Afraid

Directed by Chris Weitz, Afraid follows John Cho’s Curtis as he and his family, including wife Meredith (Katherine Waterston), are eventually menaced by the sophisticated AI system within their home. It’s compelling subject matter that’s employed to periodically passable yet mostly disappointing effect by Weitz, which is a shame, ultimately, given that the filmmaker, armed with his own screenplay, kicks things off with a solid, promising opening stretch – with the watchable vibe perpetuated and heightened by a creepy pre-credits sequence and Cho’s first-class turn as the narrative’s increasingly wary protagonist. And although the picture contains a handful of compelling interludes and subplots, including (and especially) the digression involving the (deservedly) grim fate of a douchebag high schooler, Afraid‘s proliferation of silly and downright illogical plot developments (eg Meredith’s eye-rolling unwillingness to immediately mirror Curtis’ fear of the AI) paves the way for an almost surprisingly ineffective (and curiously disjointed) climax that couldn’t possibly be less satisfying – which, when coupled with a deeply underwhelming conclusion, confirms the movie’s place as a disappointing misfire that feels like it should be so much better.

** out of ****