The best movies about artificial intelligence: what to watch next

The problem of artificial intelligence poses a serious concern not only for scientists who constantly warn us of direct threats. Movies also reflect on the matter.

For those who want to ponder on life alongside artificial intelligence, OBOZ.UA has collected several interesting films (and even an animation movie). They will help to understand the problems and challenges more deeply. And, perhaps, to find common ground with the machines.

2001: A Space Odyssey (2001)

Even now it's hard to imagine that Stanley Kubrick made this incredibly modern film back in 1968. He wrote the script together with the famous science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke. The plot is like a visionary parable about progress and humanity and whether they can coexist. One of the main characters is robot named HAL 9000, which enters into an existential conflict with astronaut and scientist David Bowman. The film is called one of the most influential in the history of cinema.

The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)

This animation movie by Sony Pictures Animation did not receive the attention it deserved. That's because it was not released in theaters due to the COVID-19, only on Netflix. Nevertheless, it is called one of the best animated projects available on the platform. In the story, the Mitchell family, whose members cannot find a common language with each other, find themselves in the middle of a robot uprising. They can only defeat the machines by uniting. But will technology prevent them from doing so?

Her (2013)

One of the most exciting topics for artists is the impact of AI on romantic relationships. And Spike Jones' work with Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson (her voice) is considered to be one of the best statements on this topic. In the story, writer Theodore Twombly installs a smart operating system named Samantha to make it easier to survive a difficult divorce from his wife. He doesn't realize that he is falling in love with the one who has no body, only a seductive voice. Does this relationship have any prospects?

The Creator (2023)

Gareth Edwards' film is a rare example of a completely unusual science fiction product. Critics praised the movie even though it saw modest box office receipts. The film is set in 2070, years after a nuclear explosion destroyed Los Angeles and the war against AI began. Former special forces agent Joshua Taylor (John David Washington) returns to his duties to find and kill a man who has probably created a terrible weapon that can lead to the victory of the machines. His search leads him to a mysterious girl who turns out to be a robot. The protagonist faces many complex dilemmas: the problem of parents and children, a sense of empathy for machines, and the fight against progress. His decisions will lead to a truly surprising outcome.

Ex Machina (2015)

Alex Garland's directorial debut was a breakthrough work for the psychological thriller genre, mixing it with a sci-fi story. The viewer follows a shy programmer who finds himself in his boss's mansion. His task is to communicate daily with Ava, a humanoid robot based on artificial intelligence. This is the development his boss is currently working on. However, the communication between them quickly becomes strange, dangerous, and not as predictable as it seemed at first glance.

Blade Runner (1982) and Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

The basis for both films was the famous novel "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick, published in 1968. The writer reflected on whether a highly realistic humanoid robot with advanced artificial intelligence could be considered equal to a human being. Ridley Scott's adaptation featured a brilliant monologue by Rutger Hauer's character in the pouring rain, which was painfully honest about these issues. Surprisingly, the sci-fi genius Denis Villeneuve managed to create equally great sequel. He successfully brought the world of replicants, secrets and conspiracies back to the screen, and also brilliantly showed the complex relationship between the protagonist Rick Deckard (Ryan Gosling) and the holographic artificial intelligence Joy (Ana de Armas).

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

The sequel to the action movie about a killer robot that came from the future unexpectedly took the sci-fi franchise created by James Cameron to a whole new level. A fairly simple action story gained more depth with the sequel. And now the viewer was not just watching well-choreographed fight scenes on the screen, but was also following the evolution of the killer robot, the development of empathy, humanity and warmth. Arnold Schwarzenegger embodied a machine that transforms from John Connor's pursuer into his adoptive father, who is ready to lay down his life to protect the boy (and all of humanity) from a deadly threat. And this threat comes from artificial intelligence.

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