Natural City is a South Korean science-fiction thriller movie, directed by Min Byung-chun. The story is set in a dystopian future, where cyborgs are used not only for military purposes but also as sex slaves, bodyguards, and servants. The cyborgs are almost indistinguishable from humans, apart from their mechanical components and superhuman abilities.
The movie revolves around two cops, R and Noma, who work for the SRO (Special Robotics Operations) department. Their primary duty is to hunt down and eliminate renegade cyborgs who have fled the military's control. During their routine patrol, they encounter a group of rogue cyborgs and engage in a fierce gunfight. In the chaos, one of R's cyborgs, Ria, sustains critical damage, and her lifespan is reduced to only a few days.
R is devastated, as he has developed a personal attachment to Ria, and he vows to find a way to extend her life. He learns that the black market is dealing with a secret technology that can transfer a cyborg's artificial intelligence into a human host. R decides to find a suitable host for Ria and embark on a perilous journey.
As R navigates through the dark alleys of the city, he comes across various obstacles, including rival gangs and corrupt officials. Meanwhile, Noma, who shares a past with R and Ria, begins to question their mission and seeks to uncover the truth behind the military's treatment of cyborgs.
The movie culminates in a gripping finale, where R and Noma confront the sinister forces that seek to exploit the technology and the true extent of the cyborg's sentience is revealed.
Natural City is known for its stunning visual effects, intense action sequences, and poignant themes of humanity, identity, and mortality. It won numerous awards and critical acclaim for its innovative storytelling, characterization, and social commentary.