They are Living with SUBSERVIENCE

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to EST and TVOD from director S.K. Dale and Vertigo Releasing is a look at life when the world becomes quicky automated with SUBSERVIENCE.

Nick (Michele Morrone) is a hard-working man in construction along with wife Maggie (Madeline Zima) and daughter Isla (Matilda Firth) and young son. When Maggie is taken ill, Nick knows he needs help and turns to purchasing a domestic SIM. Isla names her Alice (Megan Fox) and she immediately begins to take care of the house, cooking and helping with the children. Nick is impressed that so much pressure is taken off his hands and tells Maggie about it as they wait for her surgery.

Unfortunately, Nick soon learns that his construction job is about to be taken over by more SIMS, or “sparks” as others call them. Now his friends, Monty (Andrew Whipp), Donna (Manal El-Feitury and Lewis (Atanas Srebrev) are out of jobs and he doesn’t know how to handle that. At home, Alice tries to talk with him in a way that is comforting as she tries to understand human beings.

As the days go by, Alice ingratiates herself more and more into Nick life as Maggie returns home. Trying to pick up where she left off, it is difficult but Alice steps in. Almost overnight, Alice begins to change and what should have been a helper in the home is about to become the most dangerous SIM imaginable!

Morrone as Nick is a man that is in the middle of life’s messes. Trying to keep his job going to support his family, dealing with an ill wife and taking care of two children feels like an impossible task. Adding a beautiful SIM seems like his only answer but perhaps he should have stayed away from the ‘beautiful’ part. Morrone gives us a man dealing with a complex life and another log has been thrown on the fire. Well done performance.

Zima as Maggie in an ill woman who needs an operation as the clock ticks away. Wanting to be home with her family, when she does get to be home it seems things have changed in a way that makes her feel unwelcomed a bit. Zima takes on the role of the ‘other’ woman with the actual other woman not being a woman. Confused yet? It will be clear once you see Zima go!

Firth as Isla is a smart girl and she is excited to have Alice in the house. Understanding she’s just a young girl, the complications fly right over her head until she comes face to face with it all. Well done young lady! Whipp as Monty is aggravated that SIMS are taking over everything which means human beings are losing their jobs and a piece of their lives. Anger makes a person do strange things.

Shout out to Fox as Alice in her simple dress and shoes, straight hair, makeup and straight emotionless face. Playing a SIM can be a stretch because there shouldn’t be a lot of emotion from a SIM. Fox takes it a step further and plays the role with emotional emotionlessness or at least attempting it and still with a straight face and ulterior motives. Discovering that attempting to be human comes with a price, Alice is absolutely willing to pay it. Nicely done Ms. Fox!

Other cast include Antoni Davidov as Travis, JR Esposito as Kobol Supervisor, Ronak Patani as Clerk, Trevor Van Uden as Bartender, Kate Nicholas as Lyla, Kexin Wang as John, Max Kraus as Construction SIM and Ayden Howlett as Mason.

Vertigo Releasing is a leading independent Film Distribution Company in the UK, Ireland and other international territories. They have a reputation for crafting strong and exciting campaigns and have a unique instinct for creative and innovative release strategies. Theatrical releases have grossed over $100 million at the UK box office and have won multiple awards. Working with such incredible talent including Philip Barantini with BOILING POINT, director Babak Anvari UNDER THE SHADOW, Gareth Edwards with MONSTERS, Nicolas Winding Refn with BRONSON, Thomas Napper with JAWBONE and Taika Waititi with HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE you can see more of what they have to offer at www.vertigoreleasing.com.

The film did sort of remind me of the 2015 television series HUMANS with Gemma Chan playing Nita and that’s not necessarily a bad thing because I loved that show, with a twisted touch of THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE. SUBSERVIENCE is more of the darker side of SIMS and what happens when one goes ‘emotionally’ rogue. Fox gives a straight forward fright from beginning to end and the absolute chaos the family endures.

SUBSERVIENCE focuses on the family mainly with not much coming from the outside except for friend Monty. It is Nick’s roller coast of where his life is and the mistake of letting a total SIM stranger into the family dynamic. This is a fun/fright film for sure. Director S.K. Dale doesn’t try anything new here but instead takes a really good story, casts it well and lets us go on the AI ride none of us actually, really want to be on! Hang on to your sim cards!

In the end – don’t turn her on!

 

TILL DEATH Survives on Bluray

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to Bluray and DVD from director S.K. Dale and Screen Media Film comes a story of love and the choices made that leads TILL DEATH.

Emma (Megan Fox) has made a difficult decision and ended a relationship with Tom (Ami Ameen). She did so because her anniversary to husband Mark (Eoin Macken) is a chance for her to make things right again. Gifted with memories, jewelry and a night together, it is all about to change again.

Waking up to a nightmare, Emma tries to survive a gruesome set up. Tom tries to help but it is fear from her past that comes knocking on the secluded lake front door. Bobby Ray (Callan Mulvey) and Jimmy (Jack Roth) want what is inside the house and no one is going to get in their way.

Emma could never have imagined this!

Fox as Emma plays a woman who has made choices based on fear and emotion, but survival tops all those in one fell swoop. This character is about to unravel everything she thought about her life and Fox does quite the job making it happen. She gets her hands dirty from start to finish and it looks good on her.

Mulvey as Bobby Ray is ruthless, unforgiving, challenging, evil and does not know when to stop. He is carrying a grudge, a gun and no conscience which makes this character goal oriented and ruthless. Mulvey gives it his all and it plays out beautifully.

Roth as Jimmy is Bobby Ray's cohort and partner in crime. The problem is that Jimmy hasn't been given all the details and that causes a problem with their venture. It is hard to be a criminal with a conscience.

Macken as Mark may have a small role, but it certainly sets up the story that is to follow. This actor proves you do not have to totally participate in a film to be all about the film. Ameen as Tom is another character that is an integral part of the story that also has to play out.

Screen Media is an international distributor of television series and films, licensing content through theatrical, home video, pay-per-view, free, cable and pay television, and subscription and advertising video-on-demand platforms.  In 2017 Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Inc. acquired Screen Media which is in its 23rd year as a leading global independent distribution company. With one of the largest independently owned libraries of filmed entertainment in the world and license agreements across all forms of media, Screen Media’s distribution capability enables direct distribution of all rights in all countries, thus enhancing the profitability of Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment productions. The company is continually looking to add films and television series to its content library.

TILL DEATH is a cat and mouse game that carries with it the twists and turns that kept me interested. I'll be honest in saying that Fox really puts her back into playing Emma and is not a woman who is going to give up easy. Carrying a film as the only female character is difficult enough but Fox chose wisely in this case.

There are twists, turns, surprises (for both the viewer and the characters) and enough 'wtf's to go around. Keeping the film in one location also gives a bit of uncomfortable claustrophobia which I am totally cool with. It allows us to absolutely dedicate our viewing taking away outside distractions.

Keeping this review vague means that this is a film that needs to be experienced and giving away too much of the plot would definetly spoil it. It’s the situation where you cannot talk about one plot point without giving away the chain of events and although that might be cool with some - it is not how I roll. Each plot point is worthy to have its moment with secrets and manipulations ruling frame after frame.

Fox deserves kudos for this role. Huge fan or not, she is all about the survival of Emma and you cannot turn away from that. Once panic subsides, Fox gives her character the right amount of anger to push her toward smart survival. What I found really cool about TILL DEATH is that I found myself yelling at the screen with questions and warnings. That made the film even more fun!

In the end - survival is the best revenge!