John David Washington’s new sci-fi thriller The Creator looks to mix Dances With Wolves with a healthy dose of A.I. While the buzz around Artificial Intelligence has grown exponentially in these last few months, thanks to the development of programs like ChatGPT, the software has long been a cornerstone of the science fiction genre.
If the first trailer for The Creator got you buzzing for a tense exploration of artificial intelligence, but you can’t wait until September, here are 5 brilliant movies that explore the depths of AI, both as humanity’s salvation, and its doom.
Moon (2009)
Directed by Duncan Jones (Source Code), Moon follows Sam (Sam Rockwell) as he comes to the end of his isolated three-year mission on a mining facility on the moon. Whilst exploring the planet’s surface, Sam discovers a run-down facility that looks eerily similar to his own and a corpse that looks just like himself.
In a nod to Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Oddessy, Sam is kept company by GERTY (Kevin Spacey), a sentient android who cares for and entertains Sam with a smiley face. Moon is a tense psychological thriller and a hidden gem among Rockwell’s stellar filmography.
Her (2013)
Her comes from the mind of one of the most underappreciated directors in Hollywood, Spike Jonze (Adaptation. & Being John Malkovich). While Her is the most critically successful movie on this list, having won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, it is still vastly underappreciated by general audiences.
After a bad breakup, Theodore (Joaquin Phoenix) downloads an artificial intelligence app, which morphs itself to suit his personality. Calling itself Samantha (Scarlett Johansson), the AI grows attached to Theodore, and the two begin to develop feelings for each other, despite Samantha’s artificial nature.
Metropolis (1927)
Fritz Lang’s Metropolis is a timeless classic that every movie buff should watch at least once in their life. One of the earliest science fiction films, Metropolis is set in a futuristic city, that likely inspired the worlds of modern science fiction gems like Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner and Luc Besson’s The Fifth Element.
Metropolis explores the class divide between the residents of the beautiful eutopia above ground, and the mistreated workers in the slums below. The film’s exploration of AI comes in the form of the sentient female robot, developed by the scientist Rotwang as a replacement for his deceased wife.
Ex Machina (2014)
Ex Machina is one of A24’s earliest hits. Directed by Alex Garland (Annihilation & Devs), Ex Machina earned the 2016 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, as well as being nominated for Best Original Screenplay.
Starring Alicia Vikander (Tomb Raider), Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis), and Domhnall Gleeson (Frank), Ex Machina follows a software engineer, who wins the opportunity to meet the elusive CEO of the tech company he works for. Whilst visiting the CEO at his isolated home, he discovers the CEO has developed a fully functioning, life-like Artificial Intelligence.
Chappie (2015)
Following on from his breakout sci-fi hits District 9 and Elysium, Neill Blomkamp’s Chappie takes a look at Artificial Intelligence from the obscure lens of South African street gangs. Chappie also features an incredible cast, including Sharlto Copley (District 9), Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire), Hugh Jackman (Logan), and Sigourney Weaver (Alien).
In the near future, crime is patrolled by a mechanized police force. When one police droid, Chappie, is stolen and given new programming, he becomes the first robot with the ability to think and feel for himself.
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