John Cho in the AI thriller "Afraid" (Blumhouse)
Meet AIA, the star of the latest A.I. thriller "Afraid" from the Blumhouse team. Directed by Chris Weitz, known for "Twilight: New Moon," this film marks a return to the "tech gone wrong" genre. Weitz reunites with John Cho, a familiar face from his "American Pie" days, in this lukewarm thriller. "Afraid" is a PG-13 jump-scare fest, filled with classic horror tropes that make it feel more like a '90s cyber-thriller than a fresh, modern take on the genre. The film focuses more on societal behaviors rather than traditional supernatural or "cybernatural" horror.
"Afraid" is wrapped in a conservative message, cautioning against artificial intelligence without recognizing how deeply we've integrated technology into our lives. At times, it's hard to distinguish between product placement for tech gadgets and a generational critique on our tech-dependent lifestyles. As this review is written and edited with technological tools, it reminds us that humans are naturally inclined toward comfort over conflict. Weitz and his team effectively show how comfort can make us complacent, but the real horror of "Afraid" unfolds in the interactions between characters Cal (Isaac Bae), Iris (Lukita Maxwell), and Jackson (Ashton Essex Bright).
In Jonathan Haidt's book "The Anxious Generation," he describes children bargaining with their parents, offering to endure "cold showers" in exchange for more screen time. This concept, based on a real family that allowed themselves to be recorded daily, mirrors the unsettling themes in "Afraid." The film will have you covering your laptop cameras, only to realize that the supercomputer in your pocket is watching too.
"Afraid" joins a list of films exploring similar horror themes since the '60s and '70s. We'll dive deeper into these comparisons in a future editorial. With its PG-13 rating, "Afraid" is likely to attract a younger audience, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. For about two hours, they get a scare-filled experience that mirrors the tech-centric lives they lead. After all, the movies were our first screen addiction!
Rating: 2.5/5
I hope this version captures the essence of your review while providing a more polished and cohesive narrative.
Afraid
Directed by Chris Weitz
Starring John Cho, Katherine Waterston, Havana Rose Liu, David Dastmalchian, Ashley Romans, Issac Bae,Lukita Maxwell, Ashton Essex Bright
In theaters everywhere
Comments