John Cho stars in this new Blumhouse picture that explores yet another A.I. device gone awry. This time it’s a home assistant who appears to be like an Alexa version of Rebecca De Mornay in “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle” (1992), maybe without the wet nurse gag.

The film comes out theatrically on August 30, 2024.

Blumhouse has been exploring this tech-horror trend recently. They started with “M3GAN” (2023) which is already getting a sequel, and a spin-off called “Soulm8te”. Of course, this plot device is nothing new. Self-aware computer conflicts have been cinematic since “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968).

Back down on Earth, in “Afraid”, the synopsis reads, “Curtis (John Cho) and his family are selected to test a revolutionary new home device: a digital family assistant called AIA. Taking smart home to the next level, once the unit and all its sensors and cameras are installed in their home, AIA seems able to do it all. She learns the family’s behaviors and begins to anticipate their needs. And she can make sure nothing – and no one – gets in her family’s way.”