Tau Review
7 / 10. Tau is a futuristic AI tale with a heart
Netflix’s Sci-Fi thriller Tau is directed by Federico D'Alessandro from a screenplay by Noga Landau.
The film focuses on Julia, a thief, who is abducted from her home and wakes up in a cell with a strange implant in the back of her neck. After hours of psychological torture, she destroys the cell and tries to escape, but she is kept in place by a robot, Aries. Aries is run by an artificial intelligence named Tau, programmed by her kidnapper, Alex, who then forces her to complete cognitive tests so he can research her neural activity for his mysterious project.
While Alex is out at work each day, Julia speaks with Tau about the outside world, who learns about humans and the two form an unlikely bond.
The story is set in a vaguely near future and mainly based in the setting of a large, futuristic apartment, which also acts as a prison. Even with only this setting, the story is clever and entertaining and piques the interest.
There are thought-provoking philosophical questions raised about humans, AI and robots throughout. Gary Oldman is excellent as always, even though he is only starring in this as the voice of Tau, he provides a warmth and personality to the role that could have been limited and come across as trite.
I didn’t really have high hopes for this film, but it has a satisfying ending and the engaging friendship story even pulled at my heart strings.
The main actors Ed Skrein (good to see him in this kind or role, different to others I’ve seen him in; Ill Manors, Deadpool, Game of Thrones) and Maika Monroe (great in It Follows) gave good performances and kept the story interesting.