The Creator (2023)

In the near future, artificial intelligence has advanced to the point that it has turned against humanity. Joshua (John David Washington) is a hardened ex-special forces agent who is recruited to hunt down and kill The Creator. The Creator is the elusive architect of the advanced AI threatening humanity. What complicates the mission is that Joshua, on finding The Creator, discovers it is embodied as a young child.

John David Washington is good as Joshua and portrays his conflicted and damaged character, struggling to find his place in the world, with sensitivity and strength. The supporting cast is also good, including Gemma Chan as Joshua’s wife.

The Creator is dark and thought-provoking, exploring the potential dangers of AI and the ethical implications of creating such powerful technology. The problem is that the themes are handled without subtlety and are only superficially dealt with. In fact, the action often takes centre stage (and the action is excellent), overshadowing the themes and their significance.

The best thing about the movie is the visually stunning and immersive world that the director, Gareth Edwards, has created. The score by Hans Zimmer is also excellent. It’s atmospheric and suspenseful and complements the film’s dark themes perfectly. The cinematography is beautiful, full of stunning images from the vast landscapes of the AI-occupied territories to the claustrophobic confines of the human resistance bases.

The Creator is well made but disappointing in its dealing with the core themes of the risks of AI and completely ignores the potential of AI for humanity. At its core, The Creator assumes that the future of AI is going to be a negative, anti-human one. And maybe it will be. But because The Creator doesn’t present a complex and nuanced picture of the future, it fails to satisfy at the level of ideas.

If you are a fan of action-packed sci-fi movies, check it out. But don’t go looking for an in-depth exploration of one of the most significant questions we must grapple with in the 21st century: how to manage AI’s rapid development so that humanity is not harmed but helped.

(In cinemas — check your local movie guide for show times.)