As I grow older and deal with more life experiences, some good and some bad, it’s interesting to see how that reflects on the wide range of films I see. O Horizon is ostensibly a film about how a character deals with their grief over the loss of a parent. That’s not new subject matter for indie dramas, but writer/director Madeleine Rotzler has made some interesting choices that allow for some humor to come out of this story and, more importantly, the role technology can play in sorting emotions out. More specifically, O Horizon has a working relationship with artificial intelligence, a hot-button topic that could be questionable depending on how it is utilized. Here, however, we have a story that finds an emotional understanding and reasons to debate the usage of A.I., delivering a sweet-natured film in the process.
Maria Bakalova stars as Abby, a young neuroscientist who has recently lost her father (David Strathairn). Now, she spends her days working on a neurological study that involves spending time with a Monkey and monitoring its brain activity. Understanding she must do something to contend with her grief, Abby follows up on an ad that leads her to Sam (Adam Pally), a programmer who has developed technology that essentially allows a person to recreate someone digitally by feeding this program whatever recordings, photos, texts, etc. available. This enables Abby to bring her father back, so to speak, opening up a path for her to finally deal with her grief, even given the unconventional circumstances.
If O Horizon were structured as a genre film, there would be a turn into thriller territory, bringing loved ones back one step further and creating danger. Rotzler’s film doesn’t need any of that. It has a more informed sense of what could naturally follow when a woman who’s hurting inside looks to seek out some sort of closure. The difference here is how cleverly this film weaves in the notion of it being set in the not-too-distant future.
Less dire than, say, RoboCop or Children of Men, there’s a plausible and more optimistic reality in mind that would pair this film up nicely with something like Spike Jonze’s Her. For example, filmed in existing New York locations, some nice post-modern choices are made to represent some of the main settings. Additionally, hints of other forms of technology, such as glasses that project custom forms of imagery within one’s reality, present a world where these forms of tech are just commonplace.
It’s an important distinction, as the movie needs to be an intimate character story with some significant questions surrounding the function of A.I. in the background, and having a fittingly designed world will speak to what the viewer should be taking away from this. While being a film focused on the grieving process, whereas other films may lean on a more muted color palette, I admired how open O Horizon felt. We follow the characters into various New York locations not often seen in movies, and cinematographer Wolfgang Held allows for a lot of color and vibrancy to be at the forefront.
These choices are quite suitable, as they serve the characters well when considering how we should ultimately align with their journey. With that in mind, I was very impressed by Bakalova here. Having only become more of a screen actor in recent years and working with co-leads or ensembles, here’s a feature putting her front-and-center, and she truly brings out terrific work in showing the range of this character. It’s easy enough to say Abby is sad and working too hard. Still, there’s also a sense of wonder in coming to understand the new technology she utilizes, a bit of a sense of humor when it comes to other steps she takes during the film, and more to realize about her as the film moves forward.
Strathairn is a veteran character actor and, of course, delivers what’s needed as well. It may have been nice to learn more about this man, but it also speaks to how we see things from Abby’s perspective. In smaller roles, I appreciated what Maggie Grace, Avi Nash, and Pally provided as various people in Abby’s life. Pally, who is naturally very funny, has a distinct hint of sentiment behind his comedic energy that makes the initial setup feel more intriguing than potentially disturbing. There’s even a late-in-the-film appearance by another unexpected presence that lends the film more of a sense of what it’s ultimately after, which has a hand in bypassing some of the trickier questions regarding the morality of A.I.
I mentioned, somewhat in jest, that a version of this film could have turned into a genre thriller with certain changes. It’s fun to bring this up again because I appreciate how much O Horizon goes in the opposite direction. As the film progresses and we are led to question how much Abby is becoming reliant on having conversations with her deceased father, a refreshing choice comes down to an impromptu trip taken that essentially isolates the characters and allows for more introspection. You may not be able to get away with that in a studio film, but Rotzler and her team find real strength, allowing characters to have revelations with more interesting ways to reckon with their complexities.
Naturally, another personal question can come up when considering this film’s premise, which would be to turn things back around on the viewer and ask them what they would do with a chance to recreate a loved one using available data. So many variables can certainly present a challenge, but I can appreciate the ultimately positive outlook that a film like O Horizon has. If that means leaning on science fiction meets magical realism to make a point, it’s hardly an issue. A strong lead performance from Bakalova and intriguing filmmaking choices allow for effective results and good reason for further conversation afterward. So yes, O Horizon has more going on underneath its top layer.
