In this superb sci-fi thriller set in the not-too-distant future, DNA engineering has made it possible for men and women to be born with a high I.Q. and perfect bodies. Naturally born individuals are "In-Valids." They are stigmatized in society and given only menial jobs. Vincent (Ethan Hawke) has poor eyesight and a heart condition. Yet his yearning to be a member of an elite space mission to Titan has made him into an innovative subversive.

A broker arranges for Vincent to swap identities with Jerome (Jude Law), a genetically elite fellow made paraplegic in an accident. Using his blood and urine in tests, Vincent rises in the Gattaca Aerospace Corporation. However, his plan and passion are put in jeopardy when the mission director is murdered. An intrepid detective (Alan Arkin) begins double-checking all the workers when an eyelash is found at the crime scene.

Writer and director Andrew Niccol has created a stylized dystopia where perfection is genetically engineered. A subplot pits Vincent against his brother. In this film, we cheer for the rebel as he tries to fulfill his dream to voyage in outer space. Yearning — the heart's desire — is one of the things that what makes us human.