Morgan (2016)

Morgan (2016)

There’s been an “accident” at a secret, isolated lab. They’ve been developing a new form of artificial human, one with emotions. Its name is Morgan (Anya Taylor-Joy), and this five-year-old that looks eighteen just stabbed one of its keepers (Jennifer Jason Leigh) in the eye. The corporate office has sent Lee (Kate Mara), a risk

Ghost in the Shell (2017)

Ghost in the Shell (2017)

< In near-future Hong Kong, where cyber-enhancement of the human body is all the rage, Major (Scarlett Johansson), who was the victim of a terrorist attack, has had her brain placed into an android body by a blatantly evil robotics company. She’s intended to be the first in a long line of weapons, but for

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

K (Ryan Gosling), a replicant blade runner, lives in a future where new replicants are constructed to obey due to the peculiar, corporate overlord, Niander Wallace (Jared Leto). So the job of the blade runner is now running down old-style replicants who were made before the great blackout. In “retiring” one of these (Dave Bautista),

The Circle (2017)

The Circle (2017)

Mae (Emma Watson) gets a chance to escape her dead-end job due to her friend, Annie (Karen Gillan), getting her an interview with The Circle, an Appple/Facebook/Google-type company. The Circle is extremely helpful in all aspects of life, but equally intrusive. The employees act like members of a cult, led by the charismatic Bailey (Tom

Ready Player One (2018)

Ready Player One (2018)

In a dystopian future, Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) is a simple-minded, selfish, undeveloped, pop-culture fanatic who we are supposed to like. He, like most people, spends all his time inside the OASIS, a virtual universe where people can be anything, sorta, but tend to go for things that were popular in the 1980s. The OASIS

Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

Another new future, another antagonistic AI, another protector sent to the past, another terminator popping up a few minutes later. The specifics this time around: Grace (Mackenzie Davis) is an “augmented” soldier from the future, sent back to protect Dani Ramos (Natalia Reyes), who will become humanity’s savior. Out to assassinate Dani is the Rev-9

The 6th Day (2000)

The 6th Day (2000)

Adam Gibson (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a helicopter charter pilot, skips out of work on the day he was supposed to fly powerful businessman Michael Drucker (Tony Goldwyn) to the mountains, letting his partner take his place. Later, his partner doesn’t show up at a bar and when Adam arrives home, he finds a clone of himself already

American Cyborg: Steel Warrior (1994)

American Cyborg: Steel Warrior (1994)

After a nuclear war, the remaining, now-sterile humans are kept in camps by androids. Mary is still fertile, and she must take her fetus to a ship sailing for Europe. She is hunted by a killer android but protected by a barbarian kick boxer. What is it about cyborgs and martial arts? When I make a killer cyborg,

Avalon (2001)

Avalon (2001)

In a dreary future world, the illegal, virtual reality, shoot-them-up game, Avalon, flourishes, with the best players able to make a living from it. However, there are dangers, and some players do not come out of the game, leaving them in permanent vegetative states.  Ash (Malgorzata Foremniak), is a solo player, who has little contact with

eXistenZ (1999)

eXistenZ (1999)

At a focus group demonstration of the new virtual reality game, eXistenZ, its creator, Allegra Geller (Jennifer Jason Leigh), is shot by a fanatic “Realist.” Wounded, and with a bounty on her head, she escapes with marketing trainee, Ted Pikul (Jude Law). She fears the shooting damaged her game pod, and the only way to know is

New Rose Hotel (1998)

New Rose Hotel (1998)

Christopher Walken and Willem Dafoe say some lines about being freelance corporate spies.  Normally, I would name the characters (Fox and X in this case) and write that they were freelance corporate spies, but that would imply that there are characters in this movie.  There aren’t.  Walken comes up with a pseudo-plan to get a research

Freejack (1992)

Freejack (1992)

At the moment of his death, Alex Furlong (Emilio Estevez), a racecar driver in 1991, is pulled through time to 2009 where his body is meant as a replacement for a dying rich man’s. Alex escapes, finds his old fiancĂ©e (Rene Russo), who works for the most powerful businessman in the world (Anthony Hopkins), and together