Whether by chance or by predetermined fate, this year’s Fantastic Fest has coincided with the end of the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike. Even after the union achieved its goals following months of action, there is still fear that artificial intelligence might infiltrate the creative process. It’s a disturbing thought, to be sure — the idea that a computer can even attempt to understand the storytelling process beyond basic structures. After all, isn’t our ability to create one of the things that makes us more than a simple animal?
However, to pretend like movies themselves haven’t considered this possibility throughout the medium’s lifespan would be a fool’s errand. That is, according to director Amanda Kramer’s documentary, So Unreal.
So Unreal plays more like a modern video essay than a traditional documentary. Splicing together clips of science-fiction films from the 1980s onward, Kramer and co-writer Britt Brown trace the history and impact of technological representation on the illustrious genre in order to look toward the future. Guided by the voice of Debbie Harry, the collage of images aims to ask important questions about our current society’s overconsumption, overindulgence, and over-reliance on artificial intelligence. Can machines ever come close to replicating human needs and desires, and, if they do, would it be to our advantage or doom? The first answer is likely no, and we’ll be forced to deal with the fallout.
The real star of the film has to be its editing. Thanks to the work of Benjamin Shearn, the movie clips fit seamlessly with each other, even if some descriptions of the films border on just reciting the plot. There’s a hypnotic quality to the way the images are retrofitted into each other, especially when they are edited into abrasive and discomforting animations. You can’t help but be glued to the film, which is likely why So Unreal is so successful in delivering its message.
The core ideas posited in the film aren’t anything particularly groundbreaking, especially if you’ve been following the Hollywood strikes. It posits that, if we continue down the current path we’re on right now, there will be no turning back. Of course, there are other ideas at play: the objectification of women through computer programs, hyperreality becoming indistinguishable from reality, and technology as a means of transport are just a handful of them. Most of these ideas do come and go quickly in the film, with only a few moments of elaboration. However, the way they are written and presented makes it feel as if the audience is being allowed the chance to digest what the film is trying to say — planting the seeds in their heads to ruminate on later. So Unreal is more concerned with that longevity than any type of immediate reaction. With a topic like this, this method was probably for the best.
So Unreal is hitting the festival circuit at just the right time. With the Writers Guild of America winning their fight against AI and SAG-AFTRA possibly following suit, it’s hard not to feel like there is hope for science-fiction filmmaking — and filmmaking in general, after all. Recent months have been exhausting for artists, especially those like Kramer who knew what could happen if so-called innovation dominated over creativity. Through films like Tron and eXistenZ, the roadmap was laid out for us, and unless we put them together in the way Kramer has, many may not realize what is happening. Here’s to hoping that So Unreal’s call to action resonates across all art, because we’re so close to both the beginning and the end.
