Subscribed

The director Diana Porter and writer Mikel J Wisler build an intriguing script to showcase the relationship between Technology and humans furthermore highlighting the after- effects of the same with the help of the female protagonist Carol (Diana Porter).

The plot of the short film Subscribed revolves around Carol who lives alone with her friendly AI assistant Vicki whose sophisticated data gathering anticipates her every need and desire. But who is in control?

The film opens with a long shot of the fired-up planet as the voiceover starts in the background along with the advertisement. This is a smart method to entice the audience thus increasing the degree of engagement with the content from the very beginning. The drama, suspense, and mystery are the three elements brilliantly utilised to elevate the genre of science fiction making the viewers not lose interest. The set design, colour palette, dialogues, costume, hair, and makeup has been kept natural to complement the subject matter it caters to. The one-room dramatic piece has a well-constructed conversation between Carol, Vicki, and Luke as well as the subplot provides the necessary detailing allowing the audience a fresh perspective hence giving them a chance to interpret it as per their understanding of the movie.

In terms of performance, Diana Porter plays Carol who lives all alone with her only friend AI Vicki away from her husband in search of the right work-life balance. Porter elegantly portrays the range of emotions utilising body language, voice modulations, and facial expressions to uplift the storyline also adding realism so that subscribed becomes emotionally appealing as well as relatable in the eyes of the audience.

Michelle Falanga as AI Vicki lends her beautiful voice to give life to the vision of the director Diana Porter. Falanga understands the nuances of the character given to her and also keeps in mind the demand of screenplay as the technology needs to be multidimensional to meet every human requirement.

Kevin O Peterson plays the role of Luke better half of Carol who appreciates technology but knows what limit should be taken into consideration while using it. Peterson features for a short time but the key messages communicated by Luke in the story tend to stay with the audience even after watching the film.

Subscribed talks about the harmful effects of being over- dependent on technology just like addiction. It also reiterates the importance of human interaction so that one feels a certain sense of normalcy in the continuous race of life upgradation. The science fiction film stands true to the life mantra of change is the only constant but it should also have the traditional ways to ensure the mental and physical wellbeing of people which is of utmost significance, especially in the post-pandemic world. The cinematic piece restates that syncing the life pattern with artificial intelligence may seem very comfortable initially but humans like the imperfections and moods to beat their monotonous routine. The creative piece also talks about the need for emotional support and not only technical from the AI.