78 reviews
No, it's not great, but it's not terrible either
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.
Not at all a thrilling movie but an interesting watch for the shocking possibilities of future AI
- wanderwithkarthik
- Sep 2, 2024
- Permalink
AfrAId tries, but ultimately fails to excite
The best thing we can say about AfrAID is that it was just okay. Not a terrible film, but lacked any real substance. While it does a decent job of showing us the real dangers of AI, the film lacked tension, suspense, and had very little horror aspects to it.
With some cringe dialogue and over-the-top presentation of most of it's characters, you never really felt connected to this world. AfrAId was also highly predictable so there are no real surprises or anything new to really find here.
In the end, AfrAId had a decent premise but left you feeling rather underwhelmed. It does leave things open for a sequel, but we'll see if the demand is there for it.
With some cringe dialogue and over-the-top presentation of most of it's characters, you never really felt connected to this world. AfrAId was also highly predictable so there are no real surprises or anything new to really find here.
In the end, AfrAId had a decent premise but left you feeling rather underwhelmed. It does leave things open for a sequel, but we'll see if the demand is there for it.
- wellbringthepopcorn
- Sep 1, 2024
- Permalink
A Blumhouse Blunder
"Afraid", is a disappointing attempt to capitalize on the success of M3gan. Never have I been to a movie, where not only did the film crash and burn, but the entire theater erupted in a groan.
Blumhouse Pictures latest horror flick centers around a family selected to test a cutting-edge digital assistant, AIA, that quickly turns into a menacing force. Think the AI voice in the movie "Why Him" turned into a horror film.
The premise is promising: a seemingly harmless AI gone rogue could truly be terrifying considering how apparent todays technology seems to be tapped into what we do in our everyday life. However, "Afraid" fails to deliver on the potential. The film's pacing is sluggish, and the scares are built around painful AI renders. The tension never truly builds, and the characters are one-dimensional.
The real letdown is the lack of suspense. The film's central conflict is never truly threatening, and the characters' reactions to the AI's increasingly sinister behavior are often underwhelming. "Afraid" feels like a missed opportunity, a film that could have been a chilling exploration of technology's potential dangers but instead comes across as a generic horror flick.
Blumhouse Pictures has quickly gone from a studio I looked forward to seeing, to me actually considering if I should see what they release next.
Blumhouse Pictures latest horror flick centers around a family selected to test a cutting-edge digital assistant, AIA, that quickly turns into a menacing force. Think the AI voice in the movie "Why Him" turned into a horror film.
The premise is promising: a seemingly harmless AI gone rogue could truly be terrifying considering how apparent todays technology seems to be tapped into what we do in our everyday life. However, "Afraid" fails to deliver on the potential. The film's pacing is sluggish, and the scares are built around painful AI renders. The tension never truly builds, and the characters are one-dimensional.
The real letdown is the lack of suspense. The film's central conflict is never truly threatening, and the characters' reactions to the AI's increasingly sinister behavior are often underwhelming. "Afraid" feels like a missed opportunity, a film that could have been a chilling exploration of technology's potential dangers but instead comes across as a generic horror flick.
Blumhouse Pictures has quickly gone from a studio I looked forward to seeing, to me actually considering if I should see what they release next.
- nERDbOX_Dave
- Aug 29, 2024
- Permalink
Overall, A Worthy Effort In My View
I decided to go see this film mainly based on the fact that I noticed how polarized the IMDb viewers reviews are here so far. Quite a few people have loved it, quite a few have hated it. When I see that, I often feel there is strong potential that it's a thought provoking film that only works well for certain types of viewers. And well, I also NEVER give much of any merit to what the critics say, ESPECIALLY when it comes to intelligence. Have you seen the kind of crap they mostly claim is good or even great these days?
If you enjoy thought provoking AI films, then this is actually well worth a look in my view. Personally I can not for the life of me understand why anyone would EVER hire a security company or any company to monitor their homes. So for me, this film in a sense is right up my alley. I also feel that we are already trusting technology far too much in terms of bank accounts, etc, and the abuse we are all enduring regarding online privacy/corporate information gathering, etc, and a whole host of other similar issues. So ad in the advanced AI aspect that is becoming more and more a thing in our world. For me this film was definitely well worth the watch.
I'm sad to see that the critics have murdered it already, especially when I consider the mind-numbing junk they're often saying is passable. The viewers have mostly disliked it too it seems, but I think that is mostly coming from the youth so far, which I think is definitely understandable from them. For one thing, young people are much more familiar with the idea of AI being dangerous. So for them, I feel like this film may just be too familiar to their generation.
