I’m a bigger fan of Blumhouse than most contemporary horror fans. Yeah, their reputation proceeds them (not always for the better), but at its core, they’re still the micro-budget horror studio I fell in love with. Some of their IP filmmaking has been less than great (The Exorcist: Believer, oooph), but otherwise, they’re still one of the better genre springboards giving new voices new opportunities to invent new scares. So, yeah, I did like this year’s Imaginary. This year saw Night Swim, Afraid, and Speak No Evil. Afraid was their sole misfire, just barely recouping its $12 million budget at the worldwide box office. Against all odds, however, the film has found new life on streaming. Presently, Afraid is the most-watched horror movie on Netflix.
Per Netflix: Testing a household artificial intelligence system, a family of five gradually falls victim to its invasive methods and overprotective personality.
Honestly, I’m surprised it took as long as it did for a movie like Afraid to come around. For years, people have been (rightfully) concerned about the broader erosion of privacy in our lives, an erosion augmented by perennially connected devices like Amazon Alexa. Gus Moreno’s This Thing Between Us (fantastic novel) came close, though the horrors there soon dovetailed into something far more sinister. If anyone was going to make the “Alexa, but evil” movie, it’d naturally be Blumhouse.
Yet, for all the goofy thrills the high concept premise promised, Afraid was principally afraid of doing anything new within the mainstream, PG-13 horror space. The film is replete with jump scares, and perfunctory hot-button beats (deepfakes, swatting) that never really probe the core of why those kinds of digital terrors are so frightening to begin with. Stars Katherine Waterston and John Cho keep the film afloat, but it’s all very been there, done that.
Still, Afraid has sufficiently terrorized Netflix audiences. A week later, the film is still sitting pretty in the Netflix Top 10. Honestly, I’m not sure what convinced the executives to give something like Afraid a theatrical debut (especially when Totally Killer was dumped on streaming), but I also don’t know the inner workings of Blumhouse’s many deals and partnerships. Suffice it to say, Afraid is killing it on streaming, no doubt recouping some of what its theatrical bow lost out on. Check out some choice online reactions below:
Making a AI horror movie is genius! Y’all need to watch ‘AFRAID’ on Netflix
— Aisy (@Astoldbyaisy) December 4, 2024
afrAId on Netflix is the worst thing I have ever seen I love ittt
— Yin (@kaorrosi) November 29, 2024
“Afraid” on Netflix was like a sinister version of Smart House with a terrible ending. 2/10 do not recommend.
— B (@breannasimone__) November 30, 2024
Afraid on Netflix was awful but the symbolism was great
— Treenz (@treenz_z) December 5, 2024
i started Afraid on Netflix and it has some of the worst, unnatural dialogue i’ve ever heard.
— Levi Jones (@ImpIsDead) November 28, 2024
That movie Afraid on Netflix was kinda fire. It said everything I believe about our future when it comes to AI
— Peezy head Teezy (@KoolYoungNinja) December 5, 2024
