AI Thriller ‘Answr’ Calls to Mind Kubrick’s 2001′ [Image]

Deadline shares the first image from Stephen Kay’s psychological thriller Answr, which calls to mind Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, in which the AI system HAL 9000 – represented by a glowing red eye – is the ship’s calm but increasingly dangerous onboard computer.

Answr follows Colton Ray, played by Moises Arias (Fallout, Jockey, Monos), a grieving young man who retreats to a remote weather station in search of solitude, until he begins testing an experimental AI chatbot played by Rain Spencer (The Summer I Turned Pretty) that offers empathy and affirmation, forming a dangerous bond as his grip on reality begins to fracture.

Written and directed by Kay, known for helming episodes of Yellowstone, Lioness, and Landman, Answr explores the emotional consequences of human-AI relationships. It was shot on location in Iceland.

The cast also includes:

• Piper Perabo (Yellowstone)
• Lilli Kay (Your Honor, Stick)
• José María Yazpik (Narcos: Mexico)
• Siddiq Saunderson (Wu-Tang: An American Saga)
• Simon Rex (Red Rocket)

“We wanted to make a film about the need for connection in an increasingly isolated world. It’s a story about AI, sure. But it’s really a story about grief and loneliness and how hard it is sometimes to just be a person — especially in a time when machines have been built to present as the answer to all our problems,” said Kay.

The project is produced by Stephen Kay, Natalya Pavchinskya, Jomon Thomas, Sarena Khan, Sharad Devarajan, Timur Bekmambetov, and Adam Sidman, and is a collaboration between S’YA Concept (Monkey Man, Hotel Mumbai), Bazelevs (Mercy, Searching), Graphic India, and Barking Dog Productions.

August Jakobsson (The Northman, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves) served as cinematographer, with the score composed by Tyler Bates ().