From writer-director James Bird comes Wifelike, a sexy sci-fi thriller starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers (The Good Neighbour, The 12th Man) and Elena Kampouris (Sacred Lies, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2). The trailer seems suitably strange, with Kampouris affecting some Stepford Wives/Ex-Machina android posing and positioning, creating an oddly compelling character that feels like a weird commentary on previous sexy AI machine films.
From the official PR, Wifelike is about “a grieving detective in the near-future (Meyers) [who] hunts down criminals who trade artificial humans on the black market.” He’s also purchased an artificial human (Kampouris) to be his companion, programming her to behave like his late wife. But when an underground resistance group attempts to sabotage Kampouris, she begins to question everything about her life, programming, and surroundings.
This film seems suitably weird, and while the direct-to-digital feels like a mark on the quality, both Myers and Kampouris are solid actors, and with the strange premise and clearly affected movements in the trailer, this might be something that really knocks it out of the park. Just weird enough to work feels like an apt way to describe this one. Also, bring back R-rated sexy thrillers please.
Wifelike will be available in select theatres and available on digital services August 12.
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