The film is certainly not great overall. However the scenario and ideas presented all work pretty well for a reasonably thought provoking and relevant to our times film. For me, despite some weak aspects here and there, the film mostly does work quite well. I do think that perhaps the younger people may have already seen too many similar TV shows and films by now. For most people over 30 with some interest however, I would definitely recommend a viewing of this. It may be far more important than many currently believe. In my view on the AI subject, it's not just about runaway AI, to me the more dangerous aspect is certainly not the AI itself, but definitely the humans that are behind the AI programs that are more of a concern as we head into the future...
Note: I also saw M3GAN (2022), but I just felt that film was far too regurgitated in terms of what it presented. It's all been done better previously. There was little to nothing thought provoking in it to me at all, (Mainly because I've seen the same basic plot before in other films.). However the critics mostly liked that very stale and fairly silly film. Personally, I gave it a 4/10 here. For me, this film was a good bit more interesting and thought provoking. I would agree that AfrAId is not really a scary horror film, not in a traditional sense anyway. However it is a film that presents a scary scenario that is some serious food for thought on our real present day world. In that sense, it is a good and somewhat scary film.
7/10.
If you enjoy thought provoking AI films, then this is actually well worth a look in my view. Personally I can not for the life of me understand why anyone would EVER hire a security company or any company to monitor their homes. So for me, this film in a sense is right up my alley. I also feel that we are already trusting technology far too much in terms of bank accounts, etc, and the abuse we are all enduring regarding online privacy/corporate information gathering, etc, and a whole host of other similar issues. So ad in the advanced AI aspect that is becoming more and more a thing in our world. For me this film was definitely well worth the watch.
I'm sad to see that the critics have murdered it already, especially when I consider the mind-numbing junk they're often saying is passable. The viewers have mostly disliked it too it seems, but I think that is mostly coming from the youth so far, which I think is definitely understandable from them. For one thing, young people are much more familiar with the idea of AI being dangerous. So for them, I feel like this film may just be too familiar to their generation.
The film is certainly not great overall. However the scenario and ideas presented all work pretty well for a reasonably thought provoking and relevant to our times film. For me, despite some weak aspects here and there, the film mostly does work quite well. I do think that perhaps the younger people may have already seen too many similar TV shows and films by now. For most people over 30 with some interest however, I would definitely recommend a viewing of this. It may be far more important than many currently believe. In my view on the AI subject, it's not just about runaway AI, to me the more dangerous aspect is certainly not the AI itself, but definitely the humans that are behind the AI programs that are more of a concern as we head into the future...
Note: I also saw M3GAN (2022), but I just felt that film was far too regurgitated in terms of what it presented. It's all been done better previously. There was little to nothing thought provoking in it to me at all, (Mainly because I've seen the same basic plot before in other films.). However the critics mostly liked that very stale and fairly silly film. Personally, I gave it a 4/10 here. For me, this film was a good bit more interesting and thought provoking. I would agree that AfrAId is not really a scary horror film, not in a traditional sense anyway. However it is a film that presents a scary scenario that is some serious food for thought on our real present day world. In that sense, it is a good and somewhat scary film.
7/10.
- TheAnimalMother
- Sep 2, 2024
- Permalink
Makes Jaws the Revenge look like a masterpiece
So me and my dad decided to watch this movie together, we had mild expectations because of Imaginary and Night Swim, but the trailer looked decent enough. We are watching this movie and we are thinking "it's not bad, it's like a 6/10". But then the movie just takes the hardest 180 I've ever seen and just ruins it. The ending is probably one of the worst written endings I've ever seen in any movie, it's a sloppy, portly written, no thought included, ending. The acting is pretty basic (by basic I mean bad) and there is never really a time that I care about any of the characters. The pacing is ehh and the editing is ehh. The best part about this movie was the ending, but don't get your hopes up yet, because Blumhouse hits you with a pointless and dumb end credit scene that is a good reminder to leave the theater before it's too late. Please do not watch this movie if you want to have a good time.
- jacksonlatiak-16219
- Aug 29, 2024
- Permalink
Not a horror movie but still scary
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.
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.
Blumhouse do it agAIn.
A family tests a new AI product and discover that it is more powerful than they could ever imagine.
Blumhouse have been seriously off form as of late: The Exorcist: Believer was utter garbage, Night Swim wasn't well received (although I didn't mind it), Five Nights at Freddy's wasn't worth the wait, and the less said about Imaginary, the better.
