Canada
2023 85 mins
OV English
Maddie (Alexa Barajas, YELLOWJACKETS, THE FLASH) is in trouble. She’s been in an accident, and her politician mother can’t have her careless daughter destroying the reputation she’s built, so she sends Maddie to a safe house — a state-of-the-art domicile boasting a fully operational AI system called ROMI. Hertig (Pavel Kríz, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL), the property manager and owner, gives Maddie a tour of her new digs, complete with every convenience brought to her by ROMI. He’s a bit strange, and she’s wary of him, but there’s also the awkwardly charming A.I. tech Barkley (Juan Riedinger, CLAWS, RICEBOY SLEEPS), whose genius built the artificial assistant from the ground up. Despite the occasional company, Maddie is scared she’ll be arrested and feels quite alone… and there’s something not quite right with ROMI. What lies ahead becomes an unsettling mystery for her, and surviving this lockdown instead of going to jail becomes her top priority.
Robert Cuffley (CHOKESLAM, BRIGHT HILL ROAD) reunites with acclaimed writer and producer Susie Moloney (BRIGHT HILL ROAD), described as “Canada’s Stephen King,” to expand their 2019 short of the same name to a feature-length film. Cuffley and Maloney embraced the rise of A.I. and its insidious implications that have been explored over the years with movies like DEMON SEED (1977) and the TV series BLACK MIRROR. In ROMI, we revisit the questions society faces with unexpected chilling elements and loads of suspense. This monster-tech movie raises questions of morality and deep secrets that will eventually surface despite monumental efforts to conceal the truth. Produced by Colin Sheldon, with great performances by genre faves Barajas, Riedinger, and Kríz, and Jocelyn Chugg as the voice of ROMI, this crowd-pleasing high-tech horror is one property you won’t write off! – Carolyn Mauricette