Sustitutos

Simulants are artificial humanoid robots. They are restricted by programming, but someone is trying to hack them. Artificial Intelligence Compliance Enforcement agent Kessler (Sam Worthington) apprehends Esme (Alicia Sanz), a simulant which had its programming altered. Evan (Robbie Amell) and Faye (Jordana Brewster) are a loving couple, but it's not what it seems. Casey (Simu Liu) is a hacker.

This premise has been done before. It is straight out of the Asimov's 3 laws of robotics which is eighty years old. I kept waiting for something new, but this is mostly derivative. The freshest aspect may be Simu Liu having sex with Alicia Sanz. It's still a little unusual in Hollywood for an Asian man to have sex with a white girl. The Evan-Faye couple does have an interesting reveal, but that surprise reveal can't be done more than once. I was expecting it for all the other reveals. There is potential for something else, but the movie doesn't go there until the last scene. I do want to mention the filming locations. For the most part, I've never seen those places and that's good. It's a side issue, but it does add a little freshness to the movie.

For a normally breezy 95 min runtime, this film felt endlessly long. It's terribly slow pacing was part of the problem, but mostly the issue here was the overall underwhelming filmmaking. From the story that's been done many times before and better that felt less intelligent and more artificial, to the directing that lacked any real urgency from scene to scene with annoying, predictable and repetitive sub-narratives. There was a lot of style, but very little substance to be an engaging viewing, even in its short runtime. I found myself constantly impatient for something more suspenseful and thrilling to happen, that never did. Even the all-star casting couldn't elevate the depressingly-toned slow story. Director April Mullen's lack of effective cast direction made it feel like all the actors were half asleep reading their lines. I will however say that the cinematography was excellent, the score very fitting, and the S/VFX quite passable, for a low budget B film.

The lack of suspense in the narrative and the predictable unfolding of events make for an unenjoyable movie. The filmmakers attempt to explore profound questions regarding the relationship between humans and machines. However, the execution lacks any sense of creativity or enthusiasm. In the movie, all Simulates must obey four precepts: 1) Do not inflict harm on any human being. 2) Do not modify yourself or any other Simulate. 3) Do not commit crimes against international or local law. 4) Obey all commands from your masters. As soon as these rules are read out in the film, you know that they will be broken. All is too predictable. Even the A. I. is not worked out properly. The script, though, indeed looks like something that could be generated by ChatGPT. Simulant is naïve nonsense that asks, "What does it mean to be human?" and answers the question by changing the code of simulates and recommending them a Dostoevsky book! Literally! Do not waste your time. Skip this one.

I really enjoyed this as it keeps you guessing right until the end. You are never quite sure how it it going to play out or how the characters will react to certain tense situations. It's well acted by all and feels like a possible future. It has a lot of soul considering it is a story about androids and AI.

The violence necessary to the story is blessedly kept to a minimum and there is very little gore, for a change. If you want an ultra noisy wham, slam, bang sort of film, then this one will disappoint you as it has rather a slow but very interesting plot development that is also a welcome change.

Here's the problem.

The movie starts with a really good 'Bladerunner' style hunting of a simulant/replicant with is is well made and a great set up. Unfortunately, the movie then drops the pace and the action to a scene were a woman mourns the loss of her husband and has had him replaced with a simulant/replicant. The movie then cuts between the two stories, one interesting, one not so much, until the end.

And as for the ending, well, it's a let down. The plot can only reach conclusions with contrivances and conveniences.

There are so many decent ideas here and a great action movie to be made with the material but it feels jumbled up. In short, too many plot lines spoil the film.