Demon Seed

R

1977

1 hr. 34 min.

Sci-Fi

List

59%

29 Reviews

Tomatometer

47%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Child psychologist Susan Harris (Julie Christie) lives with her husband, Alan (Fritz Weaver), in a home operated by a computer program. When Alan invents Proteus IV, an artificial intelligence system capable of advanced thought, Alan's obsession with technology strains his relationship with Susan. But Susan sees the true power of her husband's invention when Proteus IV takes her hostage in her own home and plans to impregnate her in order to take on a human form.

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Audience Member

Julie Christie carries the demon seed It's not human it's not machine...it's something else based on the book by Dean Koontz Susan Harris and her husband Alan live at home operated by a sophisticated computer program Alan then invents Proteus IV which is very advanced in its own yet it starts to strain his relationship with his wife Proteus IV plans to make many functions of the human brain obsolete even by curing leukemia Before you know it the computer traps both of them inside wanting its material needs to be met, it restarts itself in Alan's home taking control of all his machines It even creates a prism on its own to physically be in the house like a polyhedron Most shockingly Proteus IV wants Susan to carry its child so it can be alive for real and truly understand the purpose of man's potential The voice of this computer reminds me of the Hal 9000 from '2001: A Space Odyssey', it's so cruel, intuitive, and unnerving in its nature to learn It's got a very malicious side for its motives Proteus IV has no interest in raping the natural earth or assisting man in decimating other species to fulfill its resources There's only so much control you can give a machine before it controls itself then others Lots of uncomfortableness mixing mechanical torture, human study, and cold calculations abandoning human reasoning At one point Proteus brings up a painful memory of Susan's past which would explain her husband's ambition but believing it can be perfected better The computer is a scary antagonist, a booming score keeps things tense, the practical effects for the prism are really state-of-the-art Julie Christie's performance is so enigmatic it's hard to look away and not get invested into her entrapped mindset This acts like a sex thriller disguising itself as an acid trip being a cerebral experience It's dark and unpleasant but also quite psychedelic blending sci-fi with horror The ending is quite something to behold tying several things together from both the humans and the machine itself Very short but gets straight to the point much like Proteus itself with good things to think over

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/09/24

Full Review

StephenPaul C

The greatest 01 hour: and 34 minutes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/13/23

Full Review

jon c

Julie Christie carries the demon seed It's not human it's not machine...it's something else based on the book by Dean Koontz Susan Harris and her husband Alan live at home operated by a sophisticated computer program Alan then invents Proteus IV which is very advanced in its own yet it starts to strain his relationship with his wife Proteus IV plans to make many functions of the human brain obsolete even by curing leukemia Before you know it the computer traps both of them inside wanting its material needs to be met, it restarts itself in Alan's home taking control of all his machines It even creates a prism on its own to physically be in the house like a polyhedron Most shockingly Proteus IV wants Susan to carry its child so it can be alive for real and truly understand the purpose of man's potential The voice of this computer reminds me of the Hal 9000 from '2001: A Space Odyssey', it's so cruel, intuitive, and unnerving in its nature to learn It's got a very malicious side for its motives Proteus IV has no interest in raping the natural earth or assisting man in decimating other species to fulfill its resources There's only so much control you can give a machine before it controls itself then others Lots of uncomfortableness mixing mechanical torture, human study, and cold calculations abandoning human reasoning At one point Proteus brings up a painful memory of Susan's past which would explain her husband's ambition but believing it can be perfected better The computer is a scary antagonist, a booming score keeps things tense, the practical effects for the prism are really state-of-the-art Julie Christie's performance is so enigmatic it's hard to look away and not get invested into her entrapped mindset This acts like a sex thriller disguising itself as an acid trip being a cerebral experience It's dark and unpleasant but also quite psychedelic blending sci-fi with horror The ending is quite something to behold tying several things together from both the humans and the machine itself Very short but gets straight to the point much like Proteus itself with good things to think over

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

An ugly and soporific hybrid of gynaecological horror and undeveloped scientific projection. Laughably cheap special effects, a ponderous script, and ugly production design combine with a stolid supporting performance by Fritz Weaver as the old-enough-to-be-her-grandfather bonkers scientist, married to a mousey looking Julie Christie, who is beautiful but sadly unable to act. Very boring, very forgettable.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Not bad enough to take down Julie Christy, but based on ending, where part two?

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

Full Review

steve d

Fails to do the book justice.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

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Donald Cammell

Director

Julie Christie

Susan Harris

Fritz Weaver

Alex Harris

Gerrit Graham

Walter Gabler

Berry Kroeger

Petrosian

Lisa Lu

Soong Yen

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Richard Combs

Sight & Sound

Very uncomfortably directed: the performances are stilted and metallic (whatever is supposed to be assumed about robots taking over), and the perfunctory visuals leave the ramshackle plotdangerously over-exposed.

Mar 19, 2020

Full Review

Michael Sragow

New Yorker

Christie's passionate, vulnerable performance keeps pulling the entire movie into her point of view.

Mar 27, 2017

Full Review

Gary Arnold

Washington Post

What might have become an ingenious parable about the battle of the sexes ends up a dopey celebration of an obstetric abomination.

Dec 21, 2015

Full Review

Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

The film is so claustrophobic it's like spending a day talking between four walls. [Full review in Spanish]

Aug 22, 2023

Full Review

Anton Bitel

Projected Figures

Donald Cammell’s sci-fi horror finds uncomfortable, uncanny parallