★★★½
Sci-fi drama The Creator is a visually stunning film focusing on our fear of artificial intelligence. Directed by Gareth Edwards and written by Edwards and Chris Weitz, The Creator stars John David Washington (Tenet), Gemma Chan (Don’t Worry Darling), Allison Janney (The Help), Ken Watanabe (Inception), and Madeleine Yuna Voyles.
In a near future, a war rages on between humans and robots powered by artificial intelligence. A war which started when the AI humans built did the unimaginable and detonated a nuclear weapon in the heart of Los Angeles. A former soldier named Joshua (Washington) is tasked with finding the AI’s secret weapon. Much to his surprise, he finds it in the form of a young girl (Voyles). How will this young girl serve as the linchpin to this war? What will Joshua do to uncover the truth?
The Creator highlights one of humans’ most heinous traits: our propensity for cruelty and violence as a means to an end. Edwards and Weitz take this stance and dig in their heels, graphically showing this (very human) characteristic in multiple different ways which are often hard to watch (but are not horror movie-level terrifying). While the bloodshed is not gratuitous, Edwards shows just enough to illustrate the shock and catastrophe of war.
The dialogue is tightly written with each word packing a surprising amount of impact. It is somewhat of a slow burn, but the pacing is consistent and does not drag. The action scenes are both intense and exhilarating to watch. The dramatic moments do a great job tugging at heartstrings. In an interview with IMDb, Edwards notes that his influences for this film were Blade Runner (1982), Apocalypse Now, (1979) and Akira (1988). The impact of all three films can be seen in The Creator.
There are many reasons to watch The Creator in theaters. The sound design is amazing, as is the soundtrack. Hans Zimmer does what he does best, elevating scenes with a heart-wrenching orchestral score. That score which does a lot to pull viewers into the movie. To save money on set design, Edwards opted to take the cast and crew to 80 locations around the world. The spectacular visual effects were then layered on top of these shots.
The cast does a superb job. Washington plays an understated lead in Joshua. Janney makes it easy to dislike the antagonist Howell. The young AI weapon named Alphie is played by Madeleine Yuna Voyles, who easily wins over the hearts of the audience. This is Voyles’ debut and what a debut it is. She delivers a breathtaking performance.
That being said, for those looking for loopholes in the plot, they won’t have to look too hard. The plot is engaging, the romance is heartbreaking, and the characters make it easy to root for them. However, there are a few moments where viewers may find it difficult to suspend their disbelief. There are some scenes where the tension could have been ramped up with a little more foreshadowing. They also offer no explanation for some of the serendipitous things which feel a little too “deus ex machina.” In addition, the overarching plot is fairly predictable. Luckily, it is the journey that matters, not just the end goal. Predictability isn’t a hurdle that a good movie can’t overcome. Some of the revelations are impactful not because of the surprise but because of the wonderful performances of the cast.
The Creator is a marvelous movie that benefits from being seen in the theater. The experience is heightened when the audience can be immersed in the beautiful (and sometimes painful) imagery and the magnificent score.
