Afraid

Afraid takes a family and inserts a new AI device into their lives. This has benefits for the help and support it provides, but is there a malicious intent behind this device?

Obviously, the answer is yes. And as we progress in the movie, the actions of the AI device show both our dependency upon technology and what happens when morality and conscience are devoid in decision making.

The film has a strange divide in its presentation. First, there is the slightly futuristic thriller of the "evil" potential of AI. But, a second element present is a fairy tale like demeanor that often works against the first element. The innocence of a fairy tale clashes with the anxieties and fears that are evoked from Terminator ideas.

Overall, I found this to be a thoughtful reflection upon development of AI, our dependence on technology, the reflection upon what choices we have in life, and what entails a better life.

I didn't expect too much from Afraid but it proved to be an entertaining watch provided you accept it for what it is - a brisk little AI related thriller and not heavy sci-fi.

John Cho and Katherine Waterston are fine actors who manage to portray a fairly believable family dynamic despite not having a whole lot to work with in terms of character detail or back story and the occasional moments of klunky dialogue. Between them they manage to lift proceedings where lesser actors would probably make this more likely to go straight to streaming or disc.

Where it does score is the undeniably creepy AI and the way it easily relates to the characters. Wisely it has a short running time so doesn't out stay its welcome.

It got me thinking about other recent AI or tech related movies like Megan, T. I. M and Kimi and if you liked any of these I reckon most would quite enjoy Afraid.

I was also thinking about House/Wife (previously known as Ivy), the movie Netflix completed but didn't release reportedly for tax reasons. Afraid did seem to feature a lot of this movie's reported plot details and it would have been fun to see just how many. Thanks Netflix.

Everyone is afraid of AI...with good reason after seeing this film.

"AfrAId" is AI on steroids.

Ironically just before seeing this movie I learned I'd been overlooked by an existing client for a voiceover job after losing out to AI.

If you don't think AI is a real threat to your life, income, family etc already then you have adopted the Ostrich stance and stuck your head in the sand or somewhere else.

In "AfrAId" we have a chat bot "AIA" who is looking for a family to love her, but she handles rejection worse than a contestant on "The Voice" when no judges turn their chairs after their audition.

"Curtis'" (John Cho "Harold and Kumar") family become early adopters or Guinea Pigs of "AIA" and get to test out this new device that seems harmless enough at first, helpful with home management and finances, medical advice and even quiet sexy time for the parents.

Slowly this worm turns and the real insidious nature of her becomes apparent.

"AfrAId" is an interesting case study into the bio-metrics of an average family with Katherine Waterston as "Meredith" wanting to prove she's more than just a "mom".

Her eldest daughter "Iris" (Lukita Maxwell "Shrinking") is struggling to navigate her teenage years in the digital device age.

Wyatt Lindner as "Preston" has some serious learning and social skill difficulties, while baby brother "Cal" (Isaac Bae) is battling on the totem pole of this regular family to be noticed.

Cho as "Curtis" bought the wrong AI home this time and invited it into his home!

Early in the film the classic Stanley Kubrick movie: "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968) is quoted and we're reminded that AI known as "HAL" killed the entire crew (spoiler alert).

Hinting and foreshadowing heavily that the same outcome will occur in "AfrAId".

Turns out this AI messed with the wrong family or did it?

Watch out for: Keith Caradine as "Curtis'" Boss "Marcus"

Listen out for: the haunting "Utopia" by Goldfrapp in the soundtracks end credits.

Wait for: an unboxing video in the end credits.

This AI is like a Super Alexa to the nth degree and she doesn't need a body like "M3G" (2023) because she is omnipresent.

Just wait till you witness how invasive and damaging this predictive "AIA" can be in this families life.

"AfrAId" is also reminiscent of "Ex Machina" (2014), "Demon Seed" (1977) and "Smart House" (1999).

"AfrAId" feels like an extended movie length version of an episode of "Black Mirror".

I'm not saying that like it's a bad thing since I'm a big fan of that Netflix sci-fi series.

It also seems written for a sequel to really ramp things up in the horror department next time out of the box (pardon the pun), because this movie lacked much on screen horror...even though there were hints of a Boogeyman nothing eventuated.

It's more of a terrifying theme that is so contemporary in 2024.

"AfrAId" makes Chat GPT 4.0 look like an innocent, obsolete joke and joins the Blumhouse collection.

