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Two Exceptional Science Fiction Films of 2025

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In The Occupant, Abby (Ella Balinska) navigates the wilderness of Georgia.

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Some concepts are so engaging and instinctual that it’s often better to quickly recycle them instead of dissecting them. In 1950, Isaac Asimov adapted some puzzle stories to create Agatha Christie’s intriguing science fiction narrative set in outer space, Me, Robot. Meanwhile, in 1968, Stanley Kubrick raised the bar for films addressing artificial intelligence with 2001: A Space Odyssey, where the robot storyline becomes repetitive in an almost infinite cycle.

This year, Electric Nation intertwines a narrative of robot insurrection, while M3 Gun 2.0 demonstrates that a formidable killer bot can’t be restrained. With Fellow, we explored the perspective of a femme bot, creating a fitting adult-themed homage to Asimov.

All three projects engaged with prevalent themes of free will and examined when to regard machines as human. Notably, M3 Gun 2.0 was particularly enjoyable to work on, featuring a rubber-boned robot babysitter from 2023 who returns from her backup disc to save the world from her killbot sister, Am3lia. Though the script has its flaws, the humor, genre callbacks, and jump scares are well executed.

Drew Hancock’s Fellow, which follows an uninformed fembot as she uncovers her identity, felt like it could delve deeper but ultimately faltered. Months later, all that lingers in memory is a memorable cameo by Rupert Friend.

Directors Anthony and Joe Russo’s Electric Nation received backlash for their “make it up as we go” approach, which seemed mismatched with the reflective visuals that inspired their film. Devotees of Simon Stålenhag’s illustrated works were left frustrated, while others endured two hours of anticipation for something to validate the film’s stunning aesthetics. With a staggering $320 million budget, it begs the question: should they have constructed a theme park instead?

Bong Joon Ho’s Mickey 17 presents a scenario where blue-collar astronaut Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson) is enslaved by a robot because of his reprintability. The accomplished director of Parasite, Okja, and Snowpiercer reveals his satirical edge, but sadly, the film lacks faith in its audience, overwhelming with explanations.

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Seizing opportunities while attracting mass audiences may be a strategy that Stanley Kubrick and others took to their graves.
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Filmmakers in science fiction have consistently crafted intriguing extraterrestrial beings. From Solaris and Arrival to Vanishing and Under the Skin, it seems that the trend in 2025 toward monsters and demonic possession signals not fatigue but rather a transition of the horror genre into its more grounded cousin.

Scott Derrickson’s horrifying hollowness takes years to build upon in Canyon, a mix of Cold War romance, espionage, and Lovecraftian horror that undermines its intriguing elements. As Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy portray elite snipers from global superpowers guarding a vast valley in a secretive country, the extended prologue feels drawn out.

In contrast, Hugo Kaiser’s Occupier effectively showcases Abby (Ella Balinska) grappling with her own guilt and sorrow in the secluded Georgia wilderness, aided by disembodied voices, whether they are human allies or alien influencers.

We find ourselves in a stronger genre narrative with Ash, directed by Los Angeles’ Flying Lotus, presenting a unique full-length music video experience that dazzles and perplexes. Liya (Eiza González) awakens with amnesia aboard a space station filled with bodies. Bryon (Aaron Paul) comes to her aid, but is he truly what he seems? The onboard AI alarms her to strange life forms on the vessel, treading familiar territory but still offering a refreshing take.

No surprise then, that two of this year’s notable films were substantially high-budget. It reiterates the notion that seizing opportunities while catering to a large audience is a timeless trick.

Serpil Altin’s Once Upon a Time in the Future: 2121 explores a family deliberating whether to dispose of their elderly in order to comply with a “law of scarcity” enforced by a hilariously overzealous regime. Meanwhile, Joshua Oppenheimer’s end presents a musical tale about a family’s decision to execute an unanticipated visitor, a dilemma you may have encountered before.

These two films, alongside Occupier, challenge the notion that science fiction must rely on originality of plots. Science fiction is simply fiction; uh, fiction centers on humanity, and humans experience an infinitely diverse range of situations, even in common predicaments.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Video Star: Energizing VJ Culture to Adapt Hollywood Films for Uganda

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oOn a recent Saturday afternoon in Kampala’s informal settlement in Uganda’s capital, a crowd of young men gathered on benches inside a dimly lit shed to enjoy the pirated version of the Hollywood comedy horror film “The Monkey.”

