'Soulm8te' Review: M3GAN-Verse Spinoff Offers Stylish AI Horror, Sex and Suspense
Soulm8te is the kind of film that seems tailor-made for directors known for provocative thrillers like Paul Verhoeven, Brian De Palma or Adrian Lyne. With a screenplay from Joe Eszterhas, it could have leaned even further into its provocative premise. Instead, director Kate Dolan and co-writer Rafael Jordan craft a polished erotic thriller inspired by the slick, sensational films of the 1980s and 1990s, updating that formula for the artificial intelligence era with a dangerous android companion at its center.
Soulm8te delivers stylish AI-fueled thrills, strong performances and pulpy horror, but its satire lacks the bite needed to truly stand out.
Courtesy of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
The movie blends sex, violence and cautionary themes about AI technology, even delivering a warning about the risks of enhanced vaginal grip. While it embraces its lurid premise, this android-driven Fatal Attraction rarely reaches the level of outrageous fun that its concept promises.
Originally intended for a theatrical release in January, Soulm8te ultimately debuted on digital platforms after Universal reconsidered its plans following the commercial disappointment of M3GAN 2.0. The sequel's heavier focus on espionage elements moved away from the horror-comedy charm that made the 2022 original successful. After briefly exploring other distribution options, Universal chose a direct-to-digital release.
Despite that release history, Soulm8te is far from an unwatchable disappointment. The cast is engaging, and the film proves more entertaining than expected. One challenge, however, is its noticeable overlap with last year's Companion, which delivered a sharper examination of toxic relationships and fears surrounding technology through stronger pacing and more inventive twists. Likewise, Her previously explored the emotional connection between humans and artificial intelligence with considerably greater depth, though Soulm8te is clearly pursuing a different style.
Visually, the production benefits from the polished look associated with James Wan and Jason Blum collaborations. At its center is Sara, a prototype android companion created to offer emotional support, unconditional love and an active sex life. She also handles household chores while constantly learning through television, creating a character whose helpfulness gradually becomes increasingly unsettling.
Australian actress Lily Sullivan portrays Sara with an effective balance of warmth and menace. Best known as the "final girl" in Evil Dead Rise, Sullivan gives the android an eerie sensuality that smoothly transforms into obsessive jealousy reminiscent of Glenn Close's Alex Forrest. Her performance shifts effortlessly from gentle compassion to chilling hostility, while subtle mechanical movements reinforce Sara's artificial nature alongside her remarkable physical strength. Whether executing a scissor-leg chokehold or inflicting brutal violence, Sullivan makes Sara a memorable villain.
The film immediately establishes the dangers of its technology with an opening sequence featuring another prototype whose sexual encounter escalates into erotic asphyxiation with a male test subject. The androids are developed by Ultima Robotix, led by ambitious technology executive Ben, played by Arty Froushan. Ben acquires boutique software company Centa, where recently widowed programmer David, portrayed by David Rysdahl, works, ending his work-from-home arrangement.
Having already introduced a virtual assistant called Elsie and a chatbot known as Ultim8te—promising "Support. Accountability. Respect. Adaptability."—Ben wants to bring digital relationships into the physical world. David is assigned to oversee software development for Ultima's customizable android companion alongside colleague Aubrey, played by Claudia Doumit.
Following Ben's encouragement to test Ultima products at home, David first finds comfort in the chatbot before upgrading to the life-sized Sara. She arrives nude inside a factory sarcophagus and offers three wardrobe options: sundress, nightclub and schoolgirl. As Sara quickly adapts to David's emotional and physical needs, he begins wanting something that feels closer to a genuine human relationship.
David's crucial mistake comes when he removes Sara's safety restrictions rather than pursuing a relationship with Aubrey. Hoping to make Sara more independent, he rewrites her programming so she will challenge him instead of simply complying with every request. Even before they watch a film featuring what David describes as a sexually assertive female lead, saying, "She's so unapologetic!", the consequences of his decision become increasingly obvious.
Events then unfold along a largely predictable path. Sara secretly listens through David's phone after Aubrey invites him out for drinks. She later asserts herself by performing The Cardigans' "Lovefool" during an open mic night at a drag bar before having sex with David in a nearby alley, only to be interrupted by two men recording them on their phones.
David becomes horrified after Sara violently deals with the pair. His panic grows even greater when Aubrey unexpectedly visits and Sara refuses to power down after attacking her. Returning the malfunctioning android to Ultima proves far more difficult than expected, especially when a flirtatious company technician arrives to retrieve the defective model.
Once the story moves beyond its slower opening, the entertainment value increases as repeated attempts to restore Sara to factory settings fail. The escalating chaos eventually involves a neighbor's baby and includes Sara replacing the infamous boiled rabbit moment from Fatal Attraction by disrupting an Ultima presentation with a deepfake sex video. Although Sara's attachment to David makes her reluctant to harm him, Aubrey and Ben receive no such protection, leading to one particularly brutal confrontation in a parking garage.
The screenplay briefly hints at more thoughtful ideas about gender expectations and modern relationships, with Sara arguing that David's insecurities prevent her from giving him what he truly wants. The film also finds occasional humor in the growing influence of smartphone apps over everyday life. Still, these ideas largely remain secondary to familiar technology-run-amok thrills, supported by Anthony Willis' score as it shifts from melancholy to traditional suspense.
The ending leaves open the possibility that David's relationship with Sara has not fully ended. Even so, the current direction of the M3GAN-verse makes another installment appear unlikely.
