Premiere:
Oct 29, 2025
Country of origin: UK
Directed by:
Various
Written by: Various
Distributed by: Cine
Circle
Genre: Sci-Fi, Drama,
Anthology
Runtime:
77min
Starring:
Various
.png)
Merge is a sci-fi anthology film exploring a common theme of future technology and its effect on humanity. The shorts span from 2021 to 2023 and come from different countries such as Austria, UK and USA. Rather than feeling commissioned as one unified project, it feels like a carefully gathered collection that fits together naturally. I would love to see more anthology films like this.
One thing I noticed right away was the lack of an opening title card. The film simply starts with the first short, which felt a bit strange.
01 – Angst (2021, Austria)
Director and
Writer: Béla Baptiste
Length: 10 minutes
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11775300
This short hooks you immediately with a world that appears perfect on the surface. Beneath that utopian look, something feels wrong. The use of digital backgrounds creates an uncanny atmosphere that supports the story very well. In just ten minutes, it explores how fragile perfection really is and leaves behind a quiet unease that lingers after it ends.
02 – Soulmate (2023, UK)
Director and
Writer: Richard Fenwick
Length: 15 minutes
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16310522
We follow Anna, who works at a digital social platform company called “Synaptic – Beyond AI”. She becomes increasingly involved in the virtual world, to the point where it starts affecting her real life. The storytelling is rich and believable, showing a future that feels very close to what we already have today. Platforms like Second Life comes to mind.
03 – When Unfettered (2023, USA)
Director
and Writer: Derek Franzese
Length: 12 minutes
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt18271646
This one hit me the hardest. We follow Ash, an AI caregiver for an elderly man. After his death, his daughters no longer want her around. The short raises classic questions about artificial intelligence. Do AI feel? Do they dream? It echoes themes explored by Philip K. Dick.
There are subtle Blade Runner vibes, mostly through the music, while the visual tone feels lighter and reminded me of Detroit: Become Human. The acting is strong and the story is emotionally grounded. It is unfortunately a bit short, but I would absolutely love to see this expanded into a full-length movie.
04 – The First Time I Never Met You (2024, UK)
Director
and Writer: Eric Kole
Length: 14 minutes
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14253218
05 – Subscribed (2022, USA)
Director:
Diana Porter
Writer: Mikel J. Wisler
Length: 10 minutes
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15286106
This short opens like a commercial for an AI assistant company called “Vitalus”. We follow Carol, who is isolated in her home due to quarantine. What starts as helpful AI assistance slowly becomes something more unsettling. What might be the reason?
06 – The Man Behind the Machine (2023, UK)
Director
and Writer: Dalano Barnes
Length: 15 minutes
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21249986
The short moves quickly and ends almost too soon, but the idea is
strong. Watching AI struggle with reality always raises the question
of what reality even means.
Overall Impressions
All of the shorts are well made. Some have higher production value than others, but none felt weak or careless. My favorite was When Unfettered because it feels grounded in a reality that is already forming around us.
.png)
What really stands out across the collection is how little of this feels like distant science fiction. We are already living in this world. AI assistants are part of everyday life now. I chat with ChatGPT almost every day, sometimes about lingering questions, sometimes just random thoughts. The idea of having an AI assistant moving around my home does not feel out of the question.
.png)
That is where the real dilemma appears. How safe are we with AI around us. Our phones already observe us constantly. Shorts like Subscribed show how easily helpful technology can shift into something controlling. That is what makes it unsettling. It feels real.
.png)
All of the directors appear to be indie filmmakers. Some have worked on larger productions in assistant roles or as actors, but none seem to have directed major studio films yet. That is not negative. It actually makes the collection more interesting. I hope several of these filmmakers move on to larger projects, especially a full-length version of When Unfettered.
.png)
One thing that still stands out is the lack of an intro or closing title for the collection. Seeing the Merge title at the beginning or the end would have helped tie everything together. It was nice to see full credits for all the shorts in the end, appreciated.
.png)
I give it 8/10, This is a thoughtful and engaging sci-fi anthology that encourages reflection rather than spectacle. These stories feel less like science fiction and more like a glimpse of a very near future.
.png)
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/
Trailer: https://www.youtube.
Prime Video Link: https://www.amazon.co.
https://www.cinecircle.co.uk/
No comments:
Post a Comment