As the English action played out on the screen, a narrated translation in Bantu Luganda by VJ Junior, one of Uganda’s leading video jockeys, reverberated throughout the room.

By freely translating films and TV shows for local audiences, VJ Junior has become a key figure in the TV and film culture across rural and low-income areas of East Africa.

These VJs act as part narrators and part comedians, often simplifying scripts and placing them in relatable contexts. For instance, they might replace a character’s name with that of a local individual or swap out a Western concept for a Ugandan analogy.

Ugandans will view the film “The Monkey” in April at a video hall in Katwe, Kampala. Photo: Carlos Mureithi/The Guardian

In one notable scene, a father discusses his son’s absence, stating, “So I’m away because I have to carry all sorts of weird baggage and deal with it,” to which he adds, “It’s the bad… the evil… that I’ve inherited from my father, and I don’t want to share that with you.”

VJ Junior summarized this moment with: “The reason I didn’t want to be with you is that I am weighed down by burdens. I inherited mental anguish, demonic influences, curses, and more from my father.”

VJs have the ability to infuse humor, exaggeration, and distinctive sound effects into their translations, sometimes diverging significantly from the original script.

Having grown up in Kampala during the 1990s, VJ Junior, born Mary Smart Matobu, developed a passion for film and frequently enjoyed Hollywood movies translated by VJs.

VJ Junior shares that his role involves “helping people understand, entertain, and draw inspiration from films.” Photo: Carlos Mureithi/The Guardian

In 2006, he entered the field, inheriting a recording studio from his older brother, VJ Ronnie, and later moved to the U.S. to pursue filmmaking. He recalled that his debut as a VJ, while working on “Rambo III,” “lacked finesse,” but he enhanced his skills by studying iconic figures like KK The Best and VJ Jingo.

VJ Junior’s big break came in 2009 with the translation of “Promise,” a Filipino soap opera for local channel Bukedde TV. “It was a massive success and became a significant brand for me,” the 40-year-old noted. “People began to trust my work.”

rRonnie’s Entertainment, the bustling video store in Katwe, drew shoppers eager to browse shelves crammed with thousands of VJ DVDs. Employees were busy copying movies onto customers’ flash drives. A DVD would sell for 2,000 Ugandan shillings (£0.41), with the flash drive copy costing 1,000 shillings.

Shop owner Ronald Zentongo reported vending hundreds of films and television shows daily, revealing that blockbuster titles include Marvel films and series like “Prison Break” and “24.” “Customers eagerly anticipate VJ Junior’s translations.”

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The culture of Ugandan video jockeys emerged from the colonial practice where evangelists provided microphones to translate Christian films for local audiences. The 1980s saw the rise of video halls as VHS foreign films became more accessible. To bridge the language gap, video hall operators enlisted VJs to translate these films into local languages in real time.

With advancements in technology, VJs have transitioned from VHS to VCDs, and now to DVDs and flash drives. Numerous websites have popped up, allowing viewers to stream and download content via subscriptions.

The industry is also diversifying; some VJs are now dubbing Ugandan films and TV shows, with new VJs translating into languages beyond Luganda, the predominant language in the country.

A DVD being sold at Ronnie Entertainment. Photo: Carlos Mureithi/The Guardian

By adapting foreign films and series for Ugandan viewers, VJs foster a sense of belonging, as noted by Imokola John Baptist, a lecturer at Makerere University. His research suggests audiences feel valued, recognized, and acknowledged, though he cautions against over-translation that may obscure core themes and messages.

Video jockeys and their distributors often find themselves at odds with authorities over copyright infringements, facing the risk of police raids on video stores leading to confiscation of DVDs and copying equipment. VJ Junior expressed that copyright issues pose significant hurdles for his business, making it “incredibly challenging” to obtain dubbing rights for foreign films.

Describing the VJ’s contribution to Ugandan society as pivotal in “helping individuals to understand, entertain, and inspire,” VJ Junior stated he typically dubs around 10 films and TV episodes each week.

