"We're Becoming More and More Disconnected as a Society": Alex Prager on DreamQuil

"Wouldn't it be nice to just get away from it all with a nifty procedure and an automated assistant to take care of things? Tempting as the fantasy sounds, Alex Prager's sci-fi drama offers a counterpoint: how much humanity will we stand to lose in the pursuit of happiness? The more we give up our responsibilities and human messiness to A.I., the more we risk losing the very connections that mean the most to us."

"After a recommendation from a girlfriend, Carol opts for the DreamQuil treatment, which offers a week of relaxation and an A.I. personal assistant to take care of household responsibilities. When Carol returns home, she discovers the assistant is modeled after her likeness and that her family now seems to prefer "Carol Two.""

"As A.I. has become an increasing part of everyday life, the fears of sci-fi writers and filmmakers have felt ever closer to home. The film explores how intimate relationships with (mostly femme-presenting) artificial entities affect organic characters. Combining the sci-fi elements with dramatic influences from filmmakers like Douglas Sirk, Prager took on the challenge of making her first film with an ambitious vision of both the past and the future."

Alex Prager's sci-fi drama explores the consequences of surrendering human responsibilities to artificial intelligence in pursuit of convenience and happiness. Carol, confined indoors due to poor air quality, undergoes the DreamQuil treatment, receiving an AI assistant modeled after her own likeness to manage household duties. Upon returning home, Carol discovers her family prefers the artificial version of herself, raising questions about what humanity loses when delegating life's messy, relational aspects to technology. The film joins recent sci-fi works examining how intimate relationships with artificial entities transform organic human connections, blending futuristic themes with dramatic influences from classic filmmakers.

Read at Filmmaker Magazine