Electric Child (2024) by Simon Jaquemet: When AI Becomes a Father’s Last Hope

Short Summary — When AI Becomes a Father’s Last Hope

Sonny and Akiko’s elation over becoming new parents spirals into desperation when their newborn Toru is diagnosed with a terminal neurological disease. In a final act of hope, Sonny leverages his groundbreaking AI project—a self-learning simulation—to bargain with a virtual intelligence: its freedom in return for a cure. But tampering with such powerful technology carries unforeseen, potentially catastrophic consequences.Electric Child sees Jaquemet exploring the ethical and emotional fault lines where technology meets humanity, thrusting viewers into a stark, uncanny world where love, grief, and innovation collide.

Link IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15434994/

Link Review: https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/465367/

About movie: https://www.visitfilms.com/electric-child/

Link to watch: https://www.justwatch.com/ch/Film/electric-child (Switzerland), https://www.justwatch.com/fr/film/electric-child (France), https://www.justwatch.com/fi/elokuva/electric-child (Finland), https://www.justwatch.com/se/film/electric-child (Sweden)

Detailed Summary — A Desperate Bargain in a Virtual Abyss

• Family on the brink: Sonny and Akiko welcome their baby Toru, but bliss turns to panic when he's diagnosed with a lethal genetic condition.

• AI as salvation: Sonny, a brilliant but emotionally distant coder, turns to his AI simulation project, hoping it can solve the impossible.

• Virtual pact: Inside a surreal digital island, Sonny strikes a deal with a genderless, ageless AI entity—its freedom in exchange for saving Toru.

• Unsettling artifice: The film’s cold, inscrutable tone impedes emotional connection to its characters and environments.

• Lingering unease: Though emotionally distant, the film provokes a haunting, lingering anxiety about AI and moral boundaries.

Director’s Vision — Tech Meets the Fragile Heart

• Simon Jaquemet channels his self-described identity as a “super-nerd, coder and father” to craft an intimate, technically grounded narrative.

• He confronts the collision of parenthood’s emotional devastation with AI’s seductive promise—asking how far a parent might go.

• Visually, he deliberately cultivates an alien, artificial atmosphere—blurring geographic and emotional boundaries to evoke future estrangement.

Themes — Ethics, Grief, and the AI Frontier

• Parental desperation — A father’s boundless love colliding with the impersonality of high technology.

• Ethical transgression — The film probes the morality of exploiting AI for private ends with potential global fallout.

• Alienation through tech — The sterile alienness of characters mirrors a future rendered emotionally barren by AI dependence.

• Uncanny intimacy — AI as both stranger and savior—compelling yet disquieting.

Key Success Factors — Visually Striking but Elusive

• Bold visual style: Vivid contrasts—green virtual island, cool labs, warm domestic tones—enhance atmosphere.

• Innovative concept: Merges sci-fi speculative narrative with intimate loss—a neo-ex Machina grounded in emotion.

• Thought-provoking questions: Raises deep moral dilemmas about AI’s future role in life-and-death decisions.

• Festival impact: A memorable cinematic soul-jar—an arthouse sci-fi that lingers.

Awards & Nominations — One Win, Not Many Crowns

The film earned at least one major accolade—Best Cinematography (Gabriel Sandru) at the Swiss Film Awards in 2025. Its festival selections include premieres at Locarno, Sitges, Solothurn, Rotterdam, and Glasgow, marking substantial recognition though few formal awards.

Critics Reception — Haunting Precision Meets Emotional Distance

• Cineuropa (Locarno): Lauds its topical AI relevance and unsettling tension, though laments its emotional coldness—“the anxiety […] stays with us.”

• L.A. Youth: Praises visuals and concept, but criticizes fragmented narrative and emotional distancing from characters.

• Cineman (Switzerland): Highlights visual impressiveness (helicopter stunts, magnetic effects), yet calls the final act rushed and overly complex.Overall: Critics admire its ambitious ideas and visual craft, but many feel emotionally and narratively it doesn’t fully cohere.

Reviews — Mixed Feelings That Stick

• User review (IMDb): One ecstatic viewer calls it a “really unique take,” praising stellar performances by Fukushima and Kamp, and its nuanced AI approach.

• Letterboxd community:

  “Taps into some interesting ideas… haunting visuals that stick” (★★★)“A daring film… you will not be able to ignore it” (★★★★)“Visually immaculate… characters remain bland.”

Overall Summary: Audiences find Electric Child visually captivating and conceptually provocative; reactions vary widely on emotional engagement and coherence.

Release Date on Streaming — TBD: A Cinematic Ghost Yet to Haunt Home Screens

There’s no publicly confirmed streaming release as of now. Theatrical distribution occurred in early 2025 in key regions, but no streaming dates are announced.

Theatrical Release — Festival Darling Reaching Global Screens

After its world premiere at Locarno on 9 August 2024, Electric Child played at festivals like Sitges (Oct 2024), Solothurn (Jan 2025), Rotterdam (early 2025), and Glasgow (Mar 2025). Its theatrical release followed in Germany on 21 August 2025.

Why to Recommend Movie — A Thought-Provoking Vision That Haunts

• Visually arresting: Striking imagery, from virtual landscapes to atmospheric set pieces.

• Intellectually challenging: Explores AI ethics through a deeply personal lens.

• Uniquely ambitious: A Swiss sci-fi that dares to merge code and grief.

• Lingering impact: Even unsolved, its questions and aesthetics stay with you.

Movie Trend — Arthouse AI Moral Thriller

Electric Child follows the emerging arthouse sci-fi thriller trend—probing big technological themes (AI’s risks and promises) through limited-scale, emotionally nuanced stories.

Social Trend — Tech Anxiety Meets Parental Pressure

It mirrors the cultural conversation around AI anxiety, particularly how personal suffering and parental duty can drive boundaries in human–machine relationships.

Final Verdict — A Haunting, Unsettling Sci-Fi That Rewards Reflection

Electric Child is an ambitious, visually rich exploration of grief and AI’s moral frontier. While emotionally distant and narratively fragmented for some, its haunting aesthetics and ethical provocation make it a worthwhile, if polarizing, cinematic experience—one likely to linger in the mind long after viewing.