The Creator is a 2023 science fiction action thriller film directed by Gareth Edwards (Godzilla, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) from a screenplay written by Edwards and Chris Weitz (American Pie, About a Boy), and a story from Edwards. The film stars John David Washington (Tenet, BlacKkKlansman), Gemma Chan (Eternals, Don’t Worry Darling), Ken Watanabe (Inception, Batman Begins), Sturgill Simpson (The Dead Don’t Die, The Hunt), Madeleine Yuna Voyles, and Allison Janney (10 Things I Hate About You, I, Tonya).

Amid a future war between the human race and the forces of artificial intelligence, Joshua (Washington), a hardened ex-special forces agent grieving the disappearance of his wife, is recruited to hunt down and kill the Creator, the elusive architect of advanced AI who has developed a mysterious weapon with the power to end the war—and humankind itself.

The Creator made its debut in theaters on September 29th, courtesy of 20th Century Studios.

THE GOOD

I’m not necessarily a sci-fi guy when it comes to movies, at least its not my favorite genre, but I am always intrigued by the films that take a more creative approach in terms of the story and the feel to try and appeal to viewers who may not always be drawn to the genre. When the first trailer for The Creator dropped I was intrigued as it looked like something that seemed to add that little extra, and it actually gave me vibes reminiscent of Neil Blomkamp’s underrated 2009 sci-fi action thriller District 9, and that alone had me intrigued. The trailer was immersive, I loved the overall feel, and I’m not gonna lie I am a fan of John David Washington, the son of one of the greatest actors to ever do it, Denzel Washington. So, was my excitement for The Creator warranted or was it just another letdown for the sci-fi genre? Keep reading to find out!

I had high expectations coming in and this movie did not disappoint. I absolutely loved the visuals and the overall feel of The Creator, and I thought they nailed it in terms of what they were going for. A film like this needs to suck viewers in and I was locked in from the start because of the lived-in and immersive world they were able to create. This is very much a post-apocalyptic style film in terms of the presence of artificial intelligence and just how different things have become. I won’t spoil anything but the film does a great job of setting the stage for the focal point of the films story and keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. With a film like The Creator you expect the score and soundtrack to play a big part and it does.

A big selling point for The Creator is the story and overall I was impressed with it. I really liked how they handled the flashbacks, and I felt like I continued to learn more about the story as the film progressed without anything feeling rushed or forced. Even though the film is science fiction it feels very much rooted in reality when it comes to heart of the story for the film. I liked how certain events more or less force you to make assumptions which are later questioned which adds to the intrigue of the overall story. I was never bored and and for me that alone speaks volumes.

John David Washington delivers what I felt like was one of his best performances so far. I have been a fan of his for quite some time and it is great to see him getting opportunities with starring roles. I felt like he took full advantage and made his mark with this role. As his career continues to progress I could see JDW duplicating some level of his fathers success even though they do have a different skillset as performers. I thought Gemma Chan was fantastic as Maya, and really helped to bring the necessary intrigue to the film alongside Washington’s character. I also really liked young actress Madeleine Yuna Voyles as Alphie. Her character was such a big part of the story and if she didn’t deliver things would have fallen apart fast, so a well deserved kudos to her. Allison Janney is a star, no question about that, and one of my favorite things about her as an actress is her impressive versatility. She can play a sympathetic character perfectly, and the next thing you know she is the primary protagonist for a film. She is just such a great actress and deserves each and every role she is given. I won’t go too much more in depth on the cast but I thought everyone was fantastic.

On the technical side The Creator is an impressive film, and for that reason it really needs to be seen in theaters to be fully appreciated. One of the reasons why is just the sheer scale of the film as it feels pretty massive from the start. This genre really needs to sell the element of spectacle and I felt like they succeeded here. I also really enjoyed the score and soundtrack for the film as I felt like it added that additional element of immersion for viewers. My favorite thing about The Creator on the technical side is without a doubt the visuals and overall feel of the film as it reminded me of one of my favorite sci-fi dramas in Neil Blomkamp’s District 9. The AI and “robots” had a unique humanity to them which helped to create this unique tug-of-war for the us vs. them element of the story. Although it does borrow elements from other great sci-fi films, The Creator still maintains a unique identity because of the half human/half AI population and I thought they looked so damn cool.

THE BAD

I really didn’t have many issues with The Creator as a whole, but I do think that it had a chance to be epic but never quite took that leap. I can think of a few points in the film towards the final act where it had a chance to really blow viewers away, but it was almost like it held back to an extent or maybe chose to stay a bit more grounded for one reason or another. I guess I was just expecting that “wow moment” that never really came, or maybe even the mind-blowing finale like we got from Denis Villeneuve’s 2016 sci-fi drama Arrival (our full review here), but admittedly that is a high bar. If you have yet to see it I couldn’t recommend it more, and it is now streaming on Paramount Plus. Either way, the good surely outweighs the bad with The Creator no question about that.

THE VERDICT

A powerful story with top-tier visuals reminiscent of Neil Blomkamp’s District 9, The Creator is a large-scale sci-fi thriller that needs to be experienced in theaters. I am always excited when I have the opportunity to experience this genre in theaters and it did not disappoint. Between John David Washington’s performance and the overall immersive experience the film provides, The Creator is well worth the price of admission.