Fantasia International Film Festival 2024 – Most likely, we’re going to continue to see films that deal with AI and raise even bigger questions regarding transhumanism and merging our minds and potentially our bodies with machines. As much as it’s fair to have legitimate gripes about AI, it’s certainly not going away. Writer/director Miguel Llansó‘s Infinite Summer asks some profound questions about transhumanism and the future of technology, using the sci-fi genre as a vehicle to do so, a genre that has always asked philosophical questions about human existence and technology. While the film falters somewhat in its execution, it’s at least thought-provoking.

The film centers around three girls who take a vacation one summer in Estonia. Teele Kaljuvee-O’Brock stars as Mia. She’s super smart to the point you have to wonder if she’s some version of AI or a superhuman. That said, she also very much acts like a teenager, to the point she screams punk rock songs with her super hip dad, played by Ivo Uukkivi. Her smarts and more reserved attitude about boys and sex puts her at odds with her two friends, Sarah (Hannah Gross) and Grete (Johanna-Aurelia Rosin). Let’s just say that Sarah and Grete certainly don’t have a problem landing dates or talking to guys. They also constantly poke fun at Mia and her bookish ways.

Initially, the tone of this film feels like a coming-of-age movie and Mia’s story, specifically how she feels like an outcast. Yet, the subject matter suddenly shifts after the first act, once the friend trio uses a virtual reality-type dating app. On it, Mia encounters a fellow who goes by the name of Mr. Mindfulness (Ciaron Davies). He tries to hawk a piece of machinery to her that looks like a respirator. At first, Mia is turned off by it and hesitates to use it. However, Sarah and Grete plug in, and the app, or whatever you want to call it, gives them immense pleasure. It’s a pure form of escapism that raises ethical concerns for Mia. Out of the three characters, she’s the most interesting in that she struggles with the tech and giving into some of her base urges and desires. Sarah and Greta feel too interchangeable.

Meanwhile, two detectives investigate who exactly is behind the machinery, and they seem to think it’s dangerous. In short, there’s a lot going on for a film that’s only 90 minutes long. Sometimes, it’s a bit hard to follow. Still, the feature asks some deep questions, including whether or not transhumanism is a good thing. Can AI be used to enhance knowledge, or will most people only use it for superficial purposes, like to access their own fantasies and pleasures, until it basically becomes an addiction and one endless summer? Can AI help us unlock versions of ourselves we’re too scared to confront and be in reality? The film asks all of these questions.

It gets to the point that it’s hard to tell what’s real and what isn’t in this film. Are the characters fully AI? Are they humans partially merged with machines? This film is also set in a near future where apps are used for everything. People can put on headsets and talk to others as if they’re seated right in front of them. It’s fascinating and yet unsettling.

While I’m not sure I understand everything that occurs in Infinite Summer, it’s still a beautiful film that also feels troubling because of the questions and potential future it hints at. The execution is shaky, but at least the film makes you think, even if it’s more befuddling than not.

6.5 Out of 10