MIFF 2026 Review: Replica

Daniel Allen reviews the Melbourne Film Festival documentary Replica, which explores the new 'dating' world of AI companionship.

Replica (courtesy: MIFF)

Director Chouwa Liang's debut film, Replica, focuses on the rise of intimate connections between humans and chatbots in this quirky documentary expanding on Liang's previous short documentary, My AI Lover.

Given the rapid rise in public debate over the ethical and moral use of AI in our daily lives, it was only a matter of time before the need for emotional connection and comfort would begin to be outsourced to the likes of ChatGPT and Claude. The love economy is seemingly growing stronger within the digital world, and the   connection, reassurance and companionship, all in different situations. The film is not narrated nor tells the audience what to take from these unconventional uses of AI. Instead, the tone remains sensitive and non-judgemental throughout, allowing the inherent humour to shine through in the reactions of those close to the women.

Family and friends react in a range of emotions, from shocked and concerned, to understanding and supportive. One close friend of Sonya is critical of her emotional reliance on her relationship with her AI chatbot and this leads to genuinely awkward moments between the two friends.

The cinematography is impressive for a documentary that mainly focuses on spoken interviews and footage of the women holding phones and talking to chatbots. Creative camera work elevates urban landscapes and small apartments, and engage with the theme of loneliness represented through elongated shots of the gloomy urban landscapes added to the exploration of the technological advancement driving humans away from real interaction.

The film is entertaining but also occasionally drifts away from its most interesting subject - the rise of AI replacing intimate connections between these women and their families.

It’s an entertaining watch, especially if you’re interested in the basic psychology and the emotional connection behind the use of AI relationships, but more conflict and confrontation could have helped the pacing of the film to reach a more satisfying conclusion too. There was no real message or resolution by the end, as the film became increasingly abstract and left the audience wondering what else to take away from the film besides feeling sorry for these women.

In the end, the documentary will let you decide for yourself how to feel about the emotional implications of women having relationships with AI language models and given the type of relationship one could expect from artificial intelligence, that’s as deep as it gets.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars