Automation: DREAD’s newest release has a lot of heart

Automation is a brand new film coming from Dread. For a movie that centers around robots, it sure does have a lot of heart.

A week ago I was pleased to be able to share information on the trailer of Dread’s newest release, Automation. This week, I’m even more pleased that I get to discuss all of my thoughts on this film! Reader, I was not disappointed by what I saw.

An office workplace has introduced robots to the scene; a means to remove 90% of staff so that the company can gain more of a profit. Auto, the prototype originally sent to observe and learn, discovers that he will not have his battery charged and instead will be soon deactivated. This is all in favor of bringing in an upgraded crew of machinery.

After making this discovery, Auto manages to revert back to his previous programming — being a war machine. Now the very few remaining office workers must find a way to survive Auto’s attack.

Automation has all of the makings of a classic slasher. From the final girl trope to bizarre kills. I was enthralled by this movie from beginning to end. Even if science fiction isn’t your go-to genre, you should definitely still be able to find enjoyment in Automation.

The action of this movie doesn’t really kick in until about 40 minutes into its runtime, however, I loved getting to know Auto, Jenny (played by Elissa Downing), Alan (played by Parry Shen) and the rest of the characters. It’s this time spent developing characters and relationships that really lends a hand at giving the viewer a proper pay-off when it comes to the conclusion.

I’d even argue that Automation can be considered a Christmas film; one that doesn’t include Santa Claus and his crew of elves. However, Bill (played by Jeff Rector) does dress up as Santa and passes out gifts at one point.

There’s a lot of Christmas imagery throughout Automation, seeing as the film takes place around the holiday. But if we ignore the obvious Christmas themes, we see that the movie can be boiled down to being about the friendship between Auto and Jenny. The Christmas season is all about showing your loved ones that you care about them, and that’s exactly what this unlikely duo does throughout Automation.

Would you judge me if I admitted to tearing up at the end?

Automation is sure to be a memorable film and is a perfect addition to your Christmas marathons. It may have a lot of bloodshed and violence, but there’s still a lot of heart in this AI-takeover film. Our antagonist, for lack of a better word, might just be a simple machine but at times it’s really hard to not feel sympathetic towards the character.

And besides, wouldn’t you do whatever it takes to protect yourself and your loved one?

Are you going to check out Automation? What are some other AI-takeover films that you enjoy? Tell us in the comments!

Automation will be heading to VOD and Blu-Ray on December 3rd! Check out Epic Pictures to order your copy today!