Review
T.I.M. (Sci-Fi, Thriller) (2023)
Director: Spencer Brown
Writer: Spencer Brown, Sarah Govett
Stars: Georgina Campbell, Mark Rowley, Eamon Farren, Amara Karan
Working as a prosthetics engineer for a robotics firm, a young woman and her husband are gifted a humanoid AI assistant. Which is currently being developed and upgraded further; this AI slowly starts growing an unconventional bond with its owner, making life difficult.
Created by husband and wife duo Spencer Brown and Sarah Govett, serving as Brown’s feature directorial film debut comes an unsettling AI horror-adjacent thriller picturing a robotic servant becoming infatuated with its owner. It has been produced by Altitude and Stigma Films while being distributed by Netflix.
Distancing herself from the city, Abi (Georgina Campbell) is hired by a robotics company to serve as the head of the prosthetics department, further developing an AI model with the acronym T.I.M; technologically integrated manservant. To celebrate her hiring, the company obligatorily gifts her one of these robots, allowing Abi and her husband Paul (Mark Rowley) to form a connection with it and understand its functions on a more personal level. However, as time goes on, T.I.M. begins developing an obsessive relationship with his master—to the frustration and discomfort of Paul.
Due to the theme, ‘’T.I.M’’ is quickly compared to other AI depictions, usually within a horror setting such as ‘’M3GAN”. However, instead of a children’s playmate, T.I.M offers more of a Google Home or Alexa home assistant with an actual body. Brown’s feature opts for a less oppressively frightening or gory angle and delivers a light thriller. Further inspiration can be derived from ‘’Her’’ with its obsession angle just flipping it around. Lacking some creativity, seemingly borrowing ideas from most similar films, it decides to piggyback off them, meanwhile cashing in on ‘’Black Mirror’’ vibes, which is also produced under the Netflix umbrella.
Without hesitation, we’re introduced to this movie’s AI companion early on. Once Campbell’s Abi has made introductions and completed her initial shift at Integrate Robotics, her gift awaits at home. Instantly creeping out Rowley’s Paul, who reminds the viewer of the oddity of it all. Neither Paul nor Abi convey any form of logic, despite Paul’s initial hesitance to accept their new robotic servant proving to be a correct assessment. I’d commend the slick presentation, if anything, with Farren doing some commendable work imitating a humanoid robot—which feels reminiscent of an android portrayed by Zoie Palmer in 2015’s TV series ‘’Dark Matter’’. That said, a killswitch eventually turns, and some more intense horror-adjacent opportunities emerge.
As a debut film, being aware of Brown’s experience as a comedian, you would expect ‘’T.I.M’’ to appear closer to ‘’M3GAN’’ on a comedic front. Instead, ‘’T.I.M’’ lacks much conscientiousness and becomes a frivolous thriller lacking subtlety; using the same stereotyping with its characters being dumb as rocks like in most horror flicks. Abi, who’s supposedly brilliant and thus works for a reputable robotics company, does not match. The lack of the actual tension we seek in thrillers and opting for a by-the-book portrayal fails to make even the most notable impact stick to memory. Some aspects, such as the obsession angle, could work effectively. T.I.M could’ve started protecting Abi, even from Paul, who they both believe or made to believe has been cheating on Abi, which is a recurring theme; however, Abi never has that moment until the end where she finally feels her husband is actually right killing any genuine interest despite providing enjoyable performances by Campbell in the past.
Verdict
Terrible Incapable Mediocrity
3,5