“Research is essential. You need to be informed, educated,” he remarks about the skills vital for his role. “The industry is expanding, and the demand is increasing.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

New Luddite movement protests AI as robots lose jobs and films are scrapped – Ed Newton Rex

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pictureEarlier this month, the popular lifestyle magazine introduced its new “Fashion and Lifestyle Editor” to its massive social media following. “Ream”At first glance, Reem appeared to be a woman in her twenties who understood both fashion and lifestyle, and was proudly announced as an “AI-enhanced team member” — that is, a fake persona generated by artificial intelligence. Reem would be recommending products to SheerLuxe's ​​followers — in other words, doing the job that SheerLuxe would normally pay a human to do. The reaction was entirely predictable. Indignation“The editorial team hastily issued an apology, saying, ‘I’m sorry, but I’m not sure what to do.'”

This is just the latest in a long line of withdrawals of “inspiring AI projects” that have drawn outrage from those they were meant to inspire. The Prince Charles Cinema in London's Soho cancel In June, it canceled a screening of a film written by AI after patrons loudly protested. Lego was under pressure The company demanded that it remove a series of AI-generated images it had published on its website. Doctor Who had begun experimenting with generative AI, It stopped immediately After a wave of complaints, companies have bought into the AI ​​hype, thinking that adopting AI will help them promote themselves as innovative, completely failing to understand the growing anti-AI sentiment among many customers.

Behind the backlash are a number of concerns about AI. The most fundamental is its impact on human labor. The main impact of using AI in many situations is that it will deprive humans of the opportunity to do the same work. And AI systems will: Exploitation of works Artificial intelligence is training the people it is meant to replace in creative output without paying them. The technology has a tendency to sexualize women, is used to create deep fakes, and is causing tech companies to miss their climate targets, without understanding many of its risks well enough to mitigate them. Naturally, this has not met with universal praise. Hayao Miyazaki, director of world-famous animation studio Studio Ghibli, said: “I’m completely disgusted…” [AI] It is an affront to life itself.”


Members of the activist group Safe Streets Level place cones around a self-driving taxi in San Francisco, California, in July 2023. Photo: Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images

Some members of the anti-AI movement Reclaiming the name “Luddite”I come from a tech community where Luddite is considered an insult, but this new movement is proud of the moniker. As Brian Merchant, author of Blood in the Machine, points out, the first Luddites didn't rebel immediately. They called for dialogue and compromise. The new Luddites also want dialogue and compromise. Most recognize that AI is here to stay, and they want a more rational and fair approach to its adoption, not reversal. And it's easy to imagine that they might be more successful than their predecessors. 19th century counterpartThe legendary Ned Ludd had no social media. Downtrodden workers used to be easily ignored. The internet is the greatest organizing tool in history.


Anger toward AI companies is forging unlikely allies. When the Recording Industry Association of America recently sued two AI music-generation companies for “unimaginable copyright infringement,” musicians and fans took to the internet to show their support. “Wow, these AI companies make me want to root for the record companies,” one person wrote. One composer said:To address the new threat of AI, old arguments are being pushed aside: the enemy of my enemy is my friend, as the saying goes.

Some will believe that AI is all about opportunity, all about good, and that it is the next great technological revolution that will free humanity from the dark ages we live in. A speaker at the Tony Blair Institute's Britain's Future Summit a few weeks ago said: Overview Why empowering AI is “the only option for a forward-thinking UK government.” There is some truth to this. Of course, AI has a promise. That promise is largely a creed for now, with AI leaders promising technologies that are at best years away and at worst unrealistic. But there is reason to think that the more optimistic predictions about AI have some real potential. AI may truly change the world, as AI visionaries would have you believe.

But the backlash points out that we can’t ignore real harms today in order to make technological bets on the future. Nintendo They won’t use generative AI. A user on Stack Overflow, a Q&A site for software engineers, wrote: A group revolted After the platform struck a deal to allow OpenAI to remove content to train its models, users began deleting posts or editing them to make them nonsensical. Attacks on driverless taxis They shouted in the streets of San Francisco that they were putting people out of work.

Outside the OpenAI offices in San Francisco, there are frequent groups of protesters holding banners reading “Pause AI.” If AI is left unregulated, this sentiment will only grow. Countries may be tempted to treat AI development as an arms race and forge ahead regardless of the costs. But According to opinion polls, the public We think this is a bad idea, and AI developers and those regulating the emerging AI industry need to listen to the growing backlash against AI.

  • Ed Newton-Rex is the founder of Fairy Training, a nonprofit that certifies generative AI companies that respect the rights of creators, and co-founder of JukeDeck, an AI company that can compose and arrange music.

Source: www.theguardian.com