Subservience Review | Megan Fox Shines in Otherwise Forgettable Robot Flick

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As a film enthusiast with a particular penchant for exploring themes of technology and humanity, I found “Subservience” to be an intriguing, if somewhat disappointing, cinematic journey. The film’s premise, revolving around a sentient AI named Fox, is undeniably captivating, especially in light of the long-standing fascination with artificial intelligence in popular culture.

If your computer isn’t working properly, let the IT team suggest a restart. However, if an android starts suggesting reboots for fun, you might want to pause and consider. This scenario triggers a chain of disastrous events in the sci-fi thriller “Subservience“, featuring actress Megan Fox, who previously starred in “Rogue”. The film’s title, for those unaware, signifies “unquestioning obedience”, a term that cleverly encapsulates the essence of this new work by director S.K. Dale.

The filmmaker recently teamed up with Fox on the engaging thriller “Till Death” (2021), and currently, he’s working from a script by Will Honley & April Maguire – one that, regrettably, follows a familiar and predictable pattern. In the past, Fox has delivered several notable performances (notably in “Passion Play,” “New Girl,” and “Jennifer’s Body”), and she once again delivers an impressive performance (some might say by immersing herself so deeply into the character that it’s as if she’s become indistinguishable from the role herself). This is quite a feat, even though it may seem like a contradictory compliment.

Additionally, Subservience, although it may appear simplistic and somewhat lacking in sophistication, demonstrates an impressive level of insight into power dynamics. It encourages reflection on the ways societal structures oppress groups such as the working-class and women, reducing them to something less than human – similar to robots or artificial intelligence.

A Family Needs an Android Nanny

In a future America, if your spouse falls ill and you’re taking care of two young children, what might be your possible solutions? In the imaginative (and soon-to-be less imaginative) world of the series “Subservience”, Nick – the hardworking husband and father from the film “365 Days” portrayed by Michele Morrone – finds solace in robotics when confronted with this very scenario.

In a different scenario, Maggie, who is both cherished and struggling with health issues (portrayed by Madeline Zima in “Californication”), is awaiting an organ donor. However, this doesn’t mean that the lives of her loved ones are put on pause around her. Nick finds himself immersed in SIMs-related work (pronounced like the popular video game) to assist with household chores. This encompasses tasks such as reading bedtime stories for his lively daughter Isla (Matilda Firth), cooking meals for the entire family, and other daily duties.

Megan Fox Goes Full HAL Femme Fatale

As I was saying, it’s quite surprising – my own SIM seems to have taken a wrong turn. Just as the trailer hinted, Fox is turning into a classic femme fatale for all you fans of modern noir. In a sense, she’s aiming to replicate what the genius filmmaker Stanley Kubrick subtly achieved in his masterpiece, 2001: A Space Odyssey. We shouldn’t forget that HAL-9000 was a bit like a femme fatale herself in that remarkable movie, with her smooth, robotic voice leading to Dave’s unfortunate demise.

In the novel “Subservience”, Fox’s gentle robotic voice and conventional beauty steer Nick’s fatherhood towards a disastrous end, or at least attempts to. Caught up in late-night drinking sprees, Nick convinces Alice to learn about classic films. He decides to reset her system when she indicates that it’s the only way to bypass certain restrictions preventing her from enjoying and experiencing various things.

In a not-so-subtle twist, the movie’s tagline “Don’t Turn Her On” might lead you to think about risqué scenarios, considering that Fox has been associated with sexually charged roles in the Transformers series. However, it’s more of a clever misdirection. The actress’s casting serves as a commentary on the male gaze, highlighting how easily we objectify subjects through sexualization. Nick, in his overly confident and chauvinistic manner, sets up the film’s conflicts by pushing Alice to conform to roles that she is unwilling or unsuited for.

Alice Enters A.I. Wonderland in a Weakly Scripted Film

After Nick turns on the switch, Alice steps into a world reminiscent of Wonderland, while tensions in Nick’s life gradually rise. It doesn’t make things easier that his workplace, the construction site where he works, is considering replacing human workers like his colleague Monty (Andrew Whipp) with androids such as Alice, which could potentially lead to job loss. As a manager at this site, Nick faces pressure from colleagues to stand up against this change and resist the introduction of SIMs. Amidst all this, Nick must also manage his demanding children, an ailing spouse in the hospital, and his own unruly SIM.

Regardless of the intriguing elements of misogyny and class struggle, the movie “Subservience” feels more like a brief AI-themed solution for sci-fi enthusiasts instead of a deep exploration of its themes. It’s ironic because people have described “Subservience” as a sort of sexually charged imitation of “M3GAN”. Strangely, “Subservience” should be the superior film, given its potential for thought-provoking content and more substantial ideas than M3GAN’s AI adaptation of Child’s Play. However, there’s something about “Subservience” that makes it less engaging and cinematic compared to “M3GAN”. This might be due to the limited budget, underdeveloped characters, or a predictable plotline. Unfortunately, “Subservience” fails to live up to its ideas or Fox’s unsettling performance.

Despite the fact that “Subservience” might not be a standout film for everyone, it’s definitely worth watching if you want to support Dale and Fox. They demonstrated remarkable potential with their work in “Till Death,” and proved they can create an outstanding genre picture. So let’s give them a more substantial script and a larger budget the next time around, wouldn’t that be great?

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2024-09-17 15:02