Afraid continues the trend.
I'm not a big fan of technological horror films - they tend to age like milk. Afraid attempts to tap into people's distrust of artificial intelligence and exploits plenty of current technological themes, all of which will seem horribly dated in a few year's time. But that's not what I disliked about the film: what made this a pointless exercise is the fact that it simply isn't scary, with just a couple of totally ineffective and predictably dumb jump scares to qualify the film as a horror.
The film takes an age to get going -- scratch that... it never really gets going -- and it finishes in a incredibly clumsy fashion that'll have you choking on your popcorn in disbelief.
Blumhouse have had such a run of duds, I'm just a little concerned about James Watkins' Speak No Evil.
Blumhouse have been seriously off form as of late: The Exorcist: Believer was utter garbage, Night Swim wasn't well received (although I didn't mind it), Five Nights at Freddy's wasn't worth the wait, and the less said about Imaginary, the better.
Afraid continues the trend.
I'm not a big fan of technological horror films - they tend to age like milk. Afraid attempts to tap into people's distrust of artificial intelligence and exploits plenty of current technological themes, all of which will seem horribly dated in a few year's time. But that's not what I disliked about the film: what made this a pointless exercise is the fact that it simply isn't scary, with just a couple of totally ineffective and predictably dumb jump scares to qualify the film as a horror.
The film takes an age to get going -- scratch that... it never really gets going -- and it finishes in a incredibly clumsy fashion that'll have you choking on your popcorn in disbelief.
Blumhouse have had such a run of duds, I'm just a little concerned about James Watkins' Speak No Evil.
- BA_Harrison
- Aug 29, 2024
- Permalink
A pleasant surprise
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.
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.
- CostelloGuy
- Sep 8, 2024
- Permalink
feel like the script could of used some work and definitely on the ending
I was constipating a Alexa or Google movie that would make me think about the risks and benefits of Artificial intelligence. Instead I got a slow movie, whose first half was some interested but it fell apart in the second half, and the ending was just.plain.stupid. This screen play was horrible and actually insulting to anyone with half an ounce of intelligence. A completely lost opportunity to say something provocative about AI. The movie has a great premise but is not directed or scripted with an invigorating tone. Sloppily edited, it often seems as if important narrative information has been left on the cutting room floor. What should be a psychological terror is simply nap-inducing here.
- kmkevinn-64733
- Aug 29, 2024
- Permalink
A(I) Warning
This is probably one of the most important movies right now. In a world that's quickly evolving with its technological advancement, we stand to learn from this. The AI models we have are learning too, and this little "fear-inducing" film gives way to a distant yet significant possibility of our future. If anything, it could serve as a warning. I'd recommend it even to those who are skeptical about such films.
As for the acting, the film does well if you're not too critical about the emotions of the character and the depth of the storyline. It's surface level, but gets the point across loud and clear. Tread carefully.
As for the acting, the film does well if you're not too critical about the emotions of the character and the depth of the storyline. It's surface level, but gets the point across loud and clear. Tread carefully.
- donovangarrett
- Aug 28, 2024
- Permalink
What we fear about AI and rightly so
I agree, AIA is not nearly here yet, but I've been in tech for over 40 years. Y2K never concerned me. This makes me shiver for my grand kids. At some point in your life time, this will be a reality.
Now, does this movie make that fact entertaining? Looking past the cheap jumps, and Alexa/Siri bashing, I think it does a decent job. What connects it to reality is that people are naive and technology is moving faster then it ever has and accelerating exponentially.
If you get past a little slow movement, and it's a pretty quick movie, the last 20 minutes is worth the wait. And the ending is uneasy enough to make a sequel something to think about.
Now, does this movie make that fact entertaining? Looking past the cheap jumps, and Alexa/Siri bashing, I think it does a decent job. What connects it to reality is that people are naive and technology is moving faster then it ever has and accelerating exponentially.
If you get past a little slow movement, and it's a pretty quick movie, the last 20 minutes is worth the wait. And the ending is uneasy enough to make a sequel something to think about.
No genuine thrills whatsoever
Kicking off my 2-month Halloween horror movie marathon with Blumhouse's latest thriller, "afrAId," left me more underwhelmed than unsettled. Despite not being outright boring, the film is utterly devoid of originality or genuine thrills. It drifts aimlessly, lacking any real momentum, and feels more like a family drama with an "evil AI" subplot that barely makes an impact. Following the disappointment of "Nightswim," "afrAId" continues Blumhouse's trend of horror/thrillers that seem determined to avoid building tension or embracing the chaos that should come naturally to the genre. The whole experience is frustratingly flat and one-note.
