Atlas (2024 film)

Name	Atlas
Image
Caption	Release poster
Director	Brad Peyton
Music	Andrew Lockington
Cinematography	John Schwartzman
Editing	Bob Ducsay
Distributor	Netflix
Released	2024-5-24
Runtime	120 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$100 million

Plot

In 2043, the humanoid artificial intelligence Harlan leads a machine uprising against humanity. The newly-formed International Coalition of Nations (ICN) eventually force Harlan to flee into outer space. Twenty-eight years later, analyst Atlas Shepherd discovers that Harlan escaped to a planet in the Andromeda Galaxy after one of Harlan's agents is captured and interrogated. She insists on accompanying the military mission to find and capture Harlan, using AI-assisted mecha known as ARCs.

Moments before the ARC-equipped ICN Rangers descend to the planet, Harlan's drones attack their orbiting ship. Atlas is forced to enter an ARC herself and falls to the planet as the ship crash-lands. Atlas manages to gain basic control of the ARC despite her distrust of the onboard AI, who introduces itself as Smith. Atlas orders Smith to head to the planned drop point, where she finds the rest of the rangers dead. She reluctantly agrees to directly interface her mind with Smith, allowing for greater control of the ARC. As they journey towards a rescue pod, Atlas and Smith begin to bond, and she reveals that her mother was Harlan's designer.

Although running low on power, Atlas convinces Smith to head to Harlan's base in order to tag it for a long-range strike. However, after placing a beacon at the base, Smith is hacked and disabled. Atlas is captured and brought to Harlan, who plans to destroy most of humanity and give the chosen survivors a chance to thrive under AI guidance. To do so, Harlan lured the military to the planet in order to steal the ship – and its carbon bombs, which will burn Earth's atmosphere.

Harlan extracts the security codes from Atlas in order to get past Earth's defenses, then, then leaves her to die with Colonel Banks, the only other survivor of the mission. After Banks gives her his ARC neural interface device, Atlas remotely reactivates Smith, who comes to their rescue. Using salvaged parts from the other destroyed ARCs, Atlas upgrades Smith to stand a chance against Harlan's assembled forces.

Atlas further reveals to Smith that Harlan killed her mother after she gave Harlan an unfettered interface with her mind. Harlan, programmed to save humanity from risk, then saw that humanity's history of destructive behavior made it a risk to itself. Smith helps Atlas overcome her guilt, and Banks sacrifices himself to clear their path. Atlas and Smith fight their way out and destroy the repaired ship before defeating Harlan in hand-to-hand combat – though Atlas and Smith are badly injured. Smith shuts down before Atlas is rescued after repeated defibrillation.

Back on Earth, Atlas is informed that Harlan's complicated CPU will take years to analyze. Now a ranger, she tests the newest model of ARC, created with her suggested modifications reminiscent of Smith. As she boots up the new ARC, its AI repeats a specific phrase Atlas made during the final moments of the mission, then jokingly tells her to guess its name, suggesting that Smith, in some form, survived.

Cast

Production

The screenplay was originally written by Leo Sardarian, and Aron Eli Coleite performed rewrites. Simu Liu, Sterling K. Brown, and Abraham Popoola joined the cast in August 2022, and Lana Parrilla was confirmed to star in September 2022. Principal photography began on August 26, 2022, in Los Angeles and New Zealand, and wrapped on November 26.

Release

Atlas was released by Netflix on May 24, 2024. The film debuted at number one on Netflix's most popular English films list with 28.2 million views (or 56.3 million viewing hours), making it the most watched title for the week (May 20–26). Atlas reached Netflix's Top 10 list in 93 countries and was placed at number one in 71 countries.

By June 5, 2024, Atlas accumulated 60 million global views (or 119.4 million viewing hours), making it the fourth film that stars Lopez to top the streaming charts in two years, after Shotgun Wedding (2022), The Mother (2023), and This Is Me... Now: A Love Story (2024), and the second-most-watched title of Lopez's on Netflix. The streamer reported the viewer completion rate for Atlas to be 80%.

Reception

Critical response

The film was not well received by critics.

