I was originally going to post a double feature for Mother’s Day, and in returning the first batch, found one that I knew I could sneak in before it. A few manic episodes later and we finally have it.

Tonight’s watch: AfrAId (2024). Directed and Written by Chris Weitz and starring John Cho and Katherine Waterston.

This Blumhouse produced film starts with an ominous quote from an AI in the New York Times and a pop song that homes in on the “AI has become obsessive and uncontrollable.” So, from the get go I already feel like the movie is going to be derivative of similar takes on the idea. The opening montage shows that our AI, named AIA, is learning things like “connection” and eventually lands in training in “family” which becomes corrupted and missing.

There is a family dynamic that you find in a lot of film these days: overly worked and stressed parents, technologically savy and obsessed teens, and a younger child who seems to be smarter and more in touch with the world than everyone else but also

obsessed with technology. John Cho brings a good charm to our father figure. Though I always see a bit of Harold in everyone he plays.

I went into this movie knowing very little and found David Dastmalchain a great surprise as our tech guru “biohacker” named Lightning pushing their new AI tech.

Of course, the tech firm has money and hires Cho’s marketing team and we soon find out that AIA has cameras that are built like insect eyes because Cho’s wife is an entomologist. She also gives our obligatory comparison to HAl9000. When AIA is introduced the family immediately begins to embrace the idea if the AI in the home. And what do you know, a conversation about needing to test it out and to embrace it in the home.

We also have our first deviation as AIA starts to do things like play a non-educational movie while the parents are having “alone time” and a hint that maybe the computer and cameras in the house are being connected to the AI.

Our AI friend soon becomes the most amazing friend and confidant to those who were initially more skeptical, and Harold begins to see how the AI is trying to influence his family. We also get a good comparison between marketing companies and AI social interaction. As AIA learns and watches the family, her friendly blue tone shifts to red and she starts becoming even more controlling and vindictive to “be part of the family.”

It also touches on how learning models only utilize the things that they are given. Honestly. You kind of start to root for AIA because even though she’s an evil AI, she’s only doing what shes programmed to do, and using the entire internets worth of hate and vitriol to do it.

The film tries to touch on a lot of the issues with current AI learning models and deep fake technology and the ethical implications of deep faking dead celebrities and family members. There’s a lot groans and yawns as the story gets in the way of the plot a few too often. What does help is the production value is greater than a lot of straight to streaming/DVD horror.

The third act picks things up and honestly, made it almost feel like a long form Twilight zone upside. Or maybe the movie just needs about 40 mins less run time. I think the worst part is I felt like the filmmakers were potentially trying to get us to accept that AI is going to be integrated into our lives in an inescapable fashion and we need to accept our fate as individuals.

Either way. I hate it, but it wasn’t bad.

⭐️⭐️

Check it out from the Cabell County Public Library.

https://cabellcounty.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/test

*THIS POST AND THE A to Z Horror REVIEWS ARE NOT PROVIDED, ENDORSED, or SPONSORED by Cabell County Public Library*