In the latest Netflix sci-fi action film ‘Atlas’, a human refers to an AI as ‘It’, but the AI takes offence, and corrects the pronoun to ‘she/her’. This scene encapsulates our time, both the scientific advancement and the ideological discussions around identity politics. However, the inclusion of such an idea in this film doesn’t necessarily add to the complexity or expand its predictable plot. The film doesn’t quite leverage anything new out of the genre and its chief utility comes mainly from its repeated attempts at coming across as forward-thinking.
At the centre is Jennifer Lopez’s Atlas Shepherd, an analyst with a deep distrust of artificial intelligence, stemming from her childhood experiences. The plot also introduces the world’s first AI terrorist, Harlan (Simu Liu), who leads a rebellion that aims to wrest power and control from humanity. The film reminds us of a time when sci-fi films with aliens and robots were dime a dozen. The premise too is as old as the hills.
Even ‘Atlas’ main trauma from her past on account of an AI mishap isn’t necessarily original. This is a protagonist we have already seen in films like I, Robot, where the central character suffers from similar trauma, and grows to resent sentient robots. We needed to see a lot more of Atlas’ melancholy beneath the veneer of determination and toughness. Lopez’s performance too doesn’t necessarily embody the supposed complexity of this character.