Kevin and Matthew McManus first showed up at SXSW just over a decade ago with their foul-mouthed kid comedy “Funeral Kings”; one of the most charming parts of that fest debut was the fake movie posters for the local video store in the film, dream projects in every sense of the word. Largely uncommented upon, they weren’t sight gags or background filler but likely full-scale features that the brothers were carrying around in their heads. Their third feature “Redux Redux,” a heady sci-fi action flick, would’ve fit nicely into one of those frames, though it bears no resemblance at all to the last film they brought to SXSW. The story follows an aggrieved mother (Michaela McManus) through the multiverse as she avenges her daughter’s death every which way. It’s exactly the kind of movie the brothers would’ve wanted to rent on a Friday night.

Boasting a brawny aesthetic and the kind of loopy logic where it’s fun to fill in the gaps, the high-concept thriller gives a different take on the arc of history bending towards justice. Irene wanders through various dimensions, throwing off strong Linda Hamilton vibes as she makes quick work of Nelson (Jeremy Holm), the man who killed her daughter Anna, multiple times. Presumably plenty of practice has made finding him quite easy; she’ll set him on fire or blast his brains out through a hotel bed. The time loop has clearly desensitized her towards the violence she’s committing, but also towards any catharsis. Yet she keeps at it, not to make sure Nelson is dead, but hopeful that in one of the various strands of the multiverse her daughter is still alive. In each reality, Irene is sure to find a metal coffin-like contraption she bought on the black market.

Initially it might seem like there isn’t much at stake in “Redux Redux.” But the McManus brothers give their protagonist something to care about besides her own daughter when, in her travels, she stumbles onto Mia (Stella Marcus), a teenaged orphan set to be another victim of Nelson’s in one realm before Irene handily dispatches him. Soon, Irene has to make room in the flux capacitor for Mia when she insists on keeping her abductor at bay, an impulse Irene can certainly understand, but wouldn’t wish on anyone else. However, Irene could use the company and her rapport with the spunky Mia warms up a film that’s cool by design. The heroine starts to soften and begins to reveal what she was once like as a mother.

“Redux Redux” sticks close to a recognizable reality in every version of multiverse, which may have been a function of a limited budget. But the McManus brothers make the parameters work when they draw an intriguing parallel between Mia’s life, moving from one group home to another, with Irene’s, where the next day never comes. Resettling in any new universe is just another day for the foster child. Impressive set-pieces are sprinkled throughout, from a rip-roaring car chase to open the film and a later brawl between Irene and a pair of shady mechanics (Michael Manuel and Taylor Misiak). The slick widescreen compositions from cinematographer Alan Gwizdowski and Paul Koch’s propulsive synth score add a real atmospheric heft.

Occasionally, the inherently repetitive nature of the story poses issues that aren’t tackled as inventively. It can grown wearisome to see Mia cry for help as to worm her way out of things, and, ultimately, a climax inevitably involves the same villain that’s been killed many, many times before. However, in dipping their toes into the multiverse, the McManus Brothers largely manage to get the best of two worlds, delivering a strong genre entry with the bones of a tender indie about trauma.