Stream now: 10 movies about artificial intelligence

Although artificial intelligence (AI) has been around since the 1950s, it is only now that it has become ubiquitous. Its evolution is remarkably fast, dramatically changing how we live.

If you’re in the mood to fuel your fascination for machines that can think like humans, check out this list of 10 films about AI, which are available to stream in the Philippines. You have probably seen them already, but you may want to revisit them.

1. Ex Machina (2014)

Alex Garland’s sci-fi debut is a tense, absorbing chamber piece that does not rely on visual effects but on thrilling ideas. Domhnall Gleeson plays Caleb, a programmer who wins a one-week staycation at a private estate owned by his CEO (Oscar Isaac). There, Caleb is tasked with administering the Turing test to an attractive female robot, Ava (Alicia Vikander), who is creepily too self-aware. (On Apple TV+)

2. Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World (2016)

Werner Herzog’s documentary examines the history and evolution of the Internet and how it affects us. Insightful, comprehensive, sometimes funny, often scary, it’s an overall interesting watch. Herzog narrates, with interviews with tech leaders, including Elon Musk. (On Apple TV+)

3. Her (2013)

Spike Jonze’s unforgettable Oscar-winning sci-fi romantic drama follows a lonely guy, Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix), who falls in love with his female-voiced AI virtual assistant, Samantha (Scarlett Johansson). Definitely one of the best films of all time. (On Netflix)

4. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Denis Villeneuve’s neo-noir science fiction is a visually stunning sequel to Blade Runner (1982). Set 30 years after the events of the original film and where bioengineered humans are subjected to slavery, it follows “blade runner” K (Ryan Gosling), who uncovers a dangerous secret. It won an Oscar for Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects. (On Apple TV+)

5. M3GAN (2022)

Gerard Johnstone’s campy horror-comedy sci-fi follows a creepy child-sized humanoid robot-companion designed for kids. She is called M3GAN (voiced by Jenna Davis), and she is paired with an eight-year-old child, Cady, who recently lost her parents in a car accident. It’s a fun “killer doll” movie to pass the time. (On Apple TV+)

6. WALL-E (2008)

Set in an uninhabitable Earth in 2805, Pixar’s animated romantic sci-fi is one of the best animated films in history. It follows a robot programmed to clean up garbage, named WALL-E. One day, he meets a female robot named EVE, sent from the starship Axiom, and the little guy falls hopelessly in love with her. It won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. (On Disney+)

7. A.I.: Artificial Intelligence (2001)

Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-nominated sci-fi drama is loosely based on the 1969 short story Supertoys Last All Summer Long by Brian Aldiss. Haley Joel Osment plays David, a little android boy who is programmed to love. Adopted by humans, David struggles in the human world, wishing, like Pinocchio, to become a real human boy. (On HBO Go)

8. The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)

This Oscar-nominated animated family movie follows a young girl, Katie Mitchell, and her family on a road trip. The Mitchells’ fun family agenda, however, is thwarted by the uprising of electronic devices. Riotous, fun and heartwarming. (On Netflix)

9. I Am Mother (2019)

If you’re in the mood for an intriguing, suspenseful sci-fi, check out Grant Sputore’s 2019 Aussie cyberpunk thriller. It takes the viewers to a post-extinction event, where a robot named Mother raises a human girl. (On Netflix)

10. The Matrix (1999)

Yes — the Wachowskis’ cyberpunk action film starring Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne. It takes the viewers to a dystopian future where humans are trapped inside the Matrix, a machine-created simulated reality. Whether you’re a fan of this sci-fi classic or not, you cannot deny that it’s a groundbreaking film. Heck, it was even selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. (On HBO Go)