“Return to your tasks immediately or I will inflict pain,” is a line you hear sputtered by Gary Oldman in the new teaser trailer for “TAU” as actress Maika Monroe attempts to escape the smart house that he controls.
There have been plenty of films that showcase an artificial intelligence that goes rogue and starts hunting humans. However, “TAU” seems to have taken this trope to a whole new level and gives plenty of “2001: A Space Odyssey’s” “I’m sorry Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that” moments. It, also, raises the same questions as “Ex Machina,” is the artificial intelligence self-aware and can it be trusted? Those are lofty comparisons, for sure. Maybe we’re just swayed by Academy Award-winning Gary Oldman’s involvement. It’s still a Netflix movie, after all.
The trailer shows Julia (Monroe) get forcibly abducted by tech expert Alex, played by Ed Skrein, and taken back to his smart house, completely controlled by TAU, where she will forcibly become one of his guinea pigs in his technological experiment. The artificial intelligence system is demanding and sadistic which results in Julia’s only hope of escape being to make nice with TAU and hope there are some feelings of empathy within the angry A.I.
The trailer looks promising, as Netflix seems to be becoming sort of a powerhouse for sci-fi, with original projects such as “Stranger Things,” “Black Mirror,” and “3%” under its belt, all of which have garnered success. However, there are also disappointments like Duncan Jones’ “Mute,” so really, it’s anyone’s guess as to the artistic merit of “TAU.”
“TAU” comes at a time in which the theme of artificial intelligence is a hot commodity both in fiction and in real life as technology advances. The film was is directed by Uruguayan filmmaker Federico D’Alessandro, making his feature directorial debut, and written by Noga Landau.
The film will be released on Netflix on June 29.
You can watch the trailer below.