"It's as if there's intelligence behind it."
-- Joy Andrews (as played by Lucy Griffiths)
-- Joy Andrews (as played by Lucy Griffiths)
For the record, Uncanny is one of those smaller, indie-style features that -- in case you missed it -- you shouldn't be all that surprised. Sadly, features like this come-and-go across the industry, seeping in and out of DVD release schedules and/or streaming calendars so quickly that it ought to make our collective heads spin. But unlike so many other pictures, this one deserves a bit of attention if not a smidgeon more reflection. I've seen it -- I received a complimentary DVD release of it back in the day -- and I'll update my files on SciFiHistory.Net later today -- and I thought it was very interesting, though perhaps a bit predictable in a few spots.
What I can say about the Shahin Chandrasoma script (without spoiling too much of its -- ahem -- twist ending) is that it probably would've been better served to have had a larger cast, one fleshed out with just a few more characters. (Yes, yes, yes: I understand all too well that it was kinda/sorta designed to be this intimate three-way relationship between an A.I., its creator, and a lovely reporter.) The downside to its twist is that -- because the cast is small -- it isn't hard to see certain elements of it coming, so when the reveal takes place it may not have had quite as much dramatic impact as it could have were the characters able to hide it amongst a crowd of players.
Still, there's an efficiency to the picture -- it works 'well enough' to carry the premise and potential from start-to-finish -- and I will say that it's a shame that there hasn't been some follow-up. It ends with a definite opening to go back into the universe as created (again, trying hard to not spoil it for you, folks), one that suggests there was definitely a bit more to this story. Who knows? Maybe all involved are taking a good amount of time to venture back into these waters ... or maybe this is all she wrote, as they say. I'd be sad, were that the case, as it's ripe for another chapter the way this one winded down.
In any event, here's the film's plot summary as provided by the good people at IMDB.com:
"The world's first 'perfect' Artificial Intelligence begins to exhibit startling and unnerving emergent behavior when a reporter begins a relationship with the scientist who created it."
What I can say about the Shahin Chandrasoma script (without spoiling too much of its -- ahem -- twist ending) is that it probably would've been better served to have had a larger cast, one fleshed out with just a few more characters. (Yes, yes, yes: I understand all too well that it was kinda/sorta designed to be this intimate three-way relationship between an A.I., its creator, and a lovely reporter.) The downside to its twist is that -- because the cast is small -- it isn't hard to see certain elements of it coming, so when the reveal takes place it may not have had quite as much dramatic impact as it could have were the characters able to hide it amongst a crowd of players.
Still, there's an efficiency to the picture -- it works 'well enough' to carry the premise and potential from start-to-finish -- and I will say that it's a shame that there hasn't been some follow-up. It ends with a definite opening to go back into the universe as created (again, trying hard to not spoil it for you, folks), one that suggests there was definitely a bit more to this story. Who knows? Maybe all involved are taking a good amount of time to venture back into these waters ... or maybe this is all she wrote, as they say. I'd be sad, were that the case, as it's ripe for another chapter the way this one winded down.
In any event, here's the film's plot summary as provided by the good people at IMDB.com:
"The world's first 'perfect' Artificial Intelligence begins to exhibit startling and unnerving emergent behavior when a reporter begins a relationship with the scientist who created it."
I'd be remiss in my duties as a Genre Historian if I failed to mention that Uncanny did garner a good amount of praise from screenings on the film festival circuit. In fact, the big one -- the kind definitely worth mentioning in this space -- is the fact that it captured the 'Best Indie Film' trophy from the 2015 Boston Science Fiction Film Festival, and that definitely might be the number one credential encouraging my readers that it's a product worth your investment, if only for a single viewing. Having seen it, I can add that it certainly helps if you're a fan of these human-looking-android style stories; it may not have all of the visual bells and whistles you get with big budget productions, but on ideas alone? This one definitely had its cybernetic heart in the right place ...
... or did it?
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
... or did it?
As always, thanks for reading ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
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