Warning (2021)

Warning is the kind of sci-fi that aims past gadgets and jump scares and straight at the tender nerve of what it means to be human when technology starts standing in for touch, empathy, and presence. Told as an interwoven anthology, it drops you into a dusky, stylized near-future where big ideas about loneliness, mortality, and trust ripple across separate lives, with Thomas Jane and Patrick Schwarzenegger grounding the film’s chillier concepts in recognizable ache. Agata Alexander’s visual palette gives the movie a sleek, nocturnal mood, and even when the structure feels intentionally fragmented, there are striking, tense moments that linger like a bad dream you can’t quite shake. It’s bleak and often intense, with heavy mature content and little comfort to offer, but if you like ambitious science fiction that’s more existential than escapist, this one is worth the plunge.

Warning is clearly aiming for a Black Mirror-style anthology about loneliness and the ways “helpful” tech can hollow out human connection, and the premise has enough bite to sound smarter than it often feels. The problem is the fragmented structure: the interweaving stories don’t build toward a satisfying payoff, so you may spend more time trying to figure out what matters than actually feeling the themes land. It’s also relentlessly bleak and cynical, with bursts of shock-heavy mature content that can feel more punishing than purposeful if you’re not in the mood for it. If you like moody sci-fi vignettes and can enjoy strong individual moments without needing cohesion, there’s something here; if you want clear storytelling, momentum, or emotional catharsis, this will likely frustrate you.