Mars Express is a futuristic detective story about the autonomy of synthetic beings — which is to say, it’s the latest in a long line of sci-fi influenced by Ghost in the Shell and Blade Runner. But while its premise may be familiar, the movie makes up for it with style and energy. The debut feature from director Jérémie Périn, Mars Express features absolutely stunning 2D animation, a fully realized world, and a pulse-pounding story that kept me guessing right until the end.

It’s set in 2200, a point in time when Earth is described as a “slum for the unemployed,” while Mars has become somewhat better... at least for the rich, who live in what’s best described as a futuristic vision of the suburbs under a protective dome with bright screens that mask the outside world. Complicating the social dynamics are synthetic life-forms, which come in various flavors. There are typical robots used to do menial and service jobs, with some humans fighting to liberate them and one megacorporation trying to phase the machines out in favor of organic versions. Meanwhile, there are also “backups,” androids with the memories and personalities of deceased humans, who must follow a strict set of Isaac Asimov-like rules.

The movie follows a pair of private investigators: Aline and her cybernetic partner, Carlos (a backup who died years ago in a war). They end up taking a job to find a missing university student, which — in the grand tradition of these stories — pulls them into a much bigger mystery involving the fate of all synthetic beings and, since we’ve become so dependent on them, humanity as well. I won’t spoil too much, but Mars Express does an excellent job of steadily ramping up. It starts out as a seemingly simple missing persons investigation, but as Aline and Carlos learn more, it becomes something much more elaborate due to an event called “the takeover” that eventually shifts the tone, giving it a more philosophical note.

Mars Express also — and I really can’t stress this enough — looks incredibly cool. This is the best-looking sci-fi animation I’ve seen since Scavengers Reign. Partly, that’s down to pure style, with a look that’s sort of like if Moebius tried hard sci-fi. But it’s also because of the deep and believable worldbuilding going on. Sleek autonomous cars and bizarre foldable computers aren’t just there because they look neat; they serve a purpose to the story. This is especially true of the different synthetics — the rugged older models, the sleek androids, the unsettling organic blobs — which paint a picture of the changing technological needs of this time. Do I want a shapeshifting lump of flesh that functions like a Bluetooth headset with Siri built in? Definitely not, but it’s a lot of fun to see it realized in animation.

Crucially, these details aren’t the point of the movie — they’re there to make this vision of the future feel plausible. That’s true of other elements, like the anti-robot protests and humanity’s ongoing search for a Goldilocks planet, which are largely only hinted at. The worldbuilding also makes for some relatable moments, like how Carlos — stuck in an aging robotic frame — keeps missing firmware updates because his memory is full or the way Aline, a recovering alcoholic, is constantly thwarted by smart liquor bottles that won’t let her drink.

These details create a firm sense of time and place, which Mars Express uses to tell a human story about, well, what it means to be human. And it does it with all the grit, style, and wonder you’d expect from the genre. Mars Express isn’t the kind of revelatory experience that surpasses the film’s obvious inspirations, but it’s a welcome addition to the canon.

Mars Express is in theaters starting on May 3rd.