Diabólica

I just got out of AfrAid.

I'd never heard of this movie. Directed by Chris Weitz and starring a solid cast of John Cho, Katherine Waterstone, Lukita Maxwell and Keith Carredine.

It's a bit typical of the rogue AI storyline, AI is introduced into family home, movie does a good job of showing how AI makes life convenient for the family, then AI starts to become too real etc. It's totally predictable, but thanks to the cast, I enjoyed it.

This isn't really a horror, despite some out of place jump scares, that really didn't need to be there. The movie was at its best when it was dealing with technology that is out there, already. Like the deep fake, stuff. That was when it was most interesting.

I think there is a much longer version of this movie out there, as things are just glossed over and there is a huge plot point, that just is forgotten about. It is really short too. It started at 14:40 and I was out of the cinema by 15:55

There were 7 other people in my screening.

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.

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.

If you're a fan of "AI gone rogue" movies, this won't show you much you haven't seen before. The AI (AIA) isn't very menacing, none of the leads ever feel like they're in real jeopardy. The acting wasn't stellar, but nobody embarrassed themselves, either. This would have been a really good made-for-TV flick. Personally, I enjoyed it, but I can see where those expecting a techno-thriller or a horror-gore fest will be disappointed. It's a nice little "what if" story that shows the effect of ever more intrusive technology on family life. See it without expecting the next big thing and I think you'll enjoy it.

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.