Automata

... for the fans of film noire. and for admirers of dystopian literature. and, sure, for the series with detectives. using each of this genres, it is more than a good exercise. because it has its way. because it preserves old flavors, interesting stories and the right dose of irony. two parteners. an alternative between wars America. and cases.

I only rated it an 8 as future episodes might not merit a 9 or 10 but episode 1 premise promises a really good story: Automata puts a SF twist on the classic noir detective drama, exploring a dystopian alternate version of Prohibition-era New York. Prohibition doesn't ban drinking, but the further production of sapient androids that have become prevalent by the 1920s. As a result, the existing androids, called automatons, are shunned by society, relegated to an untouchable caste of servants despite their near-human thought capability, and are frequently subjected to hatred and violence. It's in this oppressive setting that private detective Sam Regal and his automaton partner Carl Swangee work together to solve cases for both communities, learning to see humanity in one another while trying to prove that justice is still worth serving.

Great premise....terrible execution.

The dialogue, acting, and directing were horrid. I could barely make it through the first 15 minutes before shutting it off.

Ok this film hit all the right buttons for me hence the enthusiastic 10/10. Of course, this film is not perfect, but for me personally, I deeply enjoyed it.

Tldr: if you enjoy alternative history x sci-fi, human/robot dynamics, good old basic detective noir stuff, and aren't expecting a blockbuster, this film is great.

Rambly version: A very intriguing premise, blending of history and sci-fi. Sure it may not make sense to some, but hey it's fiction. Visually, the film is quite polished for a small production, simple but gets the job done.

The pacing was rather fast and the acting for some characters was mid, but the story gripped me enough that the those things didn't bother me as much.

I will admit, the ending kind of came out of nowhere and felt.....way too unexpected. Yes, unexpected is good for a mystery but this was very unpredictable, to the point I felt like it was suddenly made up on spot. (however, if you had read comics, which I only read after watching this, you might have had a better chance at guessing, even if this film is an adaption/combination of all three comics into one)

Also since there's no parental guide, I'll throw this in: robot x human brothel, some questionable noises may be heard, vague verbal innuendos, nothing sexual shown, some fight scenes w/ fists and guns, suicide, fictional hate crime/violence, robot gore, abuse?, and pg13 cussing.

Overall, being a massive sucker for sci-fi, quirky detective duos, robots, and fun takes on the past, this film pushed all the right buttons for me. Maybe not for everyone, but sure is still a great film.