In the near future, George Almore is working on a true human-equivalent AI. When his wife is tragically killed in a car accident, he becomes obsessed with the impossible: bringing her back to life. Her memories have been preserved thanks to the Archive, but only for so long. In a race against time, George must defy scientific and ethical boundaries to save the one he loves most. A film by Gavin Rothery, starring Theo James and Stacy Martin.

George Almore (Theo James), a robotic engineer, is granted special funding to work on a classified project at a secluded facility hidden deep within a snow-covered Japanese forest. The sole employee on-site, George lives alone with three robots he has built, unbeknownst to his employer.

J1, his first robot, is mute and lacks arms. J1’s artificial intelligence is equivalent to that of a five-year-old child. When George realizes J1 cannot progress further, he builds his second robot, J2, using J1’s systems as a template. J2 can communicate fluently and perform human-like tasks, but its appearance remains distinctly robotic.

A flashback takes us to George’s past. He and his wife, Jules (Stacy Martin), are arguing in a car. Jules is upset because George has accepted a job that requires him to live in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, for three years. Suddenly, they have a fatal car accident. However, before the accident, George had her consciousness stored in a system created by Archive company.

George soon realizes that J2’s AI, despite its best efforts, cannot surpass the capabilities of a 15-year-old child’s brain. He abandons J2 and uses a similar method to create J3. Fortunately, J3 is a success, its AI functioning like a regular human. Meanwhile, J2, sensing George’s neglect, tries even harder to prove itself as a valuable creation.

Fearing potential theft of George’s research by other company, George’s employer dispatches a risk assessor Mr. Tagg (Peter Ferdinando) to discuss new security protocol. Meanwhile, the company faces pressure from Archive’s lawsuit, which accuses George of intellectual property infringement by using their data to create the AI. Despite this, George must complete the project before his contract expires.

Written and directed by British filmmaker Gavin Rothery, whose previous work includes roles as conceptual designer, visual effects supervisor, and even stunt double on Duncan Jones’ MOON. His feature directorial debut boasts stunning cinematography and exceptionally beautiful architectural design. The music by British composer Steven Price is a work of grandeur, perfectly elevating the film’s atmosphere.

While J3’s design isn’t quite as realistic as EX_MACHINA, this might be intentional. Perhaps the filmmaker is using it as a clue to the film’s true nature. The film continues to introduce unrealistic elements. For example, the protagonist completely ignores J2’s jealous behavior, making no attempt to address it. Additionally, J3’s humanoid form, with its distinctive android features rather than a perfectly human face, also pushes the boundaries of believability.

These unrealistic elements, including odd dialogue and character behavior, could be clues left by the filmmaker as the story unfolds. Although the ending isn’t entirely surprising, I do appreciate the filmmaker’s boldness in taking the story in a direction that might upset some viewers.

ARCHIVE was originally set to premiered at SXSW in March 2020, but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film received a limited theatrical release in the United States on 10 July, along with digital release on the same day.