Simulant is a 2023 Canadian science fiction thriller film directed by April Mullen. It stars Robbie Amell, Jordana Brewster, Simu Liu, Alicia Sanz, and Sam Worthington. The film was released on April 7, 2023.
| Simulant | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | April Mullen |
| Written by | Ryan Christopher Churchill |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Russ De Jong |
| Edited by | Orlee Buium |
| Music by | Blitz//Berlin |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Mongrel Media |
Release date |
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Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
Premise
editA woman named Faye tries to replace her newly deceased husband, Evan, with a humanoid simulant. The simulant enlists a global hacker to remove all restrictions on his thoughts and capabilities, triggering an A.I. uprising and a government manhunt to eliminate the rise of the machine consciousness.
Cast
edit- Robbie Amell as Evan
- Jordana Brewster as Faye
- Alicia Sanz as Esmé
- Simu Liu as Casey
- Sam Worthington as Kessler
- Masa Lizdek as Lisa
- Christine L. Nguyen as Ying
- Emmanuel Kabongo as Joshua
- Samantha Helt as Morgan
- Conrad Coates as Supervisor Abendjor
- Mayko Nguyen as Michiko Higashi
- Mercedes Leggett as Agent Vasquez
- Von Flores as Superintendent
- Zarrin Darnell-Martin as Tasha
Production
editIn September 2021, Luke Grimes was announced to star.[1] In December 2021, Sam Worthington and Jordana Brewster were added to the cast.[2] In early 2022, Grimes dropped out of the project while Robbie Amell, Alicia Sanz, and Simu Liu joined the cast.[3][4] Filming was underway in the Toronto area by February 2022.[4]
Release
editSimulant was released theatrically in Canada by Mongrel Media on April 7, 2023.[5] It was released in the United States on the DirecTV streaming service by Vertical Entertainment on May 5, followed by a theatrical release on June 2.[6]
Reception
editOn the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 47% of 32 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.6/10.[7]
In reviewing the film for The New York Times, Elisabeth Vincentelli wrote, "Whenever it tries to go for action, Simulant comes up short... nobody will mistake this for Blade Runner. The film is on much firmer ground as a relationship drama, in the vein of the British series Humans, where the artificial creations are called 'synths'."[8]
References
edit- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (September 9, 2021). "Yellowstone & Fifty Shades Star Luke Grimes Set For Sci-Fi Thriller Hello Stranger; Myriad & CAA Rep Sales – Toronto Market". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (December 2, 2021). "Hello Stranger: Jordana Brewster & Sam Worthington Join Luke Grimes In Sci-Fi-Thriller". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
- ^ Wiseman, Andreas (February 2, 2022). "Robbie Amell & Alicia Sanz Join Sam Worthington & Jordana Brewster In Hello Stranger — EFM". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
- ^ a b Wiseman, Andreas (February 22, 2022). "Shang-Chi Star Simu Liu Joins Sam Worthington, Jordana Brewster, Robbie Amell & Alicia Sanz In Thriller Hello Stranger". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
- ^ Furdyk, Brent (March 22, 2023). "Simulant: Exclusive Look At New Canadian Sci-Fi Film Starring Simu Liu, Robbie Amell, Jordana Brewster & Sam Worthington". ET Canada. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
- ^ Complex, Valerie (February 14, 2023). "'Simulant': Vertical Takes Domestic & UK/Ireland On Sci-Fi Thriller; Sets Streaming And Theatrical Release Dates". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
- ^ "Simulant". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
- ^ Vincentelli, Elisabeth (July 7, 2023). "Five Science Fiction Movies to Stream Now". The New York Times. Retrieved July 9, 2023.