My Boyfriend is a Superhero feels like a filmmaker coming to fruition. A project that takes every comic book trope under the sun and creates something cohesive. On every level, this entirely AI generated piece of work from the writer-director is a genuine step forward. Mixing and matching tones and techniques to bring together characters audiences will find instantly recognisable. Showing an evolution in AI filmmaking that takes things a step closer to tackling tentpole titles.
Lifting liberally from The Incredibles and laced with Gerry Anderson inspired sensibilities, Jackson expounds on the advancement of AI, using the launch pad of a billionaire businessman and his private life to give his vision some backbone. My Boyfriend is a Superhero moves away from Jackson’s earlier efforts, making the central relationship between Mark Winters and Abigail feel more human and less synthetic.
This has always been the main complaint from anyone who comes to AI movies with inherent prejudice. The idea that a movie can exist without any flesh and blood involvement seems unthinkable. Cinema and film have always been viewed as a purely human endeavour, beyond the abilities of an AI algorithm, yet that gap is beginning to diminish. His latest one-man effort, that cost less than the catering on an indie drama, pops with visual flourishes and mimics human emotions.
Image Courtesy of Hooroo Jackson
Those doubting that statement need to dive into this superhero homage and let the story sweep them along. At no point should audiences expect to witness the wheel being reinvented, but there is enough originality on offer for anyone willing to be entertained. With evil overlords, duplicitous double lives playing out, and relationships that thrive on the subterfuge, My Boyfriend is a Superhero is more than a tick box exercise. It puts out there the creative possibilities and is only attempting to do what Marvel might consider with a micro-budget.
Given the right backing, AI filmmakers like Hooroo Jackson would be able to indulge their ideas minus committee, taking this type of genre in different directions. Right now, Marvel is in the weeds putting all their money on a total reboot of their eponymous multiverse. Several trailers, ‘accidental’ online leaks, and a marketing campaign that seemed savvy until word came back that Doomsday teasers are not tacked onto Avatar: Fire and Ash.
Already the backlash has begun, with James Cameron quoted as saying this might be the final one depending on box office. The time for a more cost-effective form of filmmaking is coming, and AI is certainly feeling like a viable alternative. Big budgets backed by established streaming giants are dwindling, while funding has always been impossible for anyone outside the industry, where fresh faces are simply too risky.
This is where there needs to be a turning of the tide. A move away from traditional methods and the backing of famous names to make movies that disappear without trace. This is not to say that My Boyfriend is a Superhero solves those problems, but increasingly it illustrates how new cinematic voices might buck the trend and find salvation through AI filmmaking methods.
My Boyfriend is a Superhero with be available on demand Dec 25