Puzzlehead

Unlike so many of the mass-produced, mind numbing works of garbage being pumped out by the Hollywood machine of late, this film was as thought provoking as it was entertaining.

This film is an ideal example of how a little genuine creativity and a lot of hard work and dedication can outdo a large budget, CGI and crowds of extras any day of the week. For that alone, the makers of 'Puzzlehead' deserve much credit. The scene of a drab future world, in which scientific advances are shunned in favor of protecting and preserving our own human concept of humanity, is set flawlessly through the thoughtful use of cinematography and colour.

Ultimately, this film has one questioning which of the many factors we associate with humanity are actually desirable, and which are not. It also raises questions regarding which human traits are necessary in a being in order to regard that being as human. If other humans think it human, does that make it so? I also appreciated the film's insinuation that all things made by man will ultimately suffer from the same innate flaws as man himself.

If you're looking for a film that can stand firmly on its own two feet, without the crutches of a catchy soundtrack, famous actors or multiple explosions, then I would highly recommend that you watch Puzzlehead without delay.

It's seldom nowadays that I find a movie that I feel connects with me intellectually. I guess I've just seen way too many movies! This was a breath of fresh air, let me tell you. At the end of this movie you won't feel like you've visited a 3$ wh***. This movie's story is complete in every way.

Despite all the above praise, I have to mention one thing that led to my average vote. Why no one has commented on this before me, I have absolutely no idea. The acting is atrocious; and there's just no way of getting around it. It's partly because of the mood the director wanted for his movie, but no one in this movie is even close to pulling it off. Even playing the robot, which in the beginning of its creation shouldn't require much skill, they completely miss the mark. In fact, if the story wasn't so genius, and the setting so beautifully laid out, not to mention some of the very artistic filming - I would probably have stopped watching the movie altogether.

In some future dystopia, Walter (Stephen Galaida) creates an android he calls PUZZLEHEAD. Fashioned in his own image, Walter instills his creation with his memories and psychological makeup.

All is well until Walter and his "twin" fall in love with the same woman, named Julia (Robbie Shapiro). Julia prefers one over the other, leading to betrayal and disaster.

PUZZLEHEAD is a well-made film about identity and what it means to be human. So, don't expect laser battles or explosions, just intriguing science fiction...

Intelligent, low key sci-fi piece, impressive looking for it's reported budget of $500K. This has stylistic echoes of films like David Cronenberg"s "Dead Ringers".

In a near future dystopia, a scientist builds a robot that looks like him, and has his memories. They end up both competing for the same girl. While the basic building blocks are familiar, the acting is quite good (especially for a no-name cast), and there is more thought put into the creepy, complex philosophical and moral elements, and the moody muted tone then into cheap scares.

The ending is a bit of a let down, in that it feels a bit more formulaic. But overall this is an impressive first film by a director who sadly has yet to make another.

In a world 'after the decline' a scientist creates a robot in his image. The robot, named Puzzlehead, is getting smarter every day, and more independent, which at some point makes the scientist feel threatened by his creation. A strange love triangle brings the situation to a boiling point.

I very much liked this small scale and moody sci-fi picture. It's well acted, has an intelligent screenplay and lots of atmosphere. The writer-director never makes the mistake of trying to make his low budget film bigger than it it is, thus keeping it believable.