Today’s quick review: Uncanny. For her latest piece, tech journalist Joy Andrews (Lucy Griffiths) is spending a week with David Kressen (Mark Webber), a brilliant but reclusive roboticist. David introduces Joy to his masterpiece: Adam (David Clayton Rogers), a lifelike android that fools even her trained eye. But as Joy and David grow closer to each other, Adam begins to experience new emotions for the first time.
Uncanny is a minimalistic science fiction drama with a touch of romance. Uncanny explores themes of artificial intelligence and human behavior by introducing a third wheel into a peculiar man-machine partnership. The movie has capable writing and a few interesting ideas, but it is missing the extra hook needed to make it a compelling watch. Its gradual build-up and stunted payoff keep it from capitalizing on the elements it gets right.
Uncanny depends heavily on its character dynamics. David and Adam are more alike than they first seem. David is a smug, blunt genius who has spent the last decade of his life cooped up in a workshop, while Adam is a sophisticated but imperfect artificial intelligence who has never had contact with another human. The inclusion of Joy into the mix brings out new sides in both of them and puts a strain in their once-effortless relationship.
Uncanny shares many traits with Ex Machina. The two movies have similar premises, deal with similar themes, and offer similar perspectives on AI. But where Ex Machina deliberately builds tension early on, Uncanny limits itself to what falls naturally out of its characters’ behavior. Ex Machina has more polish and makes for a more gripping drama, but Uncanny makes a few subtler points about humanity.
Watch Uncanny if you are a science fiction fan in the mood for a movie with limited scope and decent execution. Uncanny does not deliver the most sophisticated plot, characters, or speculation, but its general competence makes it a fine choice for fans of the genre. Skip it if you are looking for action or a tight story. For a similar movie with more suspense and better execution, check out Ex Machina.
6.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for interesting writing held back by slight plot issues and a missing element of tension.