting is pretty solid, especially Robbie Amell and Rachael Taylor, who manage to deliver believable performances that hold your attention despite the repetitive nature of a time-loop plot. Speaking of which, the script offers an intriguing premise built around the concept of an "Arcing Recursive Quine," cleverly referencing self-replicating programs known in coding circles as quines. The time loop itself lasts exactly 3 hours, 14 minutes, and 15 seconds, intentionally mirroring the number π (pi), symbolizing the endless cycle the characters are trapped in. However, while these ideas sound intriguing, the film doesn't quite explore them as deeply as it could, leaving certain questions unanswered. The script includes subtle nods to looping concepts, notably through the codename "Mobius," referencing the Möbius strip, a symbol of infinite loops and endless cycles. The score and sound design don't particularly stand out, but they're effective enough at enhancing tension during key moments. Overall, ARQ is worth a watch if you're into mind-bending sci-fi and don't mind a story that opts for mystery over detailed explanations.

  Read full review ↓

Production companies

Who made it

• 

  MXN Entertainment

  US

• LO

  Lost City

  US

• 

  XYZ Films

  US

Key crew

• ProducerJohn Finemore
• ProducerKyle Franke
• ProducerMason Novick
• Co-ProducerMary Anne Waterhouse
• Co-ProducerElizabeth Grave
• Co-ProducerMichelle Knudsen
• Associate ProducerPriscilla Galvez
• Executive ProducerIan Bricke
• Executive ProducerJames Hoppe
• Executive ProducerMatt Levin
• Executive ProducerNick Spicer
• EditorKye Meechan
• CastingAngela Demo
• Production DesignOleg M. Savytski
• Art DirectionShelley Silverman
• Costume DesignPatrick Antosh
• Makeup Department HeadTraci Loader
• Key Makeup ArtistTraci Loader
• Key Hair StylistSandy Sokolowski

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

• post-apocalyptic future
• time travel
• deception
• time loop
• struggle for survival
• paranoid
• corporate espionage
• mysterious events

Release history · US

When it landed

• Digital2016-09-16R· Netflix

Also known as

International titles

• ARQBR
• 超时空传输CN
• ARQ危机CN
• АркаRU
• Арк: Ковчег времениRU