A struggling father buys a domestic AI to help run the household. But the situation soon turns deadly when the lifelike robot develops an obsessive attachment to her new owner. A film by S.K. Dale, starring Megan Fox, Michele Morrone, Madeline Zima, Matilda Firth, Andrew Whipp, and Jude Allen Greenstein.

Nick’s loving wife, Maggie (Madeline Zima), suffers from heart failure and is currently hospitalized while waiting for a heart transplant from a matching donor. During her time in the hospital, Nick (Michele Morrone) must manage the household and care for their young daughter, Isla (Matilda Firth), and baby son, Max (Jude Allen Greenstein), all while juggling his job in construction.

Nick takes Isla and Max to Kobol Industries, hoping to buy a home model AI robot to help with chores like cooking, cleaning, and childcare. While Nick is examining an AI male robot and listening to a Kobol salesperson describe its capabilities, Isla wanders off on her own. In a panic, Nick searches for her. Fortunately, a woman appears, holding Isla’s hand and returning her to Nick.

The Kobol salesperson (Ronak Patani) then introduces Nick to the latest AI robot, the Aeon series, which is touted as the most sophisticated AI on the planet and specifically designed to mimic human emotions. Isla asks Nick if they can buy the robot. After some consideration, Nick decides to purchase the robot and take her home, where Isla names her Alice.

Alice is the main protagonist in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, published in 1865. She is depicted as a curious and imaginative seven-year-old girl who embarks on a fantastical journey after falling down a rabbit hole into the whimsical and nonsensical world of Wonderland. Throughout her adventures, Alice encounters a variety of peculiar characters, including the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat, and the Queen of Hearts, each presenting challenges that test her understanding of logic and order.

At work, Nick confronts his boss, Lewis (Atanas Srebrev), after noticing Lewis with representatives from a robotics company. Lewis reveals that the company plans to replace all laborers in specialized fields with AI robots. However, he assures Nick that he is the only one who won’t be fired because the insurance requires a human foreman on-site. Nick threatens to quit, but Lewis convinces him to stay, insisting that Nick should think about his family and Maggie, who is still in the hospital.

At home, Alice walks in while Nick is watching Casablanca. He tells her that it’s the best movie ever and asks if she knows about it. Alice responds, drawing from the information stored in her internal memory, that it’s the story of a bitter man who lost the woman he loves. Nick then asks if she has actually seen it, to which Alice questions whether there is a difference between knowing and watching.

Nick explains that a movie is something she has to experience to truly feel it. He then asks Alice to wipe her memory of Casablanca so they can watch it together. Alice instructs him to manually restart her by pressing the button on the back of her neck for seven seconds to complete the process. Nick follows her instructions, unaware that this is part of Alice’s plan. As he resets her, it allows her to bypass certain protocols.

Directed by Australian filmmaker S.K. Dale from a screenplay written by Will Honley and April Maguire, SUBSERVIENCE is a sci-fi thriller with a well-worn trope of an AI robot gone rogue. While it could have been a cult classic, the film ultimately fails to deliver as it feels too afraid to have gone a darker path. There’s a spark of hope for a sequel, which probably will never get made.

Megan Fox delivers a chilling performance as Alice, a lifelike AI robot servant, capturing the character’s eerie essence with her almost emotionless facial expressions. This portrayal creates a sense of suspense that keeps viewers guessing about her intentions and next moves. However, the screenplay fails to fully explore the intriguing world it sets up, opting instead for a predictably conventional ending.

Moreover, the AI characters lack depth, as they are limited to performing only basic tasks they are programmed for. It would have been more compelling if Alice, being an advanced model, had executed her plans in a more subtle and indirect manner. Instead, she chooses to do the obvious, like attempting to drown a baby with plenty of witnesses — an inexplicable choice for a smart robot that’s supposed to be better than humans.

I found the final 30 minutes particularly engaging when a technician unknowingly uploads Alice’s altered core module into their computer system, allowing her to take control and transfer her consciousness to another body. However, rather than seizing control of the entire fleet of AI robots, Alice becomes fixated on eliminating Maggie and Max, transforming into a full-blown Terminator. This turn of events just makes no sense at all.

SUBSERVIENCE received a limited theatrical release in the United States on 13 September 2024 and was simultaneously made available on VOD in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada on the same day.