Just days after its Netflix debut on December 5, an R-rated sci-fi thriller starring Megan Fox has stolen the top spot in the Netflix Top 10.
Directed by S. K. Dale, "Subservience" takes us into the near future, where robots and artificial intelligence have become even bigger parts of our lives than they already are. In the movie, a struggling father decides to take the plunge and purchase a robotic housekeeper... and ends up inviting trouble into his own home.
"Subservience" also stands as living proof that not everything that climbs the rankings is necessarily a must-watch, as it has landed a very mixed reception. From the sounds of things, it seems like "M3GAN" will remain the favorite of cinema's recent run of killer robots, for now.
Curious about this new Netflix hit? Here's a little more info about "Subservience", including a sample of what some critics have said about it.
What is 'Subservience' about?
"Subservience" takes place in the near future and revolves around a struggling father, Nick (Michele Morrone), and his evolving relationship with Alice (Megan Fox), a lifelike, state-of-the-art artificially intelligent android known as a SIM.
Construction worker Nick lives with his wife, Maggie (Madeline Zima), and their two young kids. Maggie lives with a heart condition and is hospitalized while awaiting a transplant. Nick finds it difficult to manage the household, which prompts him to purchase a robotic assistant, whom his daughter names "Alice".
Initially, the new housekeeper proves a very helpful addition, but she soon starts exhibiting strange and dangerous behavior as she grows increasingly attached to Nick and his family, and more determined to replace Maggie entirely.
Should you stream 'Subservience'?
While I think Fox does an earnest job of catching the uncanny valley feel of being a "lifelike" android, there's little else to write home about here.
Expressionless and increasingly menacing, Fox is easily the best part of "Subservience"... it's just a shame that the movie doesn't have anything fresh to offer that doesn't make it feel, cynically, like a sexed-up riff on what has been done better elsewhere.
Predictable and hampered by hammy dialogue, "Subservience" isn't the worst movie about AI on Netflix (that could well be "Afraid"), but I'm certain you could find better things to stream, too. If you really want this kind of sci-fi in your life, I'd instead recommend spending $3 to rent "Ex Machina" on Prime Video, instead.
The movie doesn't have anything fresh to offer that doesn't make it feel, cynically, like a sexed-up riff on what has been done better elsewhere.
I'm far from the only person who isn't exactly heaping praise on "Subservience". At the time of writing, the movie's got a 50% critics score and a 51% Popcornmeter rating on the review aggregate site, Rotten Tomatoes.
As an example of what some critics had to say, The Guardian's Leslie Felperin gave the movie a two-star rating, writing: "Fox’s creepy robot servant tries to take over in this sci-fi horror, playing on AI fears. Were it less predictable, it could have been a cult classic. But it’s not."
Reviewing for Screen Rant, writer Ben Gibbons highlights Fox's performance and the visual effects, but was otherwise let down by "Subservience", writing: "The disappointment ultimately comes from realizing what this movie could've been, and how it falls short of reaching its potential. With a little more thought, and some effort made to elevate the narrative beyond sexy killer robots, it could have carved out a space as a cult hit, but Subservience falls short."
Audience reactions, meanwhile, range from praising Fox's "chillingly effective" performance or labeling "Subservience" an "enjoyable" watch to calling the overall movie "predictable and cringy" or even flat-out "awful".
If that's put you off streaming "Subservience" — or you're one of the many Netflix subscribers who've already checked it out — we've got plenty more streaming recommendations to help you find your next watch. Check out our guide to the best Netflix sci-fi movies or the overall roundup of the best Netflix movies you should be watching right now.
