With high production value and lowbrow antics, writer/director Bennet De Brabandere’s Raptus explores themes of trauma and control in the age of artificial intelligence with its story of a woman whose attempt to exorcise her demons with the help of a (sex) robot takes a harrowing turn.
Sarah (Ksenia Solo) is sexually assaulted while out jogging, and 10 months later, she remains a shut-in. An otherwise independent and resourceful woman, her slow progress in dealing with her trauma frustrates her, so her therapist recommends an experimental approach: buying a companion humanoid Sarah can design, choosing everything from appearance to temperament, and using it to regain control of her headspace when confronted with men.
Out of the ensuing shipping crate steps Raptus (Nolan Gerard Funk), built like a Greek god and completely subservient, hardwired to never go beyond a certain aggression threshold. This doesn’t do the trick for Sarah, who seems intent on exposure therapy, and with the help of technical repair man Murry (Zion Forrest Lee), she gets her wish and enters a dangerous game with her sexbot, who possesses superhuman strength.
“…Raptus…completely subservient, hardwired to never go beyond a certain aggression threshold. This doesn’t do the trick for Sarah…”
On the surface, Raptus presents itself as a throwback thriller, and its initial exploration of control and power suggests a more cerebral approach. That turns out to be short-lived, and what’s between our ears is discarded in favor of what’s below the belt as the film devolves into a sci-fi thriller that blends The Terminator with dizzy online forum smut.
The production quality of De Brabandere’s movie is high, and this sleek varnish belies the B-movie-homage nature of Raptus, with its theremin-dominated soundtrack, known from old sci-fi movies, its many eyeroll-inducing lines, and a touch of the obscene meant to make an impression. I’m throwing in a trigger warning here because Raptus is not coy in its depiction of sexual assault, and it even plays it for laughs when a man is the victim.
That’s the schism within Raptus: its first half sees a sci-fi element used to explore how trauma can be undone, and it’s particularly compelling in this age of tech and artificial intelligence, but in the second half, that same element is merely an excuse for carnage. These disconnected halves won’t satisfy those looking for something sophisticated, nor those looking for a rowdy time. Maybe the solution is fast-forwarding during either the first or second half, depending on what you’re into.
"…particularly compelling in this age of tech and artificial intelligence..."
