One of the Coolest Sci-Fi Movies of the Year Is Only 8 Minutes Long
In acreepy post-script to our recent storyabout virtual reality, a creative studiofrom Buenos Aires has released a short film imagining a world (a future?) where people escape from regular life into VR worlds. The short “Uncanny Valley” starts with a series of interviews with gamers describing their day-to-day life: 17 hours of combat with short breaks to eat and sleep. One gamer puts it simply: “I wake up, check my rankings, and go straight to the battlefield.” We see the contrast of waking life with the detail and adrenaline that’s part of their virtual reality.
Produced by 3DAR, the film has the incredible visuals of a fancy blockbusterpacked into eightmesmerizing minutes. It takes its name from the phraseused to describe the disconcertingfeeling many experiencewhen looking at a computer-generated face that’s close to perfect, butan eerie fake quality remains. “Uncanny Valley” extrapolates fromanxieties about present-day society likeall good sci-fi does, leavingthe viewer with that same uncomfortable feeling. But I don’t want to spoil the ending — you should just watch for yourself.
The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. Will you support The World with a gift today? Donations made between now and Dec. 31 will be matched 1:1. Thanks for investing in our work!