Chances are that, if you've heard about Subservience, it's probably been something along the lines of, "Oh, that Megan Fox 'sexbot' movie." However, there's so much more to filmmaker S.K. Dale's new project than that and the result is one of the year's best sci-fi stories and a potential career-best performance from Fox as an alluring, sometimes terrifying, A.I. that gains sentience.
When Nick (Michele Morrone) purchases Alice (Fox) to help around the house while his wife awaits life-saving heart surgery in the hospital, it's obvious that it won't be long before he's tempted by his gorgeous new nanny. Even before she starts thinking for herself, Nick's growing attraction to his then-neutral A.I. raises some fascinating questions that only get more complicated when she begins encouraging him to act on his lust. It's at this point Subservience could have quite easily become sleazy and a little gross; instead, we get a fascinatingly twisted love story that's both thought-provoking and thoroughly compelling.
Without getting into spoilers, things soon escalate and, as the final act begins to unfurl, Dale's sci-fi movie verges into horror territory. Subservience mashes up several genres in a way that, despite the limitations of its budget, crafts a movie that could and should lead to the filmmaker getting much bigger opportunities in Hollywood. Will Honley and April Maguire's writing is stellar and, with Dale, they craft an engrossing sci-fi world that feels eerily similar to our own and crucially has something new to say about the pros and cons of A.I. (as the story continues, its slowly increasingly presence can be felt and, as a result, the world we see feels almost inhuman).
While Morrone and Madeline Zima deliver strong performances in Subservience, the movie belongs to Fox. The actress exudes sexiness as Alice but, at the same time, feels robotic and a step or two removed from being truly human. That results in a character who you're never sure how to read or feel about, a must to better understand the bizarre attraction Nick finds himself dealing with. There are some excellent subtleties to her performance and her work in this feature manages to avoid any predictable clichés. When the time comes for Alice to head down a darker route, Fox nails that as well and proves herself a formidable villain and, as we said, leaves us with what may be one of her best performances yet.
Subservience exceeds expectations on almost every level; while it's somewhat limited in scope, Dale finds clever ways to at least hint at what's happening in the wider world (there's a very disturbing scene showing how surgeries are performed when humans are pushed out in favour of a cheaper A.I. workforce). Some of the supporting characters don't quite land and it's a shame the movie doesn't have the budget to better establish and explore this possible future. And, for as many questions about A.I. as it raises, there are others it fails to answer, including how Nick can even afford Alice when he's facing losing his job and his ailing wife's medical bills. Still, whether it's a one-and-done or the start of a new M3GAN-like franchise - FYI, this movie is vastly superior to that one - Subservience is a must-see and an essential watch which subverts expectations and sticks with you long after the credits roll.
Megan Fox stuns as a sexy, sinister A.I. fembot, delivering a jaw-dropping performance it's impossible to tear your eyes from in Subservience, a thrilling, thought-provoking new sci-fi tale. [⭐⭐⭐⭐]
In Subservience, Megan Fox stars as Alice, a lifelike artificially intelligent android, who has the ability to take care of any family and home. Looking for help with the housework, a struggling father (Michele Morrone) purchases Alice after his wife becomes sick. Alice suddenly becomes self-aware and wants everything her new family has to offer, starting with the affection of her owner – and she’ll kill to get it.
Subservience will be released on Demand and Digital on September 13.