“The Living Tree” Takes A.I. to the Extreme

Buffalo 8’s The Living Tree is written by, directed by, and co-starring Anthony J. James in a science fiction story about the prospect of artificial intelligence controlling your entire surroundings.  When Noah, played by James, and Anabelle, played by Brey Noelle, move into a new place that is unknowingly controlled by artificial intelligence, they must navigate ten challenges in order to escape.

It is currently the year 2026 as of the writing of this article.  The prospect of an artificial intelligence putting innocent people through a Saw style series of painful challenges and riddles which connect deeply to their personal lives feels all too possible, and for that reason, films like this are valuable.  The next question, however, is whether this scenario feels plausible.  Throughout almost the entire runtime, the goal of the artificial intelligence seems to be mere torture.  Eventually the audience is informed of the real reason why the main characters are put through these trials, but it takes some thinking to understand why this was the computer’s preferred method of achieving that goal.  Still, the movie has something prescient to say about letting a software that is constantly learning control our every function.  

Probably the most compelling element of the film are the scenarios that the two main characters are put through.  These are clever, imaginative concepts that take advantage of the surroundings while rarely stretching the imagination.  The solutions to these challenges usually require ingenuity, and the act of solving them is difficult enough that it naturally creates tension.  The musical score helps, hitting beats that amplify the mood of the scene without feeling generic.  It doesn’t overwhelm the scene by trying to be unique, it just services the moment. 

James and Noelle perform at a minimum, well, and at maximum, very compelling.  This may not be John Malkovich in Wild Horse Nine, but it may be unreasonable to expect that.  These two perform their roles in a very realistic way, avoiding too many instances of exaggeration, and without any instances of flat delivery.  They carry the movie to the finish line. 

This movie suffers from a similar problem that films like The Invite do, where a very small cast of major characters means that there are limited opportunities for diverse representation.  The main characters are both white, and most of the ancillary characters are family, meaning that they are white as well.  There are at least a couple racially diverse characters who do more than just exist in the background, but their roles are still small.  The film handles Anabelle’s character well, allowing her to have feminine characteristics without reducing her to them.  The film is able to balance moments where she is being helped with moments where she is doing the helping.  This film is not necessarily a shining example of representation, but it also isn’t a step backwards.  It is adequate for what the film is in that regard.

The Living Tree has its pros and cons, but ultimately lands as an interesting thriller with good performances and social commentary that serves as a wallop of a conversation starter.  It is not a masterpiece, but if you are looking for something that can excite you and make you freak out about your Alexa, this is exactly for you.