Shubhabrata Dutta
While technology is a means to make life easier and better, there is no telling what shape it can take in the future. From weaponization to hacking, technology can be used in all sorts of nefarious ways. And just like an infinite number of futures underscored by technology, there’s an (almost) endless number of artificial intelligence movies available across OTT platforms. In this article, we bring you the best AI movies on Amazon Prime that show the different ways in which it can affect humanity and the consequences it can lead to.
10. Amelia 2.0 (2017)
Adam Orton’s ‘Amelia 2.0’ centers on a happily married couple, Amelia and Carter Summerland. However, their world turns upside down when Amelia has an aneurysm and is bedridden and locked in. Of all options to save his wife, Carter says yes to a corporation offering to give Amelia a new artificial body. Technically speaking, it means putting her memories and personality inside a robot. The question is: Will this bring Amelia back? Or will it just be a robot with Amelia’s memories? Despite its low-budget quality, ‘Amelia 2.0’ is an entertaining AI movie that explores the issues and aspects associated with the transfer of consciousness. You can watch the movie here.
9. Eva (2011)
Directed by Kike Maíllo, this compelling sci-fi film is set in 2041. It follows Alex (Daniel Bruhl), a robotics expert, who arrives at his hometown after ten years at the request of his former colleague Julia (Anne Canovas) to help her develop a new child robot, SI-9, that will have emotional intelligence. While searching for a reference, Alex finds a young girl named Eva, later revealed to be the daughter of his brother David (Alberto Ammann) and his wife Lana (Marta Etura), Alex’s former lover. But what Alex doesn’t know is that Eva’s behavioral patterns, similar to those of the SI-9 prototype he is working on, carry a secret that he might have trouble accepting. You can watch ‘Eva’ here to discover that secret.
8. Ghost Source Zero (2017)
A low-budget take on AI, ‘Ghost Source Zero’ is directed by Mark Cheng and is set in an America of the future where the debate over civil rights for sentient robots has reached a whole new level. As the unrest keeps growing, we follow a cyber crimes unit led by Jon Warnock (Joe Barbagallo), tasked with looking into the functioning of the multi-national crime syndicate Oon Tong. Hacked and weaponized robots, twisted experiments, virtual slaves, and more, the team has to face all of these and more while searching for answers, unbeknownst to an unknown entity that is stalking them. To participate in the investigation, you can watch ‘Ghost Source Zero’ here.
7. 2.0 (2018)
The second installment of the Tamil (Indian language) film series ‘Enthiran,’ ‘2.0’ is a standalone sequel to ‘Enthiran’ (2010). Directed by S. Shankar, it follows Dr. Vaseegaran (Rajinikanth), who reactivates Chitti (an artificially intelligence humanoid who was dismantled in the first movie; also played by Rajinikanth) after a new villain threatens to destroy the city and its inhabitants. Who is this villain? An ornithologist named Pakshi Rajan (Akshay Kumar) killed himself after being unable to save his birds, who died due to the extreme use of cellphones that produce electromagnetic radiation. His aura has merged with those of the dead birds, and he can now control the phones, using the smart devices as a weapon. How Chitti defeats Pakshi Rajan using his artificial intelligence is what we see in this large-scale movie, which is considered one of the most expensive Indian movies ever. You can watch it here.
6. Archive (2020)
Directed by Gavin Rothery, ‘Archive’ is a thriller that follows George (Theo James), who decides to put his dead wife Jules’ (Stacy Martin) consciousness within a robot he is developing. This is against the policies of the company he works for, i.e., Archive. All this while, he had been having simulated conversations with her but decided to take it to the next step. But when he receives a call from Jules along with a little girl who turns out to be their daughter, George realizes that the reality is entirely different. To be a part of the truth, you can stream ‘Archive’ here.
5. 2036 Origin Unknown (2018)
Directed by Hasraf Dulull, this mind-bending movie revolves around an AI called ARTI (voiced by Steven Cree) that is accompanying Mackenzie “Mack” Wilson (Katee Sackhoff) to Mars to look into a previous disappearance of a shuttle. Mack encounters a mysterious cube of alien origin, which seems to be connected with ARTI’s very existence and dark nature, making it execute a plan to blow up Earth. Will Mack be able to save Earth? You can find out by watching ‘2036 Origin Unknown’ here.
4. Infinity Chamber (2016)
Getting stuck inside a room protected by an AI isn’t new in movies. We have seen it in ‘TAU’ and ‘Bigbug.’ However, how ‘Infinity Chamber,’ directed by Travis Milloy, addresses the topic is unique and underrated. We follow a guy named Frank (Christopher Soren Kelly), who is arrested for releasing a virus that has taken down the ruling fascist government’s system. He is put in an incarceration facility overlooked by an AI named Howard (voiced by Jesse D. Arrow) with only him as its prisoner. Howard’s job is to keep Frank from leaving the facility, and he does this by making Frank relive his memories while searching for the location of the drive containing the virus. ‘Infinity Chamber’ will make you keep guessing what will happen next as Howard doesn’t interact much with Frank. To find out whether Frank escapes the facility, you can watch this film right here.
3. Kill Command (2016)
Steven Gomez’s ‘Kill Command’ is an underrated sci-fi action thriller that seamlessly weaves elements of ‘Terminator’ and ‘Predator.’ It follows a group of US Marines, accompanied by a cyborg (Vanessa Kirby), who are forced to defend themselves against AI surveillance drones and a lethal advanced S.A.R. (Study Analyze Reprogram) robot on a secluded military training island.
What makes this movie effective is its visual effects, which are at par with, if not better than, most of the visual-effects-heavy sci-fi flicks that have come out recently. The story is gripping, and the threat is palpable, both grabbing our attention as we wait for the team to find a safe place, escape the vicinity, or destroy the robots. To find out whether they survive, you can watch the movie here.
2. Ex Machina (2014)
Alex Garland’s ‘Ex Machina’ shows what happens when a human falls for an AI-powered robot. 26-year-old programmer Caleb Smith (Domhnall Gleeson) gets to spend a few days at his company’s CEO Nathan Bateman’s (Oscar Isaac) house, where he meets Ava (Alicia Vikander), the humanoid assistant. As he develops feelings for Ava, he has no idea that he is a part of an experiment that may not end well for him. The brilliance of ‘Ex Machina’ lies in its story, which takes surprising turns and shows us a future that thrives in an illusion of control. What adds to the plot is the visual effects that make everything cohesive and believable. You can watch the captivating sci-fi drama right here.
1. Ghost in the Shell (1995)
An adult animated cyberpunk thriller, ‘Ghost in the Shell’ is set in the future where AI and cybernetics have prevailed. Based on the eponymous manga by Masamune Shirow, the movie follows Major Motoko Kusanagi, a cyborg officer at Section 9, a police division aimed at preventing cybercrime cases. Motoko is after the mysterious Puppet Master who has been responsible for countless ghost-hackings into the brains of cyborgs and humans with cyber-brains as well as cyber terrorism. But an encounter with the Puppet Master makes her question her identity and existence, making her decide to change her inside out forever. As always, there’s more to being conscious than we know, and ‘Ghost in the Shell’ looks at it in a whole new way, having garnered a cult following for the same. Directed by Mamoru Oshii, ‘Ghost in the Shell’ can be streamed here.
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