Starring Franklin Ritch, Tatum Matthews, Lance Henriksen

Written & directed by Franklin Ritch

XYZ Films

A team of special agents discovers a revolutionary new computer program to bait and trap online predators.

Regular SFB-sters may be aware that while I definitely have a penchant for a rogue AI movie – the more melodramatic the better! – it’s largely because in reality my encounters with the technology are regularly so ridiculous. It’s hard to be frightened of Artificial Intelligences when in real life they are so spectacularly bad at helping you to get your boiler fixed.

However, last night, Amazon Prime’s algorithm was smart enough to suggest a super low budget ‘D’ movie called The Artifice Girl that had completely passed me by on its VOD release in 2023. It had very little to commend it so I thought: ‘I’ll give it ten minutes’. Half an hour later I was completely gripped.

Split into three clearly defined and essentially theatrical acts, effectively chamber pieces, the film opens as Gareth – a cagey, reclusive programmer – is brought to a basement interrogation room by government agents working ‘under the radar’. They’re on the hunt for online paedophiles, and incriminating material has been found on his computer, at which point the narrative makes some intriguing handbrake turns.

Writer/Director Franklin Ritch (who also plays programmer Gareth with unsettling conviction) is clearly unapologetic for the wordy nature of his script. The arguments surrounding the borderlands between Artificial Intelligence and human consciousness are well rehearsed, but the context offered by The Artifice Girl – the best of AI in pursuit of the worst of humanity – feels fresh. Consequently the Socratic nature of the debate is surprisingly absorbing.

The second act moves us forward in time by fifteen years. It continues to engage although it’s hard to match the power of the film’s opening movement. In the final section, we move forward once more, with Lance Henriksen assuming the role of one of the older characters, whereas one of the others hasn’t aged at all. While Ritch’s narrative conclusions are academically interesting, the movie does run out of dramatic steam, and I found myself hoping for a melodramatic twist to spice things up a bit. Having said that, I was never bored, and respect to Mr Ritch for sticking to his guns and staying true to the particular story he wanted to tell.

Verdict: The Artifice Girl is a curiosity – not perfect by any means – but if the subject matter appeals and you’re interested to see light thrown on the AI debate from a different angle, it’s well worth 93 minutes of your time. 6/10

Martin Jameson

www.ninjamarmoset.com