Humanity has always been interested in the concept of artificial intelligence (AI), which is why the film industry has been tackling it since the first AI movie, Metropolis, in 1927. For decades, filmmakers have hypothesized and even warned about what a world with near-sentient, intelligent machines would look like. Now that real-life technology, such as GPT-4o, is genuinely starting to resemble the AI seen in movies like Her, interest in these movies is only increasing.
For those interested in AI from a filmmaker’s perspective, this guide will explain where to watch the 25 best movies about AI.
Some of the best AI movies are also some of the best sci-fi movies ever made, including The Matrix, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Blade Runner. The Matrix sees Neo (Keanu Reeves), Morpheus (Laurence Fishburn), and Trinity (Carrie-Ann Moss) seek the truth about the reality they live in. It warned of unchecked technological advancement, probing a dark world where AI enslaves humanity, trapping them in a virtual reality.
The idea of a dystopian world where AI takes over humanity has been explored in countless films, including The Creator, Ex Machina, Westworld, and I Am Mother. In fact, even back in the 1970s, films like Colossus: The Forbin Project were already exploring malevolent intelligent machines, highlighting the long-standing anxiety over advanced technology.
Some movies, like Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, explore AI exerting control in a smaller capacity. However, Kubrick’s film is one of the most chilling, given that the AI, depicted as a simple red light, resembles modern voice recognition technology like Siri and Alexa.
Then, movies like Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner delve into other issues with AI, primarily the difficult question of what draws the line between humans and technology. As Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) falls for a lifelike “Replicant,” it begs the question of what it will mean to be human once technology and humans become indistinguishable.
There are additional movies like Blade Runner where AI isn’t necessarily evil.
In films like Star Wars and Iron Man, AI machines like C-3PO and J.A.R.V.I.S. are friendly droids and AI assistants who help save the world. In the Joaquin Phoenix-led Her and Sam Rockwell-led Moon, the movies explore the concept of AI as a coping mechanism for human loneliness. Pixar’s 2008 animated hit WALL-E even delves into how AI may take charge simply because of sheer human laziness.
Where to watch the best movies about AI online
Whether it’s exploring dystopian worlds with evil AI, probing the concept of what it means to be human, delving into human-machine relationships, or exploring the potential of advanced technology, countless great movies have been made about AI.
Here is where to watch the 25 best AI movies ranked by quality, popularity, and how sophisticated their commentary on AI is.