Simulant (2023)

Plot of Simulant: Some time in a future it is the middle of winter with snow on the ground. In this world a company called Nexxera manufactures humanoid robots which are provided with the usual robot rules. In order to control the activities of these almost humans AICE (Artificial Intelligence Compliance Enforcement) operates, the story centering on the activities of Kessler, whose job is to chase and catch rogue robots. He chases and deactivates Esmé who may or may not have a relationship with her next door neighbour, Casey. Meanwhile Faye, a very rich woman, has activated her simulant, the image of her husband who has been killed in a car crash. Evan, the simulant, has sex with Faye and all seems to be well, until he starts to have dreams of the car crash and seems to be developing husbandly feelings towards Faye. When she reveals to him that he is a simulant he is distressed, but to bring the message home she takes him into a room which contains a simulant of her. Evan, the simulant, is contacted by Casey who says he can alter the robot’s programming so that he has free will, but even so he is not Faye’s husband and should move on. Evan is modified but will he take the advice?

Content: There is sex, with ‘thrusting’ but no nudity. The simulant Faye is seen naked in a plastic tube, with writing covering her personal bits. We see Kessler at work, he is a slobby sort of guy, as opposed to the simulants who are smart and crisp. But he still catches some using his various electronic immobilising devices, particularly Esmé and another identical simulant. There are exteriors of the Nexxera plant. It looks more like a chemical works, and interiors of Faye’s very luxurious house with its indoor swimming pool in which she swims a lot. There is a bit of gunfire without a serious conclusion.

A View: This film was mostly streamed and it is probable that it did not make any money despite its quite upmarket and very good looking cast. It was after something but did not quite make it, maybe the place of artificial intelligence in the human world. In other similar stories we see the robots having to recharge, which almost certainly those in this world would have to, but we did not see them doing it, or the limitation on their activities if they were not doing it. So, if you want to watch a robot film, maybe choose another.

Fun Fact. It was very cold as they were filming in Canada but towards the end of the film Jordana Brewster, or her stunt double, stood naked in the snow, to show that they were an unfeeling simulant. Well done.