Megan Fox teams up with director S.K. Dale to bring her feminine wiles to the world of A.I. in “Subservience” from XYZ Films. Will Honley and April Maguire wrote the film’s screenplay. Alice (Fox) is a lifelike, artificially intelligent android who can care for any family and home. Looking for help with the housework, struggling father Nick (Michele Morrone) purchases Alice after his wife Maggie (Madeline Zima) becomes sick. Alice suddenly becomes self-aware and wants everything her new family has to offer, starting with the affection of her owner — and she’ll kill to get it.
Megan Fox’s performance as Alice is solid, embodying a chilling and alluring character while seamlessly hinting at a darker side. The transformation from merely assisting with household tasks to enticing Nick to cope with his stress is significant. She even mimics Maggie’s voice to “ease the situation,” with some rationale for her actions. The direction the narrative takes may be foreseeable, yet it is skillfully handled, particularly with Alice’s determination to “safeguard her primary user” being taken to great lengths.
Sadly, a significant weakness of “Subservience” is its handling of A.I. themes. Instead of delving into the philosophical questions surrounding artificial intelligence and its ties to humanity, the film leans towards sensationalism. Alice’s awakening initiates a series of dramatic occurrences that evoke memories of various other sci-fi thrillers, failing to introduce original viewpoints or creativity. The narrative choices are all too foreseeable; one could easily anticipate the clichés as they unfold: the android’s increasingly unpredictable actions, the husband’s mounting unease, and the predictable confrontation over affection become painfully recognizable.
On a visual level, some moments stand out, featuring sleek and polished cinematography that effectively portrays suburban life. Yet these scenes are eclipsed by a lackluster script reliant on simplistic dialogue and formulaic storytelling. There is an absence of tension and suspense, which severely detracts from what might have been an engaging exploration of how technology influences human relationships.
As seen in the past, Fox is a commendable actress when given suitable material, but “Subservience” wastes her talents and instead relies on clichés.
Final Grade: C-
“Subservience” is available to stream now.
Songstress Ashanti was experiencing significant success with two platinum albums at the time of the release of her inaugural holiday project, “Ashanti’s Christmas,” on November 18, 2003. Her label head, Irv Gotti, produced most of the album. This project comprises four original songs co-written by Ashanti, in addition to six cover versions of traditional Christmas standards and carols.
Vocal quartet A Few Good Man contributed two songs to the project: a cover of “Silver Bells” and the ballad “Merry Christmas My Dear,” both of which were produced by Daryl Simmons. Demail Burks, David Morris, Aaron Hilliard, and Tony Amey were the members of the group, and after introducing themselves in the festive video for “Silver Bells,” it was only fitting that they delivered a ballad on the album.
R&B legend Luther Vandross had already solidified his place in R&B when he released his first holiday album, “This Is Christmas. Arriving in stores on October 24, 1995, “This Is Christmas” validates Vandross’s ability to sing anything.