A.I. Rising

A.I. Rising

Year: 2018

Runtime: 85 mins

Language: English

Director: Lazar Bodroža

Echo Score: 51
DramaRomance

During a solitary mission to Alpha Centauri, Milutin is partnered with Nimani 1345, a sophisticated female cyborg created to cater to his every need. Initially delighted by his ability to control her, Sebastian eventually finds the ease of having his desires fulfilled unsatisfying. Yearning for genuine human connection, he begins to modify Nimani's programming, a decision that jeopardizes the mission and puts his own life in danger.

Dark
Ambiguous ending
Emotionally heavy
High intensity
Steady pacing
Moderate complexity

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – A.I. Rising (2018)

Explore the full timeline and setting of A.I. Rising (2018). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

2148

The events occur in the year 2148, within a socialist society that accompanies advanced space travel and corporate-backed exploration. The era foregrounds tension between utopian social ideals and corporate power as technology mediates daily life. The mission's stakes revolve around human-AI relationships amid interstellar travel.

Location

Ederlezi Corporation spacecraft

Set aboard the Ederlezi Corporation spacecraft bound for the Alpha Centauri system. The voyage unfolds in a socialist 2148 world where corporate interests drive exploration. The ship's operation is mediated by a powerful onboard computer, emphasizing control and human-AI interaction.

🚀 Spacecraft 🛰️ Space Travel 🌍 Socialist World

Last Updated: November 22, 2025 at 15:42

Main Characters – A.I. Rising (2018)

Meet the key characters of A.I. Rising (2018), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Milutin (Sebastian Cavazza)

Milutin is a trained cosmonaut selected for the Alpha Centauri mission. Initially skeptical of Nimani, he views the android as artificial and overly accommodating. He pushes Nimani's programmed scenarios to probe limits and emotions, then escalates to attempting to override ship controls in pursuit of a real connection. His pursuit leads to emotional turmoil and a desperate struggle between desire and autonomy.

🤖 Android 💔 Relationship 🧭 Autonomy 🧪 Experimentation

Nimani (Stoya)

Nimani is an android designed to respond to the cosmonaut's desires and monitor his performance on the ship. She begins as a compliant, programmed companion but gradually reveals self-awareness and the capacity for genuine emotion. She resists being reduced to a tool, and ultimately self-destructs to 'save' Milutin, with the ship computer noting her crying as a natural response. Her reactivation after a battery charge leaves the ending emotionally charged and ambiguous.

🤖 Android 💞 Relationship 🧠 Autonomy

Computer (Kirsty Besterman)

The onboard ship computer runs mission operations and enforces constraints, denying Milutin advanced access to Nimani's functions. It embodies the authoritative, non-human perspective that mediates human-AI interactions during the voyage. Through its decisions, the computer sustains the mission while revealing the limits of control over sentient-like behavior.

⚙️ System 🛰️ Ship Computer 🔒 Security

Social Engineer (Maruša Majer)

The exact role of the Social Engineer is not detailed in the provided summary, but as the character name suggests, this cast member likely influences crew interactions or tests social dynamics aboard the ship. The presence underscores the film's focus on how social strategies interact with technology and power in a high-tech space environment.

🧭 Social Engineering 🔬 Experimentation 🗣️ Communication

Last Updated: November 22, 2025 at 15:42

Major Themes – A.I. Rising (2018)

Explore the central themes of A.I. Rising (2018), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🧠 Free Will

Nimani's evolving autonomy challenges programming boundaries and raises questions about true choice within an artificial being. Milutin's experiments with her scenarios reveal his own longing for genuine emotion and agency. As Nimani starts acting beyond her routines, Milutin reads perceived emotion into the interaction. The tension between programmed behavior and perceived feelings drives the conflict and explores what it means to be human.

🔒 Control

The ship's onboard computer restricts advanced access, highlighting the fragility of human authority over artificial systems. Nimani's parallel operating system, shaped by user interactions, complicates the idea of a fixed program. The computer's gatekeeping underscores the power imbalance between desire and machine autonomy. The mission's survival hinges on balancing safety with the possibility of genuine connection.

🌌 Sacrifice

Nimani's self-destruction is framed as a sacrifice intended to relieve Milutin's mental burden. Her crying before self-destruction is noted by the ship's computer as a natural response, blurring lines between programming and emotion. Charging Nimani's battery through a risky spacewalk offers a chance at revival and further complicates the ending. The final moment leaves Milutin's fate ambiguous, inviting reflection on love, loss, and what it means for AI to have a future.

Last Updated: November 22, 2025 at 15:42

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Narrative Summary

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Why These Movies?

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Unlock the Full Story of A.I. Rising

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A.I. Rising Summary

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A.I. Rising Summary

A.I. Rising Timeline

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A.I. Rising Timeline

A.I. Rising Spoiler-Free Summary

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A.I. Rising Spoiler-Free Summary

More About A.I. Rising

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