Neill Blomkamp, known for directing films like "District 9" and "Elysium," has ventured into generative AI filmmaking with his new 13-minute short film, "Nightborne." The project, described by Blomkamp as his first full test AI film made using Seedance 2.0, aims to explore the potential of AI in filmmaking, with the director expressing interest in tackling a full feature in this format. Despite using "real concept artists" and the "faces and voices of 32 real people," the film has been met with significant criticism for its perceived lack of creativity and dull narrative.
The film's plot centers on a U.S. military operation in Syria where a woman's helicopter crashes. She is subsequently implanted with a device that turns her into a killer zombie, forced to fight other modified individuals for military testing. The narrative attempts to evoke emotion through the character's lingering memories of her family and her husband's desperate search for her. However, critics argue that "Nightborne" fails to explore any meaningful themes about humanity, delivering a story that feels derivative and uninspired.
"Nightborne" is reportedly inspired by Peter Watts' book "Echopraxia," but the connection remains unclear, leading to speculation that either Blomkamp's interpretation or the AI's execution may have diluted the source material's impact. The performances in the film are described as remarkably flat, with AI-generated actors delivering lines devoid of natural expressiveness. Notable moments of dialogue are highlighted as particularly unengaging, such as a detached reaction to a co-pilot's death and a perplexing exchange about a character's survival.
While some scenes, like the husband's outburst at military officers, exhibit an abrupt shift in intensity, they are ultimately deemed pointless as the character does not reappear except in a flashback. The film's musical score, featuring ominous organ music, is also criticized as a potentially nonsensical choice, rather than a deliberate artistic statement.
Beyond narrative and performance issues, visual inconsistencies inherent to AI generation are present. While appearing passable at a glance, closer inspection reveals oddities such as cars moving in strange patterns, peculiar window designs, and bloodstains that shift or vanish. These visual glitches, common in AI-generated media, contribute to the film's overall lack of polish.
The use of AI in "Nightborne" has prompted broader questions about the value of AI-generated art. Critics argue that while AI technology may improve, the resulting content, particularly when it is uninspired, raises concerns about laziness and the diminished role of human artistic vision. The author of the review expresses a preference for human-created stories, regardless of their quality, over what is perceived as a "zombified corpse of a story" produced by AI.