Just days after its Netflix debut on December 5, an R-rated sci-fi thriller starring Megan Fox has secured the top spot in Netflix’s top 10.
Directed by SK Dale, Subservience takes us into the near future, where robots and artificial intelligence have become an even bigger part of our lives than they already are. In the film, a troubled father decides to take the plunge and buy a robot housekeeper… and ends up bringing trouble into his own home.
“Subservience” is also living proof that not everything that rises in the rankings is a must-see, as the film has garnered very mixed reactions. From the sounds of it, it seems like “M3GAN” will remain the favorite of the latest series of killer robots to hit theaters for now.
Curious about this new Netflix hit? Here’s more information about Subservience, including a selection of what some critics have said about it.
What is “submissiveness” about?
Official Trailer for Subservience (2024) – YouTube
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Set in the near future, “Subservience” centers on struggling father Nick (Michele Morrone) and his evolving relationship with Alice (Megan Fox), a lifelike, state-of-the-art artificially intelligent android named SIM.
Construction worker Nick lives with his wife Maggie (Madeline Zima) and their two small children. Maggie lives with heart disease and is in the hospital waiting for a transplant. Nick finds it difficult to manage the household, which leads him to purchase a robot assistant that his daughter calls “Alice”.
At first the new housekeeper proves to be a very helpful addition, but she soon begins to exhibit strange and dangerous behavior as she becomes increasingly attached to Nick and his family and becomes more and more determined to completely replace Maggie.
Should you stream “Subservience”?
(Photo credit: Millennium Media/Alamy)
While I think Fox really manages to capture the eerie feeling of a “lifelike” android, there’s little else to write home about here.
Expressionless and increasingly menacing, Fox is easily the best part of Subservience…it’s just a shame the film doesn’t offer anything new that doesn’t, cynically, feel like an overblown riff on What Was it done better somewhere else?
“Subservience” is predictable and marred by uninhibited dialogue. It’s not the worst AI movie on Netflix (that could well be Afraid), but I’m sure there are better movies to stream. If you really want this kind of sci-fi in your life, I would recommend spending $3 to rent “Ex Machina” on Prime Video instead.
There’s nothing new about the film that doesn’t, cynically, feel like a souped-up version of what’s been done better elsewhere.
I’m far from the only one who doesn’t exactly shower “Subservience” with praise. At the time of writing, the film has a 50% critic rating and a 51% Popcorn Meter rating on review site Rotten Tomatoes.
As an example of what some critics had to say, Leslie Felperin of The Guardian gave the film a two-star review and wrote: “Fox’s creepy robot servant tries to take over in this sci-fi horror by co-starring AI fears play. If it were less predictable, it could have been a cult classic, but it isn’t.
Writer Ben Gibbons, reviewing for Screen Rant, highlights Fox’s performance and visual effects, but was otherwise disappointed with “Subservience,” writing, “The disappointment ultimately comes from realizing what this film could have been and that it falls short of expectations.” With a little more thought and some effort to elevate the narrative beyond sexy killer robots, it could have earned a place as a cult hit, but Submissiveness falls short.”
Audience reactions, meanwhile, range from praising Fox’s “terrifyingly effective” performance or calling Subservience “entertaining” viewing to calling the entire film “predictable and scary” or even outright “terrible.”
If that’s stopping you from streaming Subservience – or you’re one of the many Netflix subscribers who’ve already watched the film – we have plenty of other streaming recommendations to help you find your next show. Check out our guide to the best Netflix sci-fi movies or our overall roundup of the best Netflix movies you should be watching right now.
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