A.I. Artificial Intelligence

A.I. Artificial Intelligence has built a real following in the US on YouTube TV and Kanopy, and in the UK on Paramount Plus among viewers who want their sci-fi to think as hard as it looks. The runtime earns every minute, with nothing here that feels like padding. A 7/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Haley Joel Osment's performance is the anchor the more ambitious scenes need. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on YouTube TV.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, A.I. Artificial Intelligence earns its spot. A.I. Artificial Intelligence treats its concept seriously enough to follow it all the way through. David, a robotic boy—the first of his kind programmed to love—is adopted as a test case by a Cybertronics employee and his wife. Though he gradually becomes their child, a series of unexpected circumstances make this life impossible for David. The human element stays intact thanks to Haley Joel Osment and Jude Law, who anchor every scene. It was released in 2001. The world-building is meticulous enough to sustain multiple rewatches, with details early on that only make sense later. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Viewers burned by ambitious sci-fi that could not sustain its premise should give A.I. Artificial Intelligence a chance. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Watch for Haley Joel Osment in particular — the performance elevates the material. Satisfying on multiple levels.