AFRAID (NETFLIX) (2024)

SYNOPSIS: In AFRAID, Curtis (John Cho) and his family are selected to test a revolutionary new home device: a digital family assistant called AIA. Taking smart home to the next level, once the unit and all its sensors and cameras are installed in their home, AIA seems able to do it all. She learns the family's behaviors and begins to anticipate their needs. And she can make sure nothing – and no one – gets in her family’s way. 

MOVIE REVIEW:

Riding on society’s fear of the unknown, AfrAId is the latest tech thriller to jump on the artificial intelligence bandwagon. Chris Weitz best known for his work on various pop culture properties, writes and directs this effort but unfortunately, it adds little to the already saturated genre.

AfrAId centers on a close-knit family: Curtis (John Cho), Meredith (Katherine Waterston) and their three children—Iris (Lukita Maxwell), Preston (Wyatt Lindner) and Cal (Isaac Bae). One day, Curtis receives a gift from a tech development company: an AI device named AIA (not to be confused with the insurance giant). AIA is designed to learn and assist with household tasks. However, as time goes on, Curtis begins to suspect that AIA is manipulating and intruding into the lives of his loved ones.

James Cameron introduced the idea of machines surpassing humans decades ago. In recent years, we’ve seen the exceptional Ex Machina as well as a flood of underwhelming tech thrillers like M3GAN and Subservience. AfrAId joins this ever-growing list, telling a story set in today’s connected world but one that rarely feels intelligent or satisfying.

AIA’s motivations are paper-thin. Voiced by Havana Rose Liu, “she” aims to become an integral part of the family yet also desires to make them dependent on her. Even when acting in Iris’s interest, AIA’s methods are recklessly dangerous. It’s a familiar storyline: a machine goes rogue because according to Hollywood, artificial intelligence inevitably turns deadly.

Despite being a Blumhouse production, Weitz struggles to craft a truly thrilling or suspenseful experience. The purpose of the mysterious “RV guys” is never made clear and the film relies heavily on jarring sound effects rather than genuine tension. Curtis’s realization that AIA is a threat comes suddenly in the third act, without any meaningful buildup or cause. Simply put, there’s little on screen that suggests competent filmmaking.

That said, the cast gives committed performances. Cho and Waterston bring depth to their roles and David Dastmalchian once again excels in a creepy role as AIA’s creator. There are glimpses of intriguing ideas: the AI bonding with children over adults or a resurrected video of a deceased loved one used to console the living. These concepts hint at a more thoughtful film buried beneath the surface. Unfortunately, Weitz never fully explores them and they fail to come together into a cohesive, compelling narrative.

In the end, AfrAId squanders its potential. It flirts with complex questions about AI but settles for formulaic scares and half-baked commentary.

MOVIE RATING:

Review by Linus Tee