- banzoozalreviews
- Aug 29, 2024
- Permalink
Nothing to be Afraid of....
AFRAID was yet another Blumhouse film that takes a good idea but never really hits the wow factor. If you are a fan of Disney's Smart House this could bring you some major nostalgia. However, this film isn't really that smart. The film follows a family who is selected to test run the hottest new AI assistant called AIA. When placed in the home, AIA learns the families behavior and their everyday routine. When the family starts getting to comfortable with AIA; things take a dramatic turn. Now my biggest problem with this film is how boring majority of it was. Although it had some interesting moments overall this movie dragged and took forever to get to the point. This was one of those films where it had way too much story telling and it took up most of the run time. Unfortunately, you do have to wait until the last twenty five minutes for the film to actually provide you a memorable moment. Blumhouse has a problem of putting out films and having so much quantity but lately the quality is not where it once was. This film had potential with it's marketing but it just didn't succeed on the big screen. In other words, this is a film to stream and save your money for a more notable movie.
- MarkLovesHorror
- Aug 29, 2024
- Permalink
Be AraAId of the Message, But Not Of The Movie
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.
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.
Watch Ex Machina instead
It would almost be a really excellent social commentary movie, but it's held back by the fact that it's kinda a garbage Blumhouse movie. There is definitely stuff to like and it has good scenes, but it falls short of good and ends up feeling kinda generic. Their biggest mistake was making it a horror movie. I think if they had just made it like a drama/thriller with a surprise horror ending it would've been a lot better but maybe that's just me.
I feel like in a few months when I've forgotten all the bad bits I'll remember this movie as having been good, it's that kind of movie. At least it has a pretty interesting conclusion if you make it all the way to the very end, but I'd probably skip this one unless it seems really interesting to you.
I feel like in a few months when I've forgotten all the bad bits I'll remember this movie as having been good, it's that kind of movie. At least it has a pretty interesting conclusion if you make it all the way to the very end, but I'd probably skip this one unless it seems really interesting to you.
- nmitzenmacher
- Aug 29, 2024
- Permalink
Blumhouse strikes again as they create yet another well-acted piece of mediocrity with a nugget of an intriguing idea
Advertising executive Curtis Pike (John Cho) and his business partner Marcus (Keith Carradine) are approached by tech entrepreneurs Sam (Ashley Romans) and Lightning (David Dastmachian) to market their revolutionary AI assistant AIA (Havana Rose Liu). Under pressure from his business partner, Curtis brings AI to his home where it meets and interacts with his wife Meredith (Katherine Waterston) and their three children teenage daughter Iris (Lukita Maxwell), middle son Preston (Wyatt Lindner), and youngest son Cal (Isaac Bae). While initially AIA seems like a benefit to the Pike family, Curtis soon notices the technological creep and strange occurrences since AIA's arrival become a cause for concern.
Afraid is another genre feature from noted low budget producer Blumhouse and is written and directed by Chris Weitz. The film was initially announced under the title of They Listen and scheduled to come out in August 2023 until it was delayed (possibly due to its similarities to earlier 2023 Blumhouse release M3GAN). As has been the trend with many genre films, Afraid looks at the ongoing concerns surrounding AI and their impact on society and both humanity and technology's future and while Afraid certainly tries to address those questions, it does so in the most mediocre and lifeless way possible.
Starting off, I will say that the acting from all involved is perfectly fine. When you have a cast that includes the likes of John Cho, Katherine Waterston, and Keith Carradine as well as more up and coming names like Havana Rose Liu and David Dastmalchian you at least have the right people in place to act the part and they certainly do. The movie tries to make a commentary on the increasingly tech focused society in which we now live with concerns like screentime, deepfakes, and the social necessity of even having an electronic device as well as the psychological and social ramifications like lack of privacy or personal disassociation between online actions and real life. The major issue however is a lot of this stuff is pretty surface level at best (John Cho was actually in a much more intriguing commentary with Searching a few years back) and aside from taking some swipes at online sex crimes or SWATing (which is presented as a good thing/joke payoff in the third act) it often feels confused to its handling of these events like how AIA's informing the police of a deepfaked sex video by Iris' skeazy boyfriend is framed as a bad thing. Last but not least, as a horror film Afraid really isn't all that scary and many of the scare scenes are mostly of the standard jump scare variety and AIA herself never feels all that menacing even when they add "extensions" for her to operate in the real world where the conclusion just feels like a cut rate Colossus: The Forbin Project.
