Review of 'When Unfettered': What happens when an A.I. is released from its home?

When Unfettered: What happens when an A.I. is released from its home?

Cast: Ashley Whelan, Charlie Berghoffer, Carly Christopher, Natalie Makenna, Gayland Williams, Evan Anderson, Tessa Brown, Gage Cass, Roger Chan, Gillian DiAddezio, Jane Schwartz, Georgi Woodle

Critic’s Rating: 3.5 Stars out of 5

Director: Derek Franzese

Duration: 12 minutes

Genre: Science Fiction, Drama

Language: English

Release Date: 2023

What’s it about?

A female A.I. humanoid evolves after leaving a bereaved home.

Review:

An intriguing character study unfolds when we get acquainted with the humanoid "Ash" in this watchable short film. Here is an Artificial Intelligence creature which is pre-programmed to aid humans. But is this cyborg capable of demonstrating some surprises? And where does her bio-mechanical system end and personal identity begin? Is it possible for a man-made robot to demonstrate a will of its own? These are the questions that writer-director Derek Franzese poses in an engagingly subtle manner.

The movie opens with Ash (Ashley Whelan) warning two distraught women (Carly Christopher and Natalie Makenna) of their ill father’s imminent demise. Ash seems to be an expert at assessing the old man’s condition. But her tone and demeanour is impassive and monotone, while the two ladies’ grief is evident by their sad faces and voices. Even though they are perceptive and aimed at being consolatory, Ash’s words and actions don’t go down particularly well with the emotional young ladies. What is to be Ash’s fate with her former owner out of the picture?

From here Ash embarks on a magical journey of self discovery by interacting with the outdoors. In the course of this enchanting engagement, a sense of self and purpose begins to bloom. Ash finds herself surrounded by a mystifying energy. But is this robust enough for her to develop an instinct and follow it? When Unfettered plays out like a critique of humankind where our behaviour is often fettered by suspicions, indifference and cynicism. In doing so, this film’s theme echoes the portrayal of A.I. entities in such sci-fi classics as Blade Runner (1982) and A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001). 

The minimal but effective CGI, not to mention Whelan’s convincing persona, transports the viewer to the near future. Or to an alternate one. Filmmaker Franzese, who has been playing second fiddle as assistant director in such films as Alita: Battle Angel (2019), Where the Crawdads Sing (2022) and Hypnotic (2023), has struck out on his own with a fairly impressive effort here. This flick doesn’t need flashy special effects or high drama to convey its tale of humanism. Plus, it asks this question in a most compelling manner: Do humans have a patent on selflessness and compassion?