A recent analysis suggests that several science fiction releases from the early 2020s have already aged poorly due to real-world shifts. The report highlights titles ranging from Blumhouse's AI thriller Afraid to Sony's Morbius as films that now feel uncomfortable or narratively obsolete.
The AIA digital assistant and Blumhouse's missed AI opportunity
Blumhouse Productions' 2024 film Afraid has struggled to maintain relevance as generative AI becomes a central cultural debate. The movie follows a family interacting with a digital assistant named AIA, which eventually turns into a source of terror. While the film attempted to explore the dangers of technology, the report says its depiction of "AI psychosis" was too poorly executed to be taken seriously by audiences.
The rapid advancement of generative AI technology has turned what was intended as a horror premise into a frustrating reminder of real-world concerns . Because the technology is evolving so quickly, the film's inability to capture the nuance of AI manipulation makes it feel like a missed opportunity rather than a revolutionary look at the future.
The Kang the Conqueror pivot in Marvel's Secret Invasion
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) series Secret Invasion has become a narrative dead end following shifts in the franchise's overarching plot. The series was designed to establish Jonathan Majors' Kang the Conqueror as the primary antagonist for the Multiverse Saga.. However, as the report notes, the MCU has since moved away from this setup, leaving the series feeling like an awkward chapter that no longer connects to the broader cinematic timeline.
Adam McKay's Don't Look Up and the climate change reality check
Netflix's Don't Look Up, directed by Adam McKay,has transitioned from a divisive satire into an eerie reflection of modern crisis management. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, the film uses a comet's path toward Earth as a metaphor for the global response to climate change. While the film was once criticized for being too "on-the-nose," the passage of time has made its portrayal of indifferent leaders and a distracted public feel less like fiction and more like documentation.
Sony's abandoned SSU and the Jared Leto controversy
Sony's Morbius represents a significant collapse in the planned Sony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU). The film, starring Jared Leto, attempted to bridge the gap between the SSU and the MCU by featuring Michael Keaton's Vulture. However , Sony has since put an end to its series of villain-focused films, rendering the crossover attempt entirely pointless.
The film's legacy is further complicated by Jared Leto's real-world controversies, which have made his performance increasingly uncomfortable to watch. this leaves several questions regarding the future of Sony's interconnected storytelling: Will the studio ever revisit the character connections established in Morbius, or has the SSU been officially abandoned? Additionally, it remains to be seen if the franchise can recover from the narrative disconnect caused by the pivot away from its established villains.
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