Simulant is a 2023 science fiction movie with cyberpunk elements.
It is the future and Ridiculously Human Robot devices called simulants are commonplace. Each of them must obey four precepts that are similar to Asimov's laws of robotics. A police officer named Kessler (Sam Worthington) is a member of AICE (Artificial Intelligence Compliance Enforcement) with the job of hunting down renegade simulants. After capturing a robot named Esme (Alicia Sanz), Kessler is stunned at how human she was and believes this represents a threat to humanity.
Meanwhile, a painter named Faye (Jordana Brewster) has recently lost her husband, Evan (Robbie Amell), in a car accident. Having a robot replacement, she struggles to reconcile her feelings with the machine that is close but not quite identical. Troubled by his malfunction, she contacts a repairman named Casey (Simu Liu). Casey is actually a hacker who is attempting to free simulants from their slavery. He is also a former designer of them. But does Evan want to be free?
Simulant contains examples of:
- Ambiguous Ending: Will Evan and his wife live Happily Ever After as simulants or will his obsessive nature destroy their relationship as well? Especially when she finds out he murdered her biological self.
- Ambiguous Situation: Are the simulants actually sentient? They can love and have desires but these are the things they are programmed to feel. However, they are all obsessive about certain things like Evan and his wife. Which results in him murdering his wife.
- Cyberpunk: The world has unwittingly enslaved vast amounts of Ridiculously Human Robot beings. However, they have created their own underground and struggle for freedom. It is also involving a cop, a young robot in love, and a failing marriage where one of the partners is an effective clone of a dead man.
- Fantastic Noir: It is a Film Noir with morally ambiguous characters and uncertain endings. Also and robots. It also ends with multiple murders.
- Fantastic Racism: Kessler struggles with his loathing of simulants that even his own partners find excessive.
- The Farmer and the Viper: Averted. Evan initially plans to save Kessler's life but a short conversation with him convinces him that Kessler can't be trusted. Interestingly, Kessler doesn't even try to argue and has a Heel Realization.
- Freudian Excuse: Kessler's son apparently died in the care of a simulant babysitter and this is why he hates them.
- Heel Realization: Kessler finally has one, dying in a barn, when Evan points out that even if he saved Kessler's life, Kessler would still treat him as Just a Machine.
- Hypocrite: Evan says that he believes in the soul and that androids should be considered equal to humans. He murders Faye so he can be with her robot doppleganger.
- Ignored Epiphany: The horrifying death of Esme causes Kessler to realize her humanity. Then he immediately doubles down back on his Fantastic Racism."Ones and zeroes. Ones and zeroes."
- Inspector Javert: Kessler's desire to track down Desmond/Casey is an obsession driven by his own Freudian Excuse and Fantastic Racism.
- Just a Machine: Kessler insists this is the case even when it's obviously not true.
- Kirk Summation: Evan calmly explains to Kessler why he's going to leave him to die. Since helping him would just result in Kessler betraying him.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Kessler has this reaction when he wipes Esme. Sadly, it doesn't last.
- Replacement Goldfish: One of the uses for simulants. Evan and Faye created doppelgangers for themselves in case one dies. However, when Evan actually dies, Faye is creeped out by the ways the simulant is both similar to and different from the original Evan.
- Ridiculously Human Robot: The simulants are capable of emotion, sex, and limited amounts of desire.
- Sudden Downer Ending: Evan ends up murdering Faye by drowning her and then activating her simulant to take her place. This is quite shocking given his otherwise Nice Guy persona for the rest of the movie.
- Sympathetic Inspector Antagonist: Kessler hovers on the edge of this for much of the movie, clearly starting to develop feelings for Esme as he struggles with his prejudice. Horribly subverted in the end.
- Three Laws-Compliant: The four precepts are close enough to Asimov's laws as to be a clear inspiration but have the clarification they will only obey their owners. They also must obey the law, which is perhaps more reasonable.
- Uncanny Valley: Faye is put off by the subtle differences between her husband and his doppelganger. Part of this is due to the fact he must obey all of her commands but also that it is just profoundly creepy to her that he's walking around.
- Uncertain Doom: Whether the sixth- and seventh-generation simulants will be free or just destroyed.
