Title: The Artifice Girl
MPA Rating: Not Rated
Director: Franklin Ritch
Starring: Tatum Matthews, Lance Henriksen, Sinda Nichols
Runtime: 1 hr 33 mins

What It Is: Gareth (Writer/Director Ritch) is a talented hacker and programmer who’s invented an unbelievably realistic AI program code named “Cherry”. “Cherry”‘s purpose is to help hunt and prosecute child predator. As the program finds success a government organization begins to suspect Gareth of being a predator. Once they learn of his program, its intent and how he can help their mission they recruit him and thus the government now has a way to track and find the most vile of offenders. But is there something more to “Cherry”?

What We Think: The questions it asks of AI and what it can do and be are relevant here in 2023. Franklin Ritch is good in all three facets of the film. His acting is solid the writing in the film is great and his direction is smart and simple. There’s nothing particularly striking about the visuals in the film but some films are all style and lack substance. This has the opposite issue it’s all substance. Thankfully that substance comes from a dynamite script. One that is smart and well written. Utilizing it’s three act structure to a surprisingly solid effect.

Our Grade: B+, I had no idea what I was getting myself into with this. What I got was a great piece of sci-fi. One that doesn’t talk down to the audience but instead trust the audience to know what this film is talking about. Franklin Ritch has a future. I’d love to see what he does next. This was his debut feature. He’d only done shorts and videos before this. I was pleasantly surprised by this particular film. I can 100% recommend you check this one out. You won’t be sorry.