Appofeniacs: Fantastic Fest Review

             The world is changing fast, and you can’t just stop and look around anymore, because thanks to A.I., there’s now a constant question of what’s real and what’s not. A.I. is changing everything — from students using it to write papers, to people relying on it for routine tasks or advice. Whatever you use it for, the future is here. A.I. will help and do a lot of good, but like anything, it will also be used in dangerous ways, and I think we’re just scratching the surface of that. Chris Marrs Piliero seems to understand this, as he unleashes Appofeniacs on the world, showing how A.I. can twist people’s lives in the worst ways.

In an apartment in L.A., Duke (Aaron Holliday) sits with Cedrick (Jamaine Fowler), preaching about the power of a cell phone today compared to the computers that once powered the space shuttle. But Duke doesn’t plan on using this power for good. Instead, he makes deepfake videos of people who just happen to piss him off — knowing them personally isn’t even required. His choices set off a domino effect: he creates a fake sex video of a girl and sends it to her boyfriend, who doesn’t take it well. The confrontation turns violent, and she’s killed, while Chase (Amogh Kapoor) — the guy in the video — suddenly becomes the next target. Chase, along with a group of friends, finds his life unraveling in one chaotic night fueled by A.I. Duke isn’t done, though. He also targets Clinto Binto (Sean Gunn), fabricating posts about all the money in his house, and Lazzy (Paige Searcy), a random woman in a coffee line, by making her appear to go on a racist tirade. Appofeniacs strings all these threads together, showing just how wrong A.I. can go — and does it in one hell of an entertaining way.

Written and directed by Piliero, the film fully embraces what it is: a blood-splattered satire that borders on outrageous, but in the best of ways. This cautionary tale about technology gone wrong has great rhythm, absurd humor that undercuts the horror, and a fractured storytelling style that keeps the audience guessing.

Appofeniacs feels timely, always interesting, and consistently entertaining in its delivery. What gives the story its punch is the idea that this could literally happen to anyone in the audience — and you feel that, even as you laugh uncomfortably. Piliero wears his Tarantino influence on his sleeve, from the dialogue to the overall tone. While the film can be uneven at times, so much of it works that the rough edges are easy to forgive. Most importantly, Piliero doesn’t play it safe. He gives the film a bold, refreshing energy, leaning into its loud, unapologetic personality. The result is a wildly entertaining ride that deals with heavy ideas without ever feeling like a gimmick — instead, it’s a reminder of just how fragile our digital lives can be. I had a blast with this one, and Piliero is now firmly on my radar. I think Appofeniacs will put him there for plenty of other people too.