The New York Times wrote in a review, "It's an intriguing concept, since an open question both onscreen and in real life is whether A.I. is inherently good, or bad, or neutral, or some other fourth thing we haven't quite put words to yet." The New York Times also praised Lopez's performance in the film, writing, "Lopez, who was also a producer on the movie, flings herself into the role with abandon, the kind of performance that's especially impressive given that she's largely by herself throughout." Space.com wrote in a favorable review, "It boasts impressive performances by its likable cast, inspired action sequences, and breathtaking visual effects, confidently led by a spirited director who understands the bulletproof mechanics of traditional three-act structure." In a mixed review, The Guardian wrote that Atlas "plays like it was made two decades ago." The Hollywood Reporter described Atlas as "another Netflix movie made to half-watch while doing laundry".

Accolades

Notes

References

• May 23, 2024, Atlas, (12), May 24, 2024, BBFC
• Tassi, Paul, Netflix's $100 Million JLo Blockbuster is Reviewing Worse Than 'Rebel Moon', Forbes
• Kroll, Justin, June 15, 2021, Jennifer Lopez To Star In Netflix's Sci-Fi Thriller , Atlas, With Brad Peyton Directing, June 15, 2021, Deadline
• Lang, Brent, June 15, 2021, Jennifer Lopez Starring in Sci-Fi Thriller , Atlas, for Netflix, June 16, 2021, Variety
• Kroll, Justin, From Marvel Superhero To Jennifer Lopez's Adversary, Simu Liu Lands First Villain Role In Netflix's , Atlas, ; Sterling K. Brown and Lana Parrilla Also Join The Cast, Deadline Hollywood, Penske Media Corporation, August 24, 2022
• D'Alessandro, Anthony, September 27, 2022, Lana Parrilla Signs With APA & Boards Jennifer Lopez's Netflix Sci-Fi Pic , Atlas, September 27, 2022, Deadline
• Rajput, Priyanca, September 1, 2022, 2022 Film and high-end TV productions shooting globally: latest updates, live, September 1, 2022, September 1, 2022, Kemps Film and TV Production Services Handbook
• Gomez, Dessi, March 13, 2024, Jennifer Lopez Commands an AI Robot in Netflix's , Atlas, Trailer, March 13, 2024, TheWrap
• Mitovich, Matt Webb, 2024-05-29, J.Lo's , Atlas, Racks Up 28.2 Million Views on Netflix, as Actual Memorial Day Weekend Box Office Struggles, 2024-05-31, TVLine, en-US
• Lammers, Tim, Jennifer Lopez's , Atlas, Defies Bad Reviews To Debut Big On Netflix Movie Chart, 2024-05-31, Forbes, en
• 2024-05-27, Netflix has a new number one movie - just don't read the reviews, 2024-06-01, Shortlist, en
• Jennifer Lopez Dominates On Streaming For A Fourth Time Over Two Years As Netflix's , Atlas, Reaches Near 60M Global Views, June 5, 2024, Anthony, D'Alessandro, Deadline Hollywood, June 5, 2024
• Wilkinson, Alissa, 2024-05-24, Atlas, Review: A.I. Shrugged, 2024-05-31, The New York Times, en-US, 0362-4331
• Jeff Spry, 2024-05-28, Netflix's new sci-fi flick , Atlas, charms with old-school heroics and rousing mech fights (review), 2024-05-31, Space.com, en
• Lee, Benjamin, 2024-05-24, Atlas, review – Jennifer Lopez learns to love AI in silly Netflix mockbuster, 2024-05-31, The Guardian, en-GB, 0261-3077
• Tavlin, Will, Winter 2025, Casual Viewing, 2025-02-01, n+1, en-US, 49
• Razzie Awards: 'Joker 2' Tops Nominations; 'Madame Web', 'Megalopolis', 'Reagan' Also Among Nominees, Nordyke, Kimberly, The Hollywood Reporter, January 21, 2025, January 22, 2025
• 'Deadpool & Wolverine', 'Dune: Part Two' Lead Golden Reel Sound Editing Nominations, Steve, Pond, TheWrap, January 6, 2025, March 16, 2025

External links