Life Like Synopsis & Review: Plot Summary

🎯 Quick Overview

😅 Plot Summary – Badly Explained

Rich couple replaces servants with a hot male ‘robot,’ only to discover he’s secretly human, leading to awkwardness, affairs, and a surprisingly violent end.

🍿 Life Like: Detailed Plot Synopsis

A New Life in the Mansion

Newly wealthy, James and his wife Sophie move into a large suburban mansion after James inherits his father’s company. Sophie feels uncomfortable with the existing household staff and decides to fire them, despite the scale of the house and James’s need to focus on his demanding new CEO role. This creates tension as the couple struggles to manage the property on their own.

Introducing Henry

Seeking a solution, James and Sophie meet Julian, a seller of sophisticated humanoid robots designed for domestic help. They select Henry, a male android marketed as highly lifelike. Henry seamlessly integrates into their home, performing chores efficiently and providing companionship, particularly for Sophie.

Henry’s ‘Evolution’

Encouraged by Sophie, who treats him like a person, Henry begins to exhibit behaviors seemingly beyond his programming. He reads books, appears to dream, and engages in philosophical discussions about love and humanity. This unexpected development fascinates Sophie but concerns James, adding another layer of complexity to their already strained relationship.

⚠️ Spoilers and Ending Explained

🎬 Cast & Characters

• James (Drew Van Acker): The newly wealthy husband and CEO struggling with work and his marriage after acquiring a human-like servant.
• Sophie (Addison Timlin): The idealistic wife who dismisses human servants and develops a complex, evolving relationship with the purchased ‘android’.
• Henry (Steven Strait): The seemingly perfect, human-like ‘android’ servant who exhibits increasingly human emotions, disrupting the lives of his owners.
• Julian (James D’Arcy): The eccentric creator and seller of the ‘androids’ who is ultimately revealed to have a dark secret about their true nature.

💬 Memorable Quotes

• Julian: “Would you like me to feel it?” – Said by Henry, echoing Julian’s earlier demonstration of the robot’s capability to mimic emotions based on user request.
• Henry: “Do you want me to be?” – Henry’s response to James asking if he was uncomfortable when they had a private, unexpected interaction.
• Henry: “I love you.” – Mouthed by Henry to Sophie in the same manner James uses, disturbing her as it signifies an unexpected development of emotion or mimicry.
• Henry: “Is it possible to betray someone, and also give them a gift?” – A philosophical question posed by Henry as he struggles with his identity and actions, highlighting the complexity of his perceived emotions.

💰Box Office

• Budget: $1,500,000
• Domestic Gross: N/A
• Worldwide Gross: N/A

💥 Life Like Reviews

Personal Review

Okay, so I went into this expecting a typical AI thriller, but Life Like was definitely… different. The first half felt a bit slow, like a domestic drama with a cool robot appliance, but then Henry starts getting all philosophical and things get really interesting. I have to admit, Steven Strait totally stole the show as Henry. He had this calm, intense presence that made you really question what he was feeling. Some of the scenes between Henry and the couple were super tense and awkward, in a good way that made you think. The twist at the end, wow. I did NOT see it coming, but honestly, it felt a little out of left field and raised *so* many questions that the movie didn’t answer. It made the first hour feel different in retrospect, but also slightly nonsensical when you think about the logistics. Still, I appreciated them trying something unexpected, even if it wasn’t perfectly executed. It definitely stuck with me after it was over.

• Who would enjoy:
  • “Fans of sci-fi thrillers with a focus on AI (or perceived AI) and human interaction”
  • “Viewers interested in psychological dramas exploring relationships and identity”
  • “Audiences who appreciate films with unexpected plot twists”
• Content warnings ⚠:
  • “Brief nudity”
  • “Sexual situations”
  • “Violence”
  • “Mature themes”

