T.I.M.

very interesting

Watching the trailer filled me with excitement. However, twenty minutes into the film, my artificial intrigue began to wane. The main protagonists, Abi (Georgina Campbell) and Paul (Mark Rowley), have a strained relationship due to an infidelity incident in which he was involved. T.i.m (Eamon Farren) is an artificial intelligent helper gifted to them as a welcoming present, programmed to run errands for its masters. But what could possibly go wrong with such an invention?! It draws inspiration from classics like Blade Runner and feels like an English adaptation of M3gen and Ex Machina. To me, it's akin to diluting a flavorful fruit drink beyond its greatness. In other words, this film falls victim to essentially copying something great and ends up making a weaker movie. Abi is the only redeeming and likable character in this film. The subplot of whether or not Paul is cheating again, and if T. I. M can tell the truth or has an ulterior motive, is quite predictable. Suffice it to say, I saw the truth coming from a mile away. Georgina Campbell seems to be a rising star, having featured in Black Mirror, Barbarian and Bird Box. Barcelona. Sadly, this one is a miss with an uninspiring and rather predictable ending.

IN A NUTSHELL: The story is about a prosthetics engineer named Abi, who moves to the countryside to work on Integrate Robotics's latest product - a humanoid artificial intelligence called T. I. M. Which stands for Technologically Integrated Manservant. Cool? Creepy? You decide! The film was directed and written by Spencer Brown with writing help by Sarah Govett. THINGS I LIKED: The robot, T. I. M., is played by Eamon Farren, who does an excellent, believable, and scary job. Other cast members also do a great job: Georgina Campbell, Mark Rowley (gotta love his accent), Amara Karan, Tom Bell, and Nathaniel Parker. I love the idea of a robot doing everything for me. I have several Alexa and Google Home mini devices at home, but instead of becoming sentient, it's as if they're becoming dumber. They used to be able to answer all kinds of questions for me but now they often say, "I don't know that." (sigh) The tension builds with each scene. The AI house is really slick! The film is definitely timely. With the launch of ChatGPT in November 2023, Artificial Intelligence has been on everyone's mind. How far will it go? Are you excited about it or a little bit afraid? As a university professor, I've already seen a huge uptick in plagiarism as students are using AI to write all of their assignments for them. While AI has revolutionized how businesses can operate more efficiently, it has been quite damaging to the way students are/aren't learning in education now. Don't get me wrong; AI has already done wonders for education with apps and learning tools. It's just too much of a temptation for students when it comes to academic integrity. THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: It's so annoying when characters do dumb things. The last big fight scene was super frustrating to watch. I hate it when a character just stands still in a scene, inevitably becoming a victim, rather than running or fighting back harder. TIPS FOR PARENTS: We see a married couple in bed trying to get pregnant (some movement, sound effects, and skin). Talk of infidelity We see a car crash We see some attempted murders Some profanity and F-bombs.

Seriously, it's like ChatGBT had processed the script of Westworld, AI, Ex Machina, etc., and cobbled together this low-budget effort - certainly there doesn't seem to be any human involvement here. Anyway, a robot who looks like a cross between a skinny David Cameron and a Habitat model circa 1975 is given to a couple getting over the husband's infidelity. That's it for the plot, anyone reading this sentence will already guess what will happen. One problem is, it happens so slowly. It seems to take ages before the robot goes Saturn 3 on the couple and in between we have to endlessly listen to their relationship issues. Maybe that's really what sent the robot crazy - I could only bear it because I knew they were going to be Terminated, God only knows what the robot must have felt being stuck with them 24/7. On top of this the stupid is dialled up to 11 throughout. Whether it's a brilliant engineer that doesn't understand that paired smart devices communicate with each other, plot twists that require someone finding a tiny bit of thread at the bottom of a waste disposal unit (though the jumper in question actually turns up later anyway?!) or a neighbour who A) Can't seem to understand why the wife is upset at her continually meeting up with her cheating husband; B) Somehow fails to understand that T. I. M's a robot; C Thinks driving a car into a house is a proportionate response to a rude manservent rather than phoning the police, it's complete cobblers. Finally, in the conclusion the daftness goes off the charts. The super-intelligent robot buries the body conveniently inefficiently, the neighbour somehow impales him to a wall with a pole, and the robot resets his safe phrase/off switch (nobody thought of having it accessible online then?) to something I actually guessed, yet alone his unrequited love. Anyway, I'll give it four stars because, while the acting was generally awful, the two human leads tried their best, and at least the robot's floppy Bullingdon Club hair provided a distraction. Aside from that, it offers nothing that hasn't been much better explored elsewhere.

Good movie!

Good movie!

Good movie!

Good movie!

There are no words to describe how much of a waste of time this movie was. 1 hour and 30 minutes felt like the entire day. The whole movie was predictable and uninteresting, my dog's eyes are less predictable. Nothing was intense nor thrilling about the movie. I have a more exciting and thrilling time picking up my dogs runny faeces. In fact, I laughed towards the end from the sheer stupidity of the last scenes. None of the characters were likeable apart from Rose (RIP). Rose's scene towards the end was my favourite. I feel sorry for everyone that worked on this movie because it was a waste of their time which could've gone to something a lot more impactful. PLEASE. Anyone who is reading this review and thinking of watching the movie DON'T. JUST DON'T.

This film left a truly unpleasant impression due to its numerous shortcomings. The acting was subpar, lacking the authenticity and depth that a compelling performance requires. The story itself was riddled with flaws, failing to captivate and engage the audience with its weak narrative structure and unconvincing plot developments. The portrayal of the wife character came across as not only annoying but also lacking in depth, making it difficult for viewers to empathize or connect with her struggles. The decisions she made throughout the film often seemed illogical and disconnected from reality, further undermining the overall experience. Moreover, the portrayal of the marriage between the two main characters was strained and unconvincing, failing to convey any meaningful chemistry or emotional resonance. The story's weaknesses were exacerbated by moments where the character's actions defied common sense, leading to frustrating and nonsensical developments that detracted from the film's credibility. Perhaps the only positive aspect of the film was its brevity, sparing the audience from enduring its flaws for an extended duration. It's puzzling how this film managed to secure a place in the top 3 on Netflix, as its lackluster execution and glaring issues should render it ineligible for such recognition. In fact, given its numerous shortcomings, one could argue that the film's deletion would not only be justified but also a welcome step towards maintaining a higher standard of content on streaming platforms. (Written by chat gpt lol but very true!)