If you’re looking for a great horror movie, you might be aware that there are plenty on Netflix. The streaming service is filled with movies of all kinds, but 2024’s Afraid might be one worth checking out if you’re unsure of what to choose.
The film follows a family who are selected by the CIA to test a new super-advanced smart home technology. As the technology slowly takes over their lives, though, they begin to realize that it might not be as innocent as they suspected. Here are four reasons why it’s worth checking out.
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It features a great cast
The level of talent assembled for this AI horror movie is actually a little surprising. John Cho and Katherine Waterston are both incredibly talented, and the film’s supporting cast features Keith Carradine and David Dastmalchian (Late Night with the Devil), among others.
Having a cast that impressive elevates your story no matter what it is because the actors can make even the corniest dialogue seem plausible. Here, they manage to take what could be a fairly rote AI horror story and imbue it with real humanity and life.
Its premise is terrifyingly plausible
There are plenty of AI stories that imagine a full android assistant that is played by an actor. Afraid takes a slightly more modest approach, and in doing so, creates a not-too-distant future that feels entirely plausible.
This is just a really advanced version of the smart home technology that people have in their homes now, and while there’s not usually too much menace to an Alexa device, it’s easy to imagine that we’ve all basically planted listening devices in our homes that can also turn our heat off whenever they want. The technology at the center of Afraid feels plausible, and that’s part of what makes the movie work.
It has something unique to say about AI
Plenty of AI horror stories stop at the surface level. They say, basically, that AI is a technology to be careful with because of the many dangers it might pose. And while that’s undoubtedly true, Afraid adds a layer of understanding, reminding us that AI is often dangerous because it learns all the wrong things about the way its owners behave.
These technologies are, at their core, a reflection of their owners, and that might be scarier than anything they think up by themselves. The movie also goes out of its way to remind us that we’ve all just decided we can live with AI without really considering whether it’s wise to do so.
It’s got the right dose of silly
Afraid is not one of the greatest movies ever made, but part of the reason the movie works is that it balances its real-world plausibility and trenchant observations with a healthy dose of silly. If an AI smart home took over your house, you’d probably do a little bit of giggling even as you slowly realized that you had no control over your own life.
Afraid makes room for both silliness and seriousness, and in finding the balance between the two, it gives you exactly what you want out of this kind of movie.
Afraid is streaming on Netflix.