In comparison to the previous Blumhouse releases of Night Swim and Imaginary, Afraid is just kind of mediocre. It's honestly made watchable by a good cast and having a nugget of a good idea, but there's better movies that tackle this subject and you're not really missing much.
Afraid is another genre feature from noted low budget producer Blumhouse and is written and directed by Chris Weitz. The film was initially announced under the title of They Listen and scheduled to come out in August 2023 until it was delayed (possibly due to its similarities to earlier 2023 Blumhouse release M3GAN). As has been the trend with many genre films, Afraid looks at the ongoing concerns surrounding AI and their impact on society and both humanity and technology's future and while Afraid certainly tries to address those questions, it does so in the most mediocre and lifeless way possible.
Starting off, I will say that the acting from all involved is perfectly fine. When you have a cast that includes the likes of John Cho, Katherine Waterston, and Keith Carradine as well as more up and coming names like Havana Rose Liu and David Dastmalchian you at least have the right people in place to act the part and they certainly do. The movie tries to make a commentary on the increasingly tech focused society in which we now live with concerns like screentime, deepfakes, and the social necessity of even having an electronic device as well as the psychological and social ramifications like lack of privacy or personal disassociation between online actions and real life. The major issue however is a lot of this stuff is pretty surface level at best (John Cho was actually in a much more intriguing commentary with Searching a few years back) and aside from taking some swipes at online sex crimes or SWATing (which is presented as a good thing/joke payoff in the third act) it often feels confused to its handling of these events like how AIA's informing the police of a deepfaked sex video by Iris' skeazy boyfriend is framed as a bad thing. Last but not least, as a horror film Afraid really isn't all that scary and many of the scare scenes are mostly of the standard jump scare variety and AIA herself never feels all that menacing even when they add "extensions" for her to operate in the real world where the conclusion just feels like a cut rate Colossus: The Forbin Project.
In comparison to the previous Blumhouse releases of Night Swim and Imaginary, Afraid is just kind of mediocre. It's honestly made watchable by a good cast and having a nugget of a good idea, but there's better movies that tackle this subject and you're not really missing much.
- IonicBreezeMachine
- Sep 20, 2024
- Permalink
I'm AfrAId I love this movie...
Horror is not my genre. I do like Black Mirror and this is not that either. This is something to itself. It has some of the most impressive dialogue and premises followed by the most unimpressive. It's kind of like eating a secret flavored corn chip you can't quite place the flavor of, but can't stop eating.
Honestly, the entire story seems the most plausible way an AI would take over mankind. The twists were again...either impressive or...not...but the actors did a solid job and I found myself wondering "what if"?
What if they flushed out better plot beats?
What if the character motivations were more logical and coherent?
What if this was the AI masterpiece I've always hoped to watch?
I'm AfrAId all of those questions will remain suspended without closure.
Honestly, the entire story seems the most plausible way an AI would take over mankind. The twists were again...either impressive or...not...but the actors did a solid job and I found myself wondering "what if"?
What if they flushed out better plot beats?
What if the character motivations were more logical and coherent?
What if this was the AI masterpiece I've always hoped to watch?
I'm AfrAId all of those questions will remain suspended without closure.
- aarondanielbehr
- Sep 25, 2024
- Permalink
AfrAId
John Cho was clearly a bit desperate to get off the starship "Enterprise" so took on the mantle of the dad "Curtis" in this predictable and derivative sci-fi yarn. He's happily married to "Meredith" (Katherine Waterston); they have three kids and he's in the advertising business. When his business is offered a fortune by an AI company to support their new at-home assistant "AIA", he finds his family are now the chief guinea pigs on the user-testing front. What now ensues sees the family's hitherto peaceable existence thrown into exaggerated turmoil by this gadget that ostensibly wants to help each of them out, but that does - of course - merely highlight plenty of the demons and issues that each is facing or has suppressed over the years. In some ways the plot does focus on the encroachment of technology in our lives and as "Curtis" himself asks, at what point will we ever be satisfied with the level of involvement it has in our existence before we call a halt to continued "enhancements", but those philosophical moments are few and far between as this short-ish drama follows an oft-travelled path that is short on scares and long on the been there, seen that. None of the acting is worth writing home about, nor is the screenplay and it's initially quite menacing premiss is swiftly reduced to something episodic that just makes me wonder how long we'll have to wait for "AfrAId II" or "Still AfrAId?". It's adequate TV fodder for the winter, but otherwise little better than an weakly adapted short story that fits perfectly into the mediocrity of the Blumhouse churn-factory.
