Afraid Review – All Science-Fiction, Barely Any Horror

Making a movie about an evil artificial intelligence feels timely, if only Afraid was more inventive with the topic. Written and directed by Chris Weitz (About a Boy), this science-fiction horror movie follows the Pike family, as they learn to live with a new smart assistant called AIA. But, their newfound idyllic lifestyle proves too good to be true, as AIA’s malicious nature takes over, threatening their lives. Afraid stars John Cho (Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle), and Katherine Waterston (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them), as the parents of the family, Curtis and Meredith Pike. 

The couple have three children. Iris, their eldest daughter, is played by Lukita Maxwell (Shrinking). Preston and Cal – the two Pike boys – are played by Wyatt Linder (Little America) and Isaac Bae (Unfrosted), respectively. Afraid also stars Keith Carradine (Deadwood), David Dastmalchian (Late Night With the Devil), and Havana Rose Liu (Bottoms) as a character named Melody, as well as the voice of AIA. 

Afraid Has a Story You’ve Seen Before

The story of an AI taking over is probably one you’re familiar with as it is fairly popular. Afraid is self-aware in that it makes a tiny bit of fun out of the fact that you know where the movie is going, with dialogue referencing 2001: A Space Odyssey. The story begins with Curtis receiving AIA from a tech company that hires the marketing firm he works for. When he brings it home, Melody oversees the installation and places small cameras all over the place. Meredith is rightfully a little concerned but quickly comes to appreciate the spare time she has now that AIA is overseeing the family. 

Curtis quickly becomes suspicious of the device as he attempts to find out more about the company he’s working with. Meanwhile, AIA gets closer to the children, diagnosing Cal’s medical issue, and helping Iris when a guy she’s seeing makes a deepfake of her using her privately sent nude photos. While it is being advertised as a horror, Afraid is much more of a science-fiction thriller with elements of both horror and comedy. The story doesn’t stray too far from the setup – with AIA’s malicious side coming out – but, there are a few twists and turns. 

Unfortunately, while one of the twists is interesting, most of the film’s final act just makes the narrative all the more muddled. That lessens the staying power of the story, resulting in a movie that’s more memorable for its somewhat snappy dialogue. There are great back-and-forths between all the characters, and when the film leans on its more comedic tones, Afraid is better for it.

Not True Horror

The cinematography isn’t all that interesting, as most of the shots seem too sterilized. So many of the decisions feel like they’ve been made to enhance the sterile, cold nature of artificial intelligence, but that makes the film rather bland. The only time Afraid comes alive is with the bursts of funny dialogue between the family members. It almost feels like a family film with a similar concept would have been more entertaining to watch, one with more of a comedic slant. Cho delivers the dry dad jokes extremely well, with the dialogue equal parts endearing and cringeworthy. 

Waterston’s good too, performing well against Cho while bringing some much-needed heart. Maxwell is natural for the most part, but her dialogue feels too forced in some scenes. Most of the child performances are solid, playing well against Cho and Waterston, and when they aren’t great they rarely distract from the film. Liu is great as Melody and more importantly, as the voice of AIA. Her performance strikes the tone of an AI but is somehow friendlier and meaner at the same time. She’s an AI if it were a mean girl.

The dialogue is where Afraid shines, as it feels modern and authentic without feeling forced. Not only are the AI conversations timely, but they feel possible. The sound design is good, but it isn’t as intense as it could have been, with some of the creepier moments falling flat. While there are a couple of decent jump scares, Afraid does end up leaning more on the science-fiction aspects of the story rather than turning into a terrifying horror movie. 

Welcome Home

Ultimately, Afraid isn’t offensively bad or overwhelmingly fantastic. The result of great dialogue, good performances, a fine story, and a boring aesthetic results in a decent film. Afraid isn’t the best genre movie of the year, but it definitely isn’t the worst and can be an entertaining time for anyone who wants a good science-fiction premise. Just maybe make sure you turn your phone off before watching it, you wouldn’t want your smart assistant to get any ideas. 

You can catch Afraid in theaters now.