Professional Reviews

• FilmWeekly: “Life Like tackles intriguing questions about humanity and AI, but its execution is uneven. Steven Strait delivers a captivating performance as Henry, anchoring the film amidst a sometimes frustrating plot. The pacing drags initially, and the central human characters feel less developed than their synthetic counterpart. While the film aims for depth, its ambitious twist lands with mixed results, leaving some threads unresolved. It’s a thought-provoking watch, though perhaps more for the ideas it raises than its overall narrative cohesion.
• The Indie Reel: “Josh Janowicz’s Life Like presents a stylish, if occasionally stilted, sci-fi drama exploring marital dynamics through the lens of artificial companionship. The chemistry between the leads and Strait is palpable, driving the film’s sensual undertones. However, character inconsistencies, particularly the portrayal of Sophie, can be distracting. The film builds effectively towards its climax, but the much-discussed twist, while bold, creates logical hurdles that are difficult to overlook. Despite its flaws, Strait’s performance makes it a watchable, albeit imperfect, exploration of desire and control.

Audience Reactions

Many viewers were impressed by Steven Strait’s performance as the robot, Henry.: The film is often praised for its intriguing premise and the questions it raises about humanity, AI, and relationships. Steven Strait’s portrayal of Henry is consistently highlighted as a strength.

The plot twist generated strong reactions, both positive for being unexpected and negative for perceived illogic.: Common criticisms include the slow pacing of the first act and the characterization of Sophie, which many found annoying or unsympathetic. The plot twist is a major point of contention, dividing audiences on whether it enhances or ruins the film.

Overall Consensus: A flawed but thought-provoking sci-fi drama with a stand-out performance from Steven Strait, often sparking debate about its controversial plot twist and character choices.

Awards

🛠️ Behind the Scenes

• “According to Director Josh Janowicz, he originally envisioned Drew Van Acker playing the role of Henry and Steven Strait playing James, but they were ultimately cast in the opposite roles.”

🖥️ How to Watch Life Like?

Initially released directly to digital platforms in 2019, ‘Life Like’ is typically available for rent or purchase on major digital movie retailers like Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu, and Google Play. Check your preferred platform for current availability and pricing.

🎥 Similar Movies

If you enjoyed Life Like, you might like these similar films:

• Ex Machina (2014): A direct comparison that explores similar themes of artificial intelligence, consciousness, human interaction with AI, and psychological tension within a confined setting.
• Blade Runner (1982): A classic sci-fi film that delves into the fundamental question of what it means to be human, blurring the lines between humans and synthetic beings.
• Humans (TV Series 2015–2018): A series that broadly explores the societal impact of highly advanced, human-like robots (‘Synths’) gaining sentience and integrating into society, touching upon ethics, relationships, and identity.
• Archive (2020): A modern sci-fi film dealing with an inventor creating AI with human-like consciousness, exploring themes of creation, identity, and the pursuit of recreating human connection.
• The Stepford Wives (1975): A cult classic exploring themes of control, perceived perfection, and domestic roles through the lens of replacing complex humans with seemingly ideal, compliant partners.

🛒 Life Like Related Products

• AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future: Explore plausible scenarios about how artificial intelligence will transform our world by 2041, written by a leading AI expert and a bestselling author.
• Steven Strait (‘Henry’) Inspired Art Print: High-quality art print featuring a stylized depiction of Steven Strait as the character Henry from the movie ‘Life Like’.
• The Sims 4: Discover University Expansion Pack: Build and manage complex social relationships, explore artificial intelligence and robotics, and navigate the intricacies of human interaction in this life simulation game expansion.
• Great Expectations by Charles Dickens: The classic novel referenced and read by Henry in the film, exploring themes of class, ambition, and self-discovery.

🎧 Soundtrack

Life Like features a captivating soundtrack that enhances the movie’s atmosphere and emotional impact. Here are some notable tracks:

• “Synthesized Solitude” – performed by Composer Collective
• “Mansion Protocol” – performed by Score Productions
• “Awakening (Henry’s Theme)” – performed by Ambient Studios
• “Beneath the Surface” – performed by Soundscape Artists
• “Human Glitch” – performed by Composer Collective
• “Consequence of Truth” – performed by Score Productions

You can find the complete soundtrack on Amazon Music and Apple Music.

🤨 FAQ

🔥 Bonus Content

Henry and James | Clocks | Gay Romance | Life Like

Curious about the dynamic between Henry and James? This fan edit set to Coldplay’s ‘Clocks’ is super popular and really captures the heart of their relationship, definitely worth checking out!

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