Appofeniacs

Wexlley3.0

somewhere between reality and delusion, the mind writes its own storyranked 2026

Duke Rudolf IV2.5

Appofeniacs addresses the dangers of AI and offers a bloody, crazy, and unpredictable whirlwind. This cornucopia of gore will certainly have its appeal for some viewers, especially genre fans looking for gory splatter kills, but overall, the film remains rather superficial and aimless. The movie makes it clear that deepfakes are bad and can destroy lives. Well, yeah, of course! It’s an important message, but that’s about it.The movie never digs deeper into the effects of AI on society than showing what could happen to people when deepfakes are used in an absolutely cruel way. Not every movie needs to explore its themes in depth, of course, but then it should deliver in other aspects of filmmaking, which Appofeniacs fails to do.The storytelling is too hectic and confusing. New characters are thrown into the mix and then disappear before we really get acquainted with them. Plot hooks feel rather basic, such as the phone call with the cop. My main gripe with the story is probably the first 30 minutes, which feel too detached from and not particularly relevant to what follows. A few scenes could have driven the film’s point home more effectively, too. The script also lacks a certain elegance, with the dialogue falling flat in a few places.Appofeniacs is brutally honest in its approach and has plenty of extremely gory genre elements to offer, which will surely and rightfully find their fans. Yet, it suffers from a chaotic script that disrupts the bloody flow of the story and ultimately hinders the movie’s message from going beyond a simple “AI is bad.”2026 RankedSLASH Filmfestival 2026 - Movie #4

𝖊𝖗𝖎𝖈.3.5

Turns out the scariest monster isn't a demon in the attic, it's a 22-year-old with a laptop, a deepfake app, and a petty grudge.