WFG RATING: A-

A Slated production. Directed by Robert Rippberger. Produced by Devin Keaton, Martin Medina, KT Kent, and Jay Burnley. Written by Luke Medina and Martin Medina. Cinematography by Sean Emer. Edited by Gabriel Cullen.

Stars Frankie Muniz, Violett Beane, Taylor Gray, and the voice of Marcia Gay Harden.

Frankie Muniz pulls off an amazing tour de force performance in the latest film from Those Who Walk Away helmer Robert Rippberger.

A technological genius by trade, Renner lives alone in an apartment where he suffers from major social anxieties. To help him assert and overcome this, he has created an AI device he calls Salenus. One of the issues Renner attempts to overcome is to introduce himself to his new neighbor Jamie, who he has a bit of a crush on. However, when Jamie and Renner meet face-to-face, they instantly bond and soon enough, they start to bond.

As Renner begins to get closer to Jamie, he starts to entrust her with some of his issues, including being berated as a child after having obsessive compulsive disorder. Salenus slowly begins to be self-aware and shows moments of jealousy by making Renner outburst at times where it’s not expected. However, Renner soon discovers something worse will be in store for him. 

Many will remember Frankie Muniz for his breakout role on the sitcom Malcolm in the Middle and other projects before eventually taking a break to focus on racing. However, he periodically comes back to acting and with this film, it deserves to have acclaim for his titular role of a tech genius who creates an AI companion to help him with his issues. This seems like in some ways, a coming of age film in the sense of seeing Muniz’s Renner change from shy techie to confident young man. 

Violett Beane is excellent in her role of Jamie, Renner’s crush turned love interest. She seems really sympathetic with him, even consoling him when he has his first outburst when he tells his childhood story of a board game that caused him to learn of his OCD. If there is a character who is really scuzzy, it is Chad, Jamie’s brother played by Taylor Gray. He comes off as standoffish, aggravating, and even at times really spiteful. Kudos also must go out to Marcia Gay Harden, who does an excellent job voicing Renner’s AI companion Salenus. 

The film shows a complexity in the relationship between Renner and Jamie as well as that of Renner and Salenus, who starts as an advisor but shows signs of jealousy, which leads into a shocking twist just at the halfway mark that changes everything. When this change in the dynamic happens, prepare for an amazing performance from Muniz like you may have never seen.

Renner is a fantastic film that now only shows the complexity of AI, but that of human emotions thanks to the performance of Frankie Muniz, who goes into a “coming of age” style of his persona, but not like one you’d expect.

The film will be released in select theaters on February 7.