In the midst of a future war between humans and artificial intelligence, an ex-special forces agent is recruited to hunt down a mysterious weapon believed to possess the power to end the war, and humanity itself. A film by Gareth Edwards, starring John David Washington, Madeleine Yuna Voyles, Gemma Chan, Allison Janney, Ken Watanabe, Sturgill Simpson, and Ralph Ineson.

In 2055, artificial intelligence created to protect humanity flourishes in the United States, emulating human emotions and appearances, coexisting peacefully until an AI detonates a nuclear warhead in Los Angeles, incinerating millions. The U.S. military vows to eradicate all AI, launching a widespread campaign to hunt them down.

Surviving AI refugees flee to New Asia, whose citizens continue to embrace them. In response, the U.S. military develops NOMAD (North American Orbital Mobile Aerospace Defense), a space station capable of mass destruction, to wipe out AI from the face of the earth.

The U.S. Army assigns Joshua (John David Washington) with a covert mission to infiltrate the inner circle of Maya (Gemma Chan), a woman believed to be related to Nirmata, the enigmatic engineer behind the rise of New Asia’s AI. The Army intends to assassinate their leader, ensuring victory over the AI rebellion group.

Years later, Joshua and his pregnant wife Maya are expecting a child. One night, U.S. forces raid their home, exposing Joshua’s deep cover. Unable to trust him, Maya flees with a group of AI by boat. NOMAD strikes the entire area, killing everyone, including Maya.

Five years after the raid, General Andrews (Ralph Ineson) and Colonel Howell (Allison Janney) approach Joshua with a mission to retrieve a new superweapon created by Nirmata, believed to possess the massive power that can disrupt NOMAD. Joshua initially declines the offer, having lost interest in saving humanity after the U.S. Army killed his wife and unborn child. However, Colonel Howell shows him a video clip of Maya, claiming that she is still alive. Joshua changes his mind, determined to find and save her.

On arriving at a secret underground facility in New Asia, Joshua discovers that Nirmata’s ultimate weapon is a simulant in the form of a young girl (Madeleine Yuna Voyles). Believing she can lead him to Maya, he disobeys the order to kill the girl and takes her to his former commander Drew (Sturgill Simpson), who is residing in a city nearby, hoping he can extract Maya’s location from her memory unit.

Drew is stunned by his inspection of the girl, whose advanced build is unlike anything he has ever seen. She can already control electronic devices in her vicinity, and her abilities will grow exponentially as she matures, making her the most powerful weapon in existence. With U.S. squad closing in, the girl’s power is still too weak to take down NOMAD from the ground. Joshua must help her escape and find a way to NOMAD.

Despite its visual masterpiece, the screenplay has questionable logic and lacks depth in character development. Joshua’s blinding hope prevents him from doubting whether he is being tricked into believing what his heart desires in a futuristic world where anyone can be scanned and replicated as a simulant. As we watch Joshua embark on a road trip through breathtaking scenery with the girl, we are supposed to empathize with them, but their connection fails to spark because Joshua never views AI as sentient beings, always seeing them as mere programs.

As Joshua realizes the girl is a replication of Maya’s embryo, his unborn daughter in essence, his sacrifice in this epic war becomes baffling. Logically, AI would likely triumph without him. The rushed and confusing finale leaves us wondering why the childlike girl could run through NOMAD, a floating warship swarming with armed officers, and disable its central computer from the control room, when she could have done it from a terminal. The music composed by Hans Zimmer also lacks memorable melodies.

The CREATOR premiered at Fantastic Fest on 26 September 2023. The film was theatrically released in the United States on 29 September.