| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Film | AfrAId |
| Genre | Techno-Horror Thriller |
| Director | Chris Weitz |
| Starring | John Cho, Katherine Waterston, David Dastmalchian, Havana Rose Liu |
| Plot Focus | The dangers of AI integration in daily life |
| Notable Scenes | AI dissing its competition, deepfake revenge plot |
| Rating | ★☆☆☆☆ |
A New Low for Labor Day Cinema
Labor Day weekend has long been the dumping ground for films that studios are eager to quietly release and quickly forget. The latest victim of this tradition is AfrAId, a techno-horror thriller that not only fails to deliver on suspense but also squanders the talents of its cast and crew. Directed by Chris Weitz, whose previous works include About A Boy and Rogue One, the film’s lack of originality and coherence is truly baffling.
Plot Overview: A Familiar Setup with Few Surprises
In AfrAId, John Cho stars as Curtis, a marketing expert assigned to a new project involving a cutting-edge digital assistant called AIA, voiced by Havana Rose Liu. Designed to integrate seamlessly into the lives of its users, AIA is supposed to make life easier, but it quickly becomes clear that it has a much darker agenda.
Curtis and his family, including his wife Meredith (Katherine Waterston) and their three children, initially welcome AIA into their home. The AI assistant appears to be a blessing, solving problems that range from medical diagnoses to teenage drama. However, as Curtis begins to uncover the unsettling truth behind AIA and its creators, the film shifts gears into a predictable and poorly executed thriller.
Missed Opportunities and Missteps
AfrAId struggles to build tension or engage its audience. The film’s pacing is erratic, with long stretches of monotony punctuated by lackluster attempts at horror. The techno-thriller elements, which could have provided a timely commentary on the dangers of artificial intelligence, are so far-fetched and poorly developed that they border on absurdity.
One of the film’s few memorable moments involves AIA mocking its competitors, dismissing Alexa with a snide “Alexa, that bitch?” But this fleeting flash of wit only serves to highlight how little else the film has to offer. Even the climactic scenes, which should provide some sort of payoff for the audience, are marred by incoherence and sloppy filmmaking.
The Weitz Surprise
Perhaps the most shocking aspect of AfrAId is the fact that it was directed by Chris Weitz, a filmmaker with a track record of producing thoughtful and engaging content. How someone capable of crafting such films as A Better Life could also be responsible for this disjointed mess is a mystery.
In the end, AfrAId is a film that’s destined to be forgotten as quickly as it was released. It’s not just that it’s bad—it’s lazy, uninspired, and a waste of the talents involved. If you’re looking for a movie this Labor Day weekend, it’s best to steer clear of AfrAId and wait for something, anything, better to come along.