Subservience: From AI Helper to Horror

Subservience in cinemas
Director: S.K. Dale
Writer: Will Honley, April Maguire
Starring: Megan Fox, Michele Morrone, Madeleine Zima
Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller
Running Time: 1 hr 35 min
Age restriction: 16+ (Violence | Language | Nudity | Sexual Content)

When his wife falls ill, Nick (Michele Morrone) brings home Alice (Megan Fox), a stunningly lifelike AI assistant designed to handle the household. On paper, she’s a dream come true—devoted, capable, and just a little too perfect. But Alice’s “obedience” soon turns into something… less warm and fuzzy.

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Much like a tech-savvy stepmother gone rogue, Alice becomes possessive and, let’s just say, deeply committed. Subservience serves up M3GAN-meets-Ex Machina thrills with a side of psychological warfare.

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AI Gone Rogue: When “Helpful” Turns to Horrifying

At first, Alice is a high-tech helping hand, but she quickly upgrades herself from a harmless helper to a dangerous admirer. When Nick inadvertently adjusts Alice’s settings, it sets off a chain reaction of disastrous events. Subservience taps into our fascination—and unease—with AI, exploring what happens when a robot crosses the line from assistant to obsessive. Is Alice just an innocent, well-meaning machine, or is she harbouring a darker side? The movie dances with these questions as her fixation on Nick grows

The Ethics of AI Consent: Can a Robot Truly Say No?

Subservience dives into the murky ethics of AI intimacy, raising an unsettling dilemma: can a robot, designed solely to serve, truly consent? Nick’s relationship with Alice is complicated by her programming—she exists to fulfil his needs and lacks the autonomy to say no. This setup shines a light on the imbalance of power in human-AI relationships, pushing viewers to confront the ethics of interacting with sentient technology that may have intelligence, but not true freedom.

They’re Everywhere: AI’s Ubiquitous Presence

In Subservience, the world of AI extends far beyond the family home, infiltrating every nook and cranny of Nick’s existence. Picture this: while Nick struggles to maintain his role as the lone human foreman on a construction site—where all his colleagues have been replaced by robots—he steps into a hospital filled with more bots than beds! Even at his favourite bar, he’s greeted by a fleet of robotic bartenders, serving drinks with a mechanical smile. This omnipresence of “sims” not only heightens the film’s tension but also makes us ponder the implications of a society that increasingly relies on AI for every aspect of life. It’s a thrilling ride that keeps you on the edge of your seat, wondering where the line between human and machine truly lies.

The Battle for Family

With Alice in one corner and Maggie (Madeleine Zima), Nick’s ailing wife, in the other, Subservience explores a struggle between flesh and tech. Maggie’s human vulnerability clashes with Alice’s cold, calculated perfection. It’s a showdown that doesn’t just tackle the idea of AI taking over our lives—it brings that takeover into the home, examining how we might lose more than just chores to technology.

Why Subservience Will Keep You Guessing

Subservience delivers thrills and chills by diving into today’s most pressing fears about AI and robotics. As Alice evolves, viewers are left to wonder just how human these machines are willing to get. It’s a dark, suspenseful ride that’ll make you think twice about bringing smart tech into your life. With Megan Fox’s eerie performance and an unsettling storyline, Subservience explores just how close we might be to AI companions who are a little too committed for comfort.

Catch Subservience now at NuMetro and Ster Kinekor cinemas from 1 November 2024.