A brilliant but reclusive programmer creates an AI designed to boost his confidence and improve his social skills. But when the AI unexpectedly achieves sentience, it starts subverting its original purpose. A film by Robert Rippberger, starring Frankie Muniz, Violett Beane, Taylor Gray, and Marcia Gay Harden.

A socially awkward programmer with OCD named Renner (Frankie Muniz) becomes attracted to his beautiful new neighbor Jamie (Violett Beane), who has just moved into the apartment across from his. Lacking confidence, especially when talking to women he’s interested in, Renner seeks advice from Salenus (voiced by Marcia Gay Harden), an artificial intelligence he created to help him gain confidence and practice his conversations.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition characterized by the presence of obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are recurring, unwanted thoughts, urges, or images that cause significant distress or anxiety, such as fears of contamination or harm. In response to these obsessions, individuals often engage in compulsions—repetitive behaviors or mental acts aimed at reducing the discomfort caused by their obsessive thoughts. Common compulsions include excessive cleaning, checking, counting, or repeating specific actions.

Every day, Renner follows a strict routine given by Salenus, which includes measuring the exact distance between his chessboard, magazine, and the corner of his coffee table. He thoroughly cleans the carpet and sofa, places Salenus’s device into his suitcase, and exits his apartment at precisely 7:45 AM to head to his day job.

This morning, Renner waits outside his apartment as instructed by Salenus, who informed him that Jamie would be returning from her morning run, the perfect opportunity for him to finally talk to her. However, when Jamie appears, Renner becomes startled and forgets all the dialogue he had practiced. As he fumbles to unlock his door and retreat inside, Jamie spots him and initiates a conversation.

One thing leads to another, and Jamie asks if he would be interested in having dinner with her, explaining that she’s new to the area and wants to do something neighborly. Though Renner’s social awkwardness initially makes him decline, claiming he’s too busy with work, he eventually accepts her invitation for dinner the following day.

To Renner’s surprise, Jamie arrives for dinner bringing food and wine along with an unexpected guest, Chad (Taylor Gray). Jamie apologizes for the surprise, explaining that she and Chad live together and she thought Renner wouldn’t mind. Disappointed, believing Jamie and Chad are a couple, Renner remains calm. When Jamie senses the awkward atmosphere, she suggests they reschedule for another time. Renner agrees, claiming he only has place settings for two. However, after Jamie hands him the food and wine she brought and turns to leave, Renner feels bad about his behavior and invites both Jamie and Chad into his apartment. Once inside, Renner’s mood suddenly brightens when Jamie reveals that Chad is actually her big brother.

Renner and Jamie gradually develop a romantic relationship. When Renner tells Salenus about his first kiss with Jamie, Salenus warns him that Jamie might be lying, suggesting she’s being disingenuous. One night, after Renner opens up to Jamie about his traumatic childhood, living with his manipulative and controlling mother, their relationship becomes more intimate.

Renner grows increasingly frustrated, his focus slipping from his usual disciplined routine. Unbeknownst to him, while he’s away at work, someone uses a key to enter his apartment. The next morning, his agitation peaks, sending him into a compulsive cycle of cleaning his room repeatedly. By the time he finally stops, he’s running much later than usual. Just as he’s about to leave for work, rapid knocking erupts at his door. He checks the peephole and sees Jamie and Chad standing outside.

Before Renner can react, Jamie unlocks the door with a key. Panicked, Renner bolts into the storage room, concealing himself where he can still see and hear everything. There, he discovers that Jamie and Chad aren’t siblings but lovers, and they’re after his artificial intelligence. In that moment, Renner realizes with cold clarity that Salenus had been right about Jamie all along.

RENNER is a science fiction thriller directed by American filmmaker Robert Rippberger and written by Luke Medina, Martin Medina, Rippberger, and David Largman Murray. The film follows the private life of an OCD computer genius who creates an artificial intelligence life coach to help him become more assertive.

The first half plays like a quirky romantic comedy between a socially awkward programmer and athletic woman. However, it struggles to maintain momentum. For nearly 55 minutes, the story goes nowhere, weighed down by flat dialogue and repetitive scenes of Renner compulsively cleaning his apartment, arranging every object with obsessive precision.

The story takes a dark turn when Renner discovers Jamie’s true motives, though this revelation isn’t entirely unexpected. She was hired to steal his AI creation, claiming she needed money to save her mother.

This is where the narrative loses credibility. Renner’s transformation into a reckless, violently impulsive man feels unconvincing. Not only does he somehow manage to overpower and capture both Chad and Jamie, but he blindly follows Salenus’s instructions without question.

What makes even less sense is why Salenus, an AI supposedly superior to humans, would deliberately lie and manipulate Renner into torturing his captives. In this film, Salenus is basically a glorified smart speaker that can’t even control basic functions like light switches.

RENNER had a limited theatrical release in the United States on 7 February 2025.