A new scifi thriller Surrogates (US-2009; dir. Jonathan Mostow) sets up a scenario that sounds intriguing enough — a variant on the “locked-room mystery” subgenre, only with robots, and with an added apocalyptic feel. Isaac Asimov’s classic Robot series of stories — ill-served in the 2004 Will Smith vehicle I, Robot — is the classic work in this subgenre, though the premise there is completely different to this new one.
Synopsis:
FBI agents (Bruce Willis and Radha Mitchell) investigate the mysterious murder of a college student linked to the man who helped create a high-tech surrogate phenomenon that allows people to purchase unflawed robotic versions of themselves – fit, good looking remotely controlled machines that ultimately assume their life roles – enabling people to experience life vicariously from the comfort and safety of their own homes. The murder spawns a quest for answers: in a world of masks, who’s real and who can you trust?
Reference: IMDb
