Screamfest 2025 Review: “CognAItive” – A Formulaic Wild Ride!

Films focusing on artificial intelligence is not a new concept but one that has become more self fulfilling within the last couple of years. Over ten years ago films like Ex Machina and Her sparked audiences’ attention and opened up a larger conversation about what this type of technology could become in the future. Today, artificial intelligence has become a reality and one that exemplifies how people use such technology to replace basic human functions.

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CognAItive, directed by Tommy Savas, follows a group of tech employees on the night before the release of their AI tool CognAItive that delivers instant information and completes tasks just like a human can. Kaya (Piper Curda) and her team urge CEO Ethan (Noel Fisher) to halt the release due to system errors but the app has ideas of its own.

CognAitive is a more realistic portrayal of the AI technologies being released today but unfortunately it falls into an all too familiar Black Mirror-esque portrayal of AI trying to kill us all. Its buildup is intriguing as the audience gets to know the band of characters onscreen and their various personalities that combat one another on a professional level, however once CognAItive delivers its first kill the film becomes repetitive to other films in the genre. It feels like it focuses on the realism behind CognAItive to real life tools like Chat GPT but it forgets to make any meaningful push towards innovation in the genre or in its horror elements.

Where CognAItive did find its footing is in its distinct commentary on the people who create these types of technology. It hones in on how various technologies often mirror their own creators and the visibility of its benefits to the world can be attributed to the genuine care, or lack thereof, of the innovator.

In the film, Ethan is a narcissistic CEO with the intent of being the first to release such a technology without any care behind the morality or ethics of CognAItive. Even in the midst of system errors he still becomes obsessed with its release just to say that he was the one who put it out first.

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In this, CognAItive addresses the need to be the first and be named the innovator of new technology rather than on what the invention can do for the world. This idea furthers a commentary on the creators of AI and if their intentions are pure or if they would rather have the pride and glory for their own accomplishments. CognAItive presents some worthwhile ideas but becomes overshadowed by a familiar script.

‘CognAItive’ Rating – 2.5/5