A.I. Tales (Now ‘The 5 Galaxies’) is a 2018 anthology of short sci-fi films based mostly around artificial intelligence.
For some reason, horror has come to dominate the anthology movie genre, though it’s easy to see why, with the likes of The Twilight Zone and Tales from the Crypt making bite-sized frights highly consumable, even if most packaged movies are typically not all the clever. Either way, occasionally, something else will come along, from comedies to romance to dramas, and now, with A.I. Tales, science fiction. It’s a collection of four short films that aren’t all that connected, but do share some smart writing and genuinely impressive brain benders that have plenty of impact for those looking to have a more cerebral experience.
The first film is Seed, from Nelson Lee, and centers on a man who is turning 40 and faced with a troubling task at his birthday party, reflecting on this life before he must say goodbye to it all, something all must do in hopes of saving society. Arguably the least sci-fi of the lot, this deeply emotional entanglement is also the most ambiguous with a startling last shot that’s loaded with questions. Seriously. This is freaky.
Next is In/Finite, by Kristen Hilkert, the most grounded of the lot, and probably the least tricky, it’s a straight-forward story of a young woman who has made a profound decision to leave home, her family and friends gathering to say some heartfelt farewells, a few with much to unload, even if she isn’t as close to them as perhaps she hoped she was. It’s where she is going though that makes the difference and it’s this striking reveal at the end that makes everything before it all the more potent. Of the four, this has the most potential to be a full-length feature. I wish the last sequence went on for a few more minutes.
The third entry is Phoenix 9, by Amir Reichart, a story set after a post-apocalyptic event where a handful of survivors struggle to keep alive, a secret safe location their destination. However, all is not as it seems, and once there, learn there are consequences. Well-made and maybe a little familiar, this techy story is the most predictable of the four with a ragtag collection of greatly diverse scavengers dealing with personality clashes and loss of hope as they come to discover the truth.
Last is Redux, by Vitaly Verlov, a clever little thriller (and the briefest of the bunch) about a scientist who uses a time machine to send back a cryptic warning about what he knows in the future. With a catchy 80s synth beat and lots of basement-dwelling, home-brewed technology, it’s a very short film with barely a word of dialogue but plenty to think about, even if you’ll mostly be scratching your head. For a story like this, that’s a good thing.
With a strong cast, including Pom Klementieff (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2), Eric Roberts, and Neil Jackson, there’s no dip in performances, each of the four short films easily counting the actors as the best thing going. I especially liked Lawrence Kao in Seed and Ashlee Mundy in In/Finite, with both bearing the most emotional weight of the bunch. These are very natural and compelling turns, giving these sci-fi flicks a lot more personality than most might expect given the genre.
While obviously stitched together to fit a theme (the films were made independently over the last four years), as a collection, it’s the stories rather than the motif that clicks better, with each filmmaker avoiding much of the standards, such as menacing robots and from-the-hip laser beam battles, making them all the more accessible to a wider audience. If you’re a fan of short films, and you really ought to be, then this is surely a terrific little gem to give a watch, and at just over an hour, is almost without excuses to do so.