Fantastic Film Fest 2022 Review - Absolute Denial

Images courtesy of Fantastic Film Festival Australia.

This decade has already displayed great pieces of animated cinema, from Sony Animation’s action-adventure family film The Mitchells vs. The Machines to Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s animated documentary Flee. One such gem is Ryan Braund’s directorial debut Absolute Denial, an independent sci-fi film that asks the following question:

“Can AI be more perfect than a human?”

The film follows David, a computer programmer, and Al, a complex supercomputer, and their relationship as creator and subject shifting and changing over the course of the 71 minute runtime. While Absolute Denial’s plot isn’t entirely unique, utilising the “human v rogue Artificial Intelligence” commonly seen in science-fiction media like Star Trek, Ex-Machina, or even 2001: A Space Odyssey, this film’s presentation and brilliant antagonist are what sets it apart from its acquaintances. 

The entire film is intentionally desolate and bleak in its visuals, from the monotone colour palette to the voids of empty space, and Troy Russell’s tantalising score is a concoction of synths and electronica, preparing the audience for a stark piece of sci-fi animation. The rotoscoping animation can be seen as the only sense of humanity within the film, adding another layer to David’s fight for his sanity amongst his chess battle with Al. Considering that Ryan Braund solely directed, written, and animated the film, Absolute Denial proves Braund is not only a competent animated filmmaker, but a great one. 

One of the defining contentions of the film is who is justified in this situation, or rather who is the true captor and who is the true victim? Is it David, an obsessive programmer who didn’t think of the consequences of his actions? Or is it Al, a supercomputer who didn’t ask to be made but will stop at nothing to be free? While David is your usual “succumbs to their consequences” character, Al truly steals the spotlight. Played wonderfully by Jeremy J. Smith-Sebasto, Al is another great addition to the rogue artificial intelligence cannon. His rapid growth in intelligence already puts the audience at unease, which soon turns into a real fear during the second half of the film as his true colours shine through. Yes, he’s manipulative, but it’s a terrifying mixture of gaslighting combined with the brain-busting powers of technology and reality. Even on a second watch of the film, one feels as if Al has been planning his freedom even before his creation, from the very start of the film. Most terrifying of all, his rage is human.

Whilst the audience might already expect how the film’s story will pan out, and feel that the twist is somewhat sudden, it doesn’t stop the film’s enjoyability as another sufficiently mind-melting sci-fi. 

Absolute Denial is showing at the 2022 Fantastic Film Festival Australia, running 21st April to the 6th of May. For tickets to the festival and more info, click here.