Hey friends, Barbarella here. APPOFENIACS is in theaters now, and it should be required viewing. Not only does it serve as a reminder that you cannot believe everything you see online, but it also points out the potential extreme consequences of things that one posts.
Duke (Aaron Holiday) posts deepfake videos, presumably because it’s fun for him, but also because he knows on some level, it will adversely affect those involved. Even with that knowledge, he remains oblivious to the consequences of his actions. Those on the receiving end, though, must desperately try to escape those consequences.
Told through intersecting stories of those impacted, the film posits that the horror is not in the lie, but in what happens when it is believed. Reputations, prosperity, and even lives may be destroyed. We follow Poppy (Simran Jehani) to the desert for a weekend of fun. We meet prop-maker Clinto Binto (Sean Gunn), and we witness Lazzy (Paige Searcy) argue with the wrong guy in line at a coffee shop, none of whom know how their lives are about to be upended.
Chris Marrs Piliero’s film takes a genuinely hard look at what could happen when paranoia and confirmation bias take over in the age of deepfake videos. “Seeing is believing” no longer carries much meaning when anyone could face-swap or manipulate media to tell a dishonest narrative. The story proves frighteningly possible, as it doesn’t involve the supernatural or a boogieman who never dies. Rather, it shows us how our own beliefs and fears can escalate into something unfamiliar and dangerous based on the information we receive.
Including dark humor and some gore, APPOFENIACS proves to be the perfect film to watch in a full theater, as the communal audience reactions only serve to heighten one’s own experience. The story creates tension fairly early on and ratchets it up throughout, leading viewers to sit on the edges of their seats gripping the armrests and feeling the suspense throughout much of the film
I love so much about this movie from how invested I become in the characters’ plights to how it makes a strong commentary through emotions rather than just telling audiences about the dangers of technology.
If you’re thinking, “Oh great, another movie about technology destroying humanity,” this is not that. While it demonstrates how humanity could potentially destroy itself through the misuse of technology, it pays very little attention to the technology itself. Ultimately, it is a movie about human emotion and behavior, how we’ve all become more reactionary. Because of this, it is unlike any other AI or technology-based movie that’s been released.
It is also a film that sits with you long after watching it. It brings up so much about which to think that one cannot help but spend some time considering it.
To sum it up, I genuinely enjoy APPOFENIACS as it has me on the edge of my seat throughout, with its human-focused storylines and intensity. I love that it gets a little bonkers at the end, and it’s a genuinely fun time at the theater.
APPOFENIACS is now playing in select theaters. Go see it.
Here’s the trailer (but maybe only watch the first 30-50 seconds of it becuase it has some spoilers after that).
