Oscar-Nominated AI Sci-fi Film From Star Wars Director Hits Netflix

If you enjoyed the 2016 Star Wars spin-off Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, director Gareth Edwards has returned with another science fiction epic, now streaming on Netflix. This time, Edwards tells an original story of AI and human conflict that couldn't be more timely if it tried.

The Creator, first released in theaters in 2023, is set in a dystopian future in 2055. Following an apocalyptic detonation of a nuclear warhead over Los Angeles caused by U.S. government-backed artificial intelligence, the West has largely eradicated its use. Conversely, in the East, AI has been embraced by the region.

As the conflict between AI and humans deepens, ex-special forces agent  Joshua Taylor (John David Washington) is tasked with helping to track down and destroy the mysterious "Creator" behind the AI uprising. Along the way, he finds Alphie, a robotic "simulant" in the form of a young girl who harnesses powers over the tech that humans cannot, which could help end the war. As both sides of the conflict wish to capture Alphie, it's up to Joshua to keep her safe and hopefully create a co-existence between humans and AI and restore civilisation.

The Creator was co-written by Edwards and Chris Weitz, who also helped pen the script for Rogue One, and also co-wrote and co-directed American Pie (1999) and About a Boy (2002). The film was nominated for two Academy Awards in 2024, for or Best Visual Effects and Best Sound.

The small-budget sci-fi, working with a $80 million budget, grossed $110 million at the box office — not qualifying as a hit, but critics and viewers alike praised the film's visuals and atmosphere in particular, with The Creator being used as an example to larger studio works, such as Marvel or Star Wars projects, on how to make a big impact, regardless of resources.

The Creator hits Netflix U.S. on Friday, March 20.