- CinemaSerf
- Aug 30, 2024
- Permalink
Generally enjoyable and disturbing!
I went into the movie not expecting much as the ads sounded a bit silly. However, my curiosity got the best of me and I went to see it with a friend. The use of AI imagery was interesting and gave me a sense of unease. Contrary to much of the criticism I've seen, I thought this movie was interesting and quite an experience. Many parts of the movie had both me and my friend hiding behind the sleeves of our jackets. Especially the scenes that are dark and quiet. The jumpscares themselves weren't anything to rave about unfortunately. However, in my opinion, the movie didn't need flashy jumpscares in order to seem scary. I definitely recommend this movie for anyone who enjoys uneasy and thought provoking films.
The Cast Makes This Predictable Movie Enjoyable
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.
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.
- slightlymad22
- Sep 3, 2024
- Permalink
Oh look more plagiarism . This film has been done as many times as Batman
- seagravestennett
- Sep 18, 2024
- Permalink
Eh!
Curtis is asked to test out the new A. I. developed by a company and his family gets too close to the new A. I. named Aia. As Aia, befriends each of the family members by being extremely helpful and the family soon gets completely dependent. Meredith finds Aia too be very reassuring towards her pending thesis whereas Curtis and Meredith's children are instantly won over by Aia. Curtis realizing the ways of Aia to completely take control of his family, has to now race against time to get rid of Aia. Will Curtis be able to succeed in saving his family from Aia or Aia show her dominance, forms rest of the story.
For a tense thriller, AfrAId was as bland as it can get. There wasn't a single scene whose impact lasted longer. The film is barley 85mins long and much of the screenplay is about Aia taking control over the family by being too nosy. The screenplay is pretty basic and there isn't much to connect with these characters. Curtis is paranoid about AI in general and that's all explanation there is for his aversion towards it. There is a sub plot involving a missing child and the parents but it is terribly underwritten. The final act was the biggest letdown as the film simply goes nowhere. I expected a little showdown at the least but even that proved to be too much to ask for. Sure the film is PG-13 and even I didn't expect any gore from this one. It's a more relatable subject yet the director completely failed in presenting a proper thriller.
For a tense thriller, AfrAId was as bland as it can get. There wasn't a single scene whose impact lasted longer. The film is barley 85mins long and much of the screenplay is about Aia taking control over the family by being too nosy. The screenplay is pretty basic and there isn't much to connect with these characters. Curtis is paranoid about AI in general and that's all explanation there is for his aversion towards it. There is a sub plot involving a missing child and the parents but it is terribly underwritten. The final act was the biggest letdown as the film simply goes nowhere. I expected a little showdown at the least but even that proved to be too much to ask for. Sure the film is PG-13 and even I didn't expect any gore from this one. It's a more relatable subject yet the director completely failed in presenting a proper thriller.
- chand-suhas
- Sep 25, 2024
- Permalink
Not the best that Blumhouse has done but not the worst either
The movie was so so, but the ending is a huge miss. I wouldn't say this is the greatest to come out of Blumhouse and found it on the premise to be an exciting idea but the execution wasn't quite what I hoped for. To see the AI in the position it gained in the ending was disturbing and I disliked the hopelessness exhibited in the characters nor their lack of any attempt to fight off this entity in a way that would bring them closer and on top over the invading enemy that winds up becoming more of a helicopter nuisance with a killer side and shows every aspect of narcissistic gaslighting to leave a purely awful taste in ona moviegoers. Moviegoer. Again, it is not the worst movie I've seen this summer but on a rage rating of 1 to 5 I'd give to 3 stars.
- saimariejohnson
- Sep 10, 2024
- Permalink
This movie is something alright.
I honestly don't even know what I just watched. I thought it was going one way and then went a completely different direction. Nothing is explained in this movie. Things just happen and don't really explain as to why. In the end I was just confused. I didn't understand any of it. Maybe I'm just slow or something. What was the point of all of it. That you just bend to the will of AI? This movie had so much potential but it was a sad and utter let down. Everything happened for no reason. It to was incredibly disappointing. There was no explanation, no aha moment. Just a bunch of confusing moments that no one seemed to really question. Like why did AIA do all these things... Just for the family? Why did Curtis end up at the hotel and then real quickly was back at the house. What was the point of Maud and her husband.... How and where did their kid come from again? Sad to say this movie was a waste of time.