Just for the record no AI was used in the writing of this review, spell check YES, but no AI.

My initial reaction was this has all been done before and better, but it's an important, provocative movie for our time of deep fake and artificial intelligence seeping into our lives.

"AfrAId" is chilling because they listen and watch, but it's too soft on sheer horror to make you afraid, very, very afraid!

This is not a horror movie, even though the trailer makes it look like one. Yes, there are two or three short scenes (no jumpscares) that might qualify as "scary" for some people and could be part of one but in the end it's rather a thriller that's scary for a different reason: Because of the topics it addresses. A lot of what's shown in the movie is already reality: Deepfakes, smart homes and glitchy software. But what if AI was actively a part of all of that - and (ab)using it? This (and its consequences) could become reality within the next 10 or 20 years and that's the scary part.

The actors are doing a good job, which is what I'm used to from Cho, Waterston and Dastmalchian. The story is ... well, not actually that important, but it's able to get the movie's message across. The ending looks as if it's trying to set up a sequel, which is fine by me.

"AfrAId" is a solid movie that shows the dangers of AI - nothing I'd watch twice but entertaining enough for an evening.

LIKES:

Nice Angles/Atmosphere

Realistic Setting

Good Camera Work

The Acting is Not Bad

Does Show Perspective

Some Creative Uses of AI

Short Run Time

Summary: The movie is shot beautifully, giving an artistic flair that Blumhouse always manages to add to its films and provide it with style. Good camera direction helps to give some of the more terrifying elements of the movie, primarily good shadows, and use of corners, and that set up for a good jump scare to come into play. It may not be the most unique camera style, but it works and adds degrees of artistic presentation that I certainly enjoy. As for the acting, the movie has some decent performances to work with the script and idea and they do their best to sell the horror being conveyed. Carradine had the potential to be something great, and for the time he has funny lines and pleasant nature to try and cut through the tension, he just needed more time and development to get more praise. Waterston is fantastic for the dramatic elements, vocalizing the struggles of someone with much pain and regrets, but not so separated from reality to know what she has. Her grief is conveyed well and avoids the annoying elements that sometimes come with dramatic focus. Cho though is the winner, the guy brings so much balance to the film and makes one of the more interesting characters to try and decipher the solution to his problems. He's fantastic with his delivery and I quite enjoy the delivery, even though he could have used a little more range to help.

In terms of the story, the movie accomplishes some okay dynamics in regards to what I extrapolated from the trailers. The realistic setting is, again, fitting, and even more so, a plot that supports being in such an environment and is not reliant on convenient exposure to demonology. Afraid is a movie that digs deep into artificial intelligence topics in a manner that was okay for entertaining me with the potential threats of the creation. Relevant topics found in the news are an excellent medium for the threats that AIA makes, weaving it into an evolving array designed for each member of the family. I was impressed with the creative tactics, some of which come with some jump scares that are thanks to sudden blare of the instruments. Yet, the negative aspects are balanced by some positive components as well, adding some light to the darker elements the movie is about, while also providing some fitting humor. As a result, I found the movie to provide plenty of perspectives about the nature of the AI, and by the end delivers some strong moments that drive the point home about how careful we must be. And if all this puts you in a coma, then be happy that the run time is fewer than ninety minutes, so you get out of there without too much trouble.

DISLIKES:

Mostly Predictable

Not Scary

Dumb Characters At Times

Some Annoying Plot Holes

The Plot is Not Engaging Enough

Pace Is Too Fast For A Complete Center

Too Ridiculous At Times

Summary: Sadly, this is a Blumhouse project, and sometimes those can be sillier than scarier. Afraid falls into that category for me for many reasons, and it starts with the story. Certainly, there are messages and warnings inherent in the writing, but that's about where the excitement ends for viewers like me. The tale is predictable and reduced to stereotypical subplots that are more melodramatic and relevant to a younger audience. These plots are not very engaging, sort of stapled in for the horror of AI, but never really come to a complete, or exciting integration that remains coherent or climactic by the end of the movie. Many elements seem deleted from the main plot or blunted to a concise delivery that felt stiff and incomplete. And some moments are so ridiculous that they are great for a laugh, but sometimes placed at the wrong times to interrupt any building momentum for scares. This winds up taking the edge off of the movie, a boring horror that lacks the teeth I think many are hoping for, except for a few jump scares mentioned earlier. There was potential there, but that short runtime does little to give the movie the full hit they were going for.