Better Than Us

Name - Better Than Us
Released - 2018
Creator- Alexander Kessel

With AI and robotics all in trend at the moment, I decided to start watching Better Than Us on Netflix and was unsure what to expect as there have been a few series in this genre and I didn't get around to watching them yet.

This one however, surprised me as it was in original language russian and I therefore watched with subtitles, but this didn't distract from the show at all. I much prefer subtitles and to listen to the original language than awful dubbing.

I was really surprised to see an AI themed robot series based in Moscow, because it is not so well known as a tech hub and although I know there has been lots of development in recent years, the remnents of communist construction on the outskirts of Moscow are not futuristic for high-tech AI robots.

With that in mind, they show still is great to watch and although the backdrop of a not so high tech Moscow gives some contrast to a current time and where AI could lead us. The main characters are really good with a great on screen presence and in particular the acting of
Paulina Andreeva as Alisha is very well done with many of the clearly difficult robot like movements making the show look great.

Throughout the show you cannot help love her and her love for the family she self designates to. There are some great acting and scenes with first our protagonist Aleksandr Ustyugov who plays Victor Toropov and his wife. Both draw you in with their character stories and portrayal of a future without a human family.

There are many great scenes and location shots around Moscow that are interesting to see, I didn't see the Kremlin that they usually show, but I am pretty sure I saw the popular Tverskaya Street that I visited when I was in Moscow.

The show features a group who rebel against AI robots and want to do them harm, even though the robots seem to be just kind and friendly. This seems often quite strange the way it comes across and just mindless vandalism without any reason. The brother and sister Bars and Larisa are great to watch though and give an interesting thought about possible AI counter-culture that could rise.

The son who brings his Grandad's robot along to the group is quite cringey to watch many of his emotionally driven scenes, but the Grandad's robot is pretty hilarious and looks really funny. I could certainly imagine having a robot side-kick like him around making your drinks and doing boring stuff. There are funny scenes when he gets stuck trying to cross the road or go into a shop and you have to go find him. Perhaps the early AI robots will have similar issues?

Overall, the show is very enjoyable, I am up to episode 9, so there is 9 episodes left. It is marked as only 1 season on Netflix, even though it is 18 episodes long. So far there doesn't seem to be plans to follow up the series, although it could make for a good show I think.

If you like AI and robots and don't mind to watch subtitiles if you don't understand Russian, then its for sure worth to watch.

Thanks for reading.

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