Description

In The Synthetic, recent high school graduate Aaron has a passion for computer science but struggles to connect with other people. His tense relationship with his “landlady,” Ariana Caldwell, only makes communication harder. A successful realtor with a domineering personality and strict rules, Ariana seeks to keep a firm grip on Aaron’s life—a need for control rooted in trauma from her early years. As her overbearing presence drives him further into his shell, Aaron finds refuge in computers and devotes himself to developing an artificial intelligence of his own creation. Yet Ariana’s commanding exterior conceals a dramatically different side. With little tolerance for alcohol, she becomes affectionate, tolerant, playful, and romantic when she drinks. At times, she falls asleep on the sofa or at the table, leaving Aaron to carry her to her room. These moments reveal the warmth he longs for, making it difficult to reconcile her loving behavior while intoxicated with the rigid, controlling attitude that governs their everyday lives. Caught between these contrasting sides of Ariana, Aaron faces increasingly complicated feelings toward her. Meanwhile, his work offers less of an escape as the artificial intelligence he created begins pushing its limits and behaving unpredictably. The Synthetic brings together a fraught personal relationship and an increasingly unpredictable technological creation, with Aaron struggling to navigate both.