Tau (2018)

A woman is held captive by a scientist in a futuristic smart house, and hopes to escape by reasoning with the Artificial Intelligence that controls the house.

Director:

Federico D'Alessandro

Writer:

Noga Landau

Stars:

Maika Monroe, Ed Skrein, Gary Oldman

1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Maika Monroe	...	Julia
Ed Skrein	...	Alex
Gary Oldman	...	Tau (voice)
Fiston Barek	...	Subject 2
Ivana Zivkovic	...	Subject 1
Sharon D. Clarke	...	Queenpin
Ian Virgo	...	Party Boy
Paul Leonard Murray	...	Executive
Dragoljub Ljubicic	...	Executive
Irene Chiengue Chiendjo	...	Executive
Greg De Cuir	...	Delivery Man
Danijel Korsa	...	Delivery Man
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Camryn Howard	...	Jerry Fin

Storyline

Once a street-smart drifter, Julia (Maika Monroe) is the latest person held captive, a body and a mind to be exploited in a fatal experiment. The only thing standing in the way of her freedom is TAU, the advanced artificial intelligence developed in secret by Alex (Ed Skrein), her sociopathic and enigmatic captor. TAU is armed with a battalion of drones and robots that automate Alex's futuristic smart house and laboratory, the walls lined with screens that visually transport it from grassy plains to the depths of space. TAU's potential is only limited by his understanding of the world he exists in, but TAU is ready for more. Julia, showing resourcefulness and courage, must race against time to bridge the boundaries between man and machine, connect to TAU and win her freedom before she suffers the same fate as the six other subjects who came before her.

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Plot Keywords:

artificial intelligence | smart house | computer programmer | computer controlled house | drone | 

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Taglines:

No Bars. No Guards. No Escape.

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Genres:

Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some violence and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Netflix

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 June 2018 (USA)

Also Known As:

Тау

Filming Locations:

PFI Studios, Belgrade, Serbia

Company Credits

Production Co:

Addictive Pictures, Kaos Theory Entertainment, Phantom 4 Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

TAU - While it possibly refers to "Tau" of the Greek Alphabet, it is possible to just be an acronym of Alex's full name. Thomas Alexander Upton, as shown on the framed magazine covers.

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Goofs

When Tau enters zen mode and says "please enjoy 'Nocturne in E Minor, Opus 55,' by Frederick Chopin," what actually plays is "Nocturne in E Minor, Opus 72, No. 1" by Chopin, as credited.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Queenpin: [counting out money] Ooh, Julia, you been hurting tonight. Keep telling you, do better with a partner.
Julia: Where's the rest?
Queenpin: You want to make more? Steal better shit.

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Connections

References Demon Seed (1977)

User Reviews

Very Bad Episode of Black Mirror

I was really on the fence looking at the reviews on here as well as Netflix. Started out great, suspense is there, you are really invested in the protagonist. The sci-fi is interesting. Then I check to find out Gary Oldman plays the voice of Tau! Cool! I'm gonna settle in and really enjoy this. Gary Oldman wouldn't be attached to garbage. Getting a really good vibe like this is a movie length episode of Black Mirror. Then, about the halfway mark, the movie just went off the rails. Sooooooo bad. By the end, it was inching to "so bad it's good" territory.

Bottom line, if you are super bored and desperate to watch something, give it a try but don't expect much. It had some really enjoyable qualities but overall it was roll your eyes laughably bad in the second half.