[Fantasia ’24] Black Eyed Susan’ review: Provoacative film looks at AI and sex

Warning. The review below contains discussion around domestic violence and sexual assault.

There are plenty of questions surrounding AI regarding art, work, and just its place in everyday life. One obvious question that everyone seems to avoid is the future role of AI in sex. Black Eyed Susan is a world premiere from the Fantasia Film Festival that takes a bold approach to the subject.

Derek is down on his luck when he is offered a job by an old friend who works at a tech firm. The opportunity is a strange one. Susan is a sex robot that has been created to take punishment and learn from it. Derek has been tasked to test the doll. He reluctantly accepts. This leads to a strange relationship involving pleasure and pain along with a very dark secret.

Some movies are made purely for shock value. Eli Roth sometimes falls into this trap while Rob Zombie has made an entire career doing it. These tend to be soulless experiences that offer visceral gross outs and nothing else. Then there are intentionally confrontational films such as 1997’s Funny Games or even Philadelphia from 1993. They take on uncomfortable subject matter in a blunt manner, but they also leave their audiences with something to think about. 

It is a thin line that is subjective based on the viewer and the message that is being conveyed. Initially, it seems like Black Eyed Susan is out to simply upset the audience. The opening moments graphically include a man punching and slapping Susan in the face. All the while she is berating him and asking for more. There is also the type of crude language that is only heard in hardcore pornography. It is a powerful scene that will make anyone watching fear what is going to happen next.

Black Eyed Susan never lets up when it comes to sexual violence, the things that are said, and nudity that would have seen it banned in a previous era. That being said, by throwing audiences into the deep end in the first few minutes. Director Scooter McCrae prepares them for what they are about to see. The plot also becomes more character focused after the unflinching start. What starts as a tale about desire and violence becomes more human.

It sounds like a shocking turn, but Derek is presented in a way that allows the story to develop naturally. Black Eyed Susan has a tendency to do more than it needs to in order to make him sympathetic, but he is a good protagonist. Yvonne Emilie Thalker is great in a debut in a demanding role that would be difficult for anyone. The pair have excellent chemistry.

Black Eyed Susan has a loose plot. There is little in the way of an actual story and though the performances are strong, the characters are shallow. It is more about the questions it will elicit. Still, there is a disgusting twist that hits hard. Much like the beginning, it seems like it is done just to repulse audiences. But it also leads to questions that we do not want to think about, but are increasingly relevant in today’s world. 

The Fantasia International Film Festival takes places from July 18 – August 4. Check out the latest news HERE