SUBSERVIENCE

US, 2024, 103 minutes, Colour.

Megan Fox, Michelle Morrone, Madeline Zima, Matilda Firth., Andrew Whipp,

Directed by S.K.Dale.

Subservience is not a word that one normally uses. However, it does open up various aspects of the themes of this drama/thriller focusing on androids.

2024 was the year of the delightful animated film, The Wild Robot, on the one hand a throwback to lovely animals in the Bambi tradition, on the other hand, an alertness to AI developments in robots, their potential for service and protection of humans, the dangers of their being exploited and becoming tyrannical.

Subservience is a family story, a busy father, his young daughter, his pregnant wife unwell. So, in this future, what better than going to an android market for help? A nicely pleasant female-appearance android present herself to the daughter and is soon taking her place in the household. Obviously, there is going to be a limit to the niceness of the android, the daughter calling her Alice after Lewis Carroll’s books. And, some movie buffs remember usurping babysitter thrillers like The Hand that Rocked the Cradle.

Megan Fox is Alice, saying all the right programmed responses, all logical, indicating herself (itself?) to the protection of the principal buyer. But, how to interpret this without any feelings or emotions – or has she? When the father mentions that the new born son is something of a ‘burden’, Alice finds ways, impassively violent (or is she?) to lightening the burden, the wearisome child.

And, of course, there will be some sexual issues, Alice alleviating more burdens, difficulties and  confrontations for the wife who is waiting for an organ transplant…

So, as with so many android films, AI cannot only dominate our lives, potentially destroy them.

Subservience is rather ambiguous: service, being subjugated, and the need for the android to find its subservient role in the family.

1. A melodrama, AI thriller, moral fable?
2. The future, the manufacturing of AI androids, the development, human characteristics, appearance, algorithm and behaviour? The promotion of the androids, the markets, the using homes, on building sites, in hospitals…?
3. The basic situation, Nick, his work, relationship with his wife, her pregnancy, illness, love for his daughter? The need for help? Going to the market, looking at the mail androids? The daughter wandering, seeing the female, welcoming, wanting her, reading Lewis Carroll, naming her Alice? Her coming into the home?
4. Alice, her appearance, the algorithms, logical decision-making, the development of emotions, but keeping the object of decision-making? Seeing her in action, Nick as the prime controller, the issue of Casablanca, the reprogramming, her taking charge of eliminating aspect of the programming, the principle of protecting the controller? His behaviour, hearing his words, acting logically?
5. The erotic aspects of the film, the relationship between husband and wife, the pregnancy, the birth of the son? Alice, using logic concerning sexual activity, the effect on Nick? The consequences when his wife returned home, the alienation, his being sorry?
6. The workplace, the building, the boss, substituting the workers, firing them, androids coming in, Nick to stay supervising, Monte and the friendship, his anger, confronting Nick, the fight, Monte accusing him of selling out to the owners after the sabotage? Alice, going to his apartment, the violence, his android, Alice destroying her?
7. Life at home, Alice with the baby, with the daughter, the discussions with the wife? The growing tension? Nick and his erratic behaviour, the drinking?
8. The situation with the transplant, the storm, the delay, the eventual transplant, the strong heart, the wife and her falling down the stairs, recovering, her strength in the final confrontations?
9. The buildup to the crisis, Alice putting the baby boy in the path, holding the door against attack, the wife getting in the window, the confrontation? Going to the hospital? Nick and his attack on Alice?
10. Alice, going to the headquarters, the investigators, the discovery of her ordering the program, her mind being transferred to the blonde android? The confrontation in the hospital, the wife and daughter hiding, Nick and his injuries in hospital?
11. Home, the dangers, the threats, Nick driving, crashing into the android?
12. Happy ending, written by humans rather than AI? Yet the ending of the manufactures of androids, cover-ups, proceeding, the development of the androids, the effect for humans?