KIMI (2022)
R ‧ Thriller/Crime‧ 2 hours 29 minutes
Written by David Koepp.
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
THE CAST
Zoë Kravitz and Rita Wilson.
THE STORY
A tech worker with agoraphobia discovers recorded evidence of a violent crime, but is met with resistance when she tries to report it. Seeking justice, she must do the thing she fears the most: she must leave her apartment.
THE REVIEW
On paper, KIMI seems like it would make for a great thriller. A modern day thriller using an “Alexa” type device called “KIMI”, Angela, is a tech worker for the device who overhears an apparent assault crime while monitoring streams. Now she is pushing her bosses to get the police involved while her bosses try to silence her and keep the event out of the public eye.
It felt like this could be a new The Net with Sandra Bullock, but it falls so short of that. Kimi continually sets up interesting elements of the story and then tells them in the most boring way possible. People are wearing masks and Angela seems to have developed agoraphobia from the Covid pandemic, but we don’t really explore that much. The KIMI device raising some questions about privacy in our ever-increasing digital world, and yet not much of any eyebrows are being raised. Angela is suffering from agoraphobia as a probable result of the lockdown, but it isn’t really explored deeply.
The villains of the film….meh. Connection to the characters…zilch.
The setting of the film, beautiful Seattle is one of the treats. The other is watching the very talented Zoe Kravitz attempt to defy such an uninteresting script.
THE BEST
Three BEST things about the film
- Zoe Kravitz does a very nice job in the role.
- Interesting concept.
- Takes place in Seattle.
THE WORST
The three WORST things about the Film
- For a thriller it lacked ‘thrills.”
- Huge missed opportunity to make statement on these AI type devices
- Lacked connection with characters.
THE LESSON
Smart devices are used to make life more convenient, but it can’t help write a script.
THE FINAL WORD
Alexa, find something else for me to watch.
THE VERDICT
My 3L system gives me the choice to Love It, Like It, or Lose It.
KIMI gets a Lose It
THE TRAILER
ABOUT SILAS
When he’s not reviewing films or interviewing people for the Black & A Half podcast, Silas Lindenstein can be found in the greater metro Seattle, WA working as a real estate agent helping people buy and sell homes, or performing stand up comedy to fellow nerds. He has a wife and three children and desperately wants to learn to make the perfect homemade pizza.