Perhaps in a world without "Ex Machina," this subdued, claustrophobic, cautionary tale about the boundaries (moral, practical, etc.) of artificial intelligence and experiments with the meanings of life might have had more impact. Then again, the characters, whether human or ostensibly human, just aren't interesting enough to sustain the running time, mainly because the screenplay by Shabin Chandrasoma overloads them with exposition and stilted dialogue. The actors do their best to overcome this but are ultimately defeated by it. There are some good robotics on display and the antiseptic set design and cool, stylish cinematography do a good job of setting an appropriately chilly, slightly menacing tone. However, it seems like director Matthew Leutwyler studied hard at the J. J. Abrams Academy of Lens Flares -- a little less of that distraction might have helped make this story more compelling. The two concluding twists -- one of which most people will see coming a mile off, the other of which was a surprise to me at a point where I was beyond caring -- left me thinking that this is something of a latter-day "Twilight Zone" or "Outer Limits" story that would have been better as a one-hour television show. With a little more thought and substantially more drama, this might have made a decent episode of "Black Mirror." As a movie, it doesn't add much to any conversation.
Review of Uncanny
