THE CREATOR
Movies

“The Creator” First Reactions: A Stunning, Emotionally Resonant Original Sci-Fi Saga

September 19, 2023
By The Credits

It sounds as if writer/director Gareth Edwards (Godzilla, Rogue One) has pulled it off. Delivering a huge, original sci-fi blockbuster is a hard thing to do in the best of times, and especially hard in a climate that prefers its blockbusters to have built-in IP, yet the first reactions to his latest film, The Creator, suggest he’s done just that. “Masterful,” “soulful,” “visually stunning and emotional,” and “absolutely radical” are a few of the descriptions being bandied about. The full reviews are embargoed for now, but these initial reactions are sure to whet the appetite of sci-fi fans everywhere.

With The Creator, Edwards turns his attention to our growing unease with the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence in a film that puts a human face on the algorithms of doom. The film is centered on John David Washington’s Joshua, an ex-special forces agent grieving his wife’s disappearance (Gemma Chan) who is recruited to take out a weapon created by the architect of a robot rebellion against humanity that began with a nuclear detonation in Los Angeles and has led to an outright war between humanity and the robot world. Yet when Joshua finally makes contact with the weapon, he finds out it’s a small girl named Alphie (Madeleine Yuna Voyles), who is far from your average elementary school student. Alphie is a humanoid robot powered by artificial intelligence that is believed to be the ultimate weapon of mass destruction. 

Joining Washington, Voyles, and Chan is a top-notch cast that includes Ken Watanabe (Inception), Allison Janey (I, Tonya), and Sturgill Simpson (Dog). Edwards directs from a script he co-wrote with Chris Weitz, his collaborator from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Check out the early reactions here. The Creator hits theaters on September 29:

For more on The Creator, check out these stories:

Final “The Creator” Trailer Finds John David Washington in a Fight for the Fate of Humanity

A New Special Look at “The Creator” Probes Gareth Edwards’ Humans vs Artificial Intelligence Epic

The Official “The Creator” Trailer Reveals Gareth Edwards AI-Centered Sci-Fi Epic

Featured image: John David Washington as Joshua on the set of 20th Century Studios’ THE CREATOR. Photo by Oren Soffer. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

TAGS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The Credits

The Credits is an online magazine that tells the story behind the story to celebrate our large and diverse creative community. Focusing on profiles of below-the-line filmmakers, The Credits celebrates the often uncelebrated individuals who are indispensable to the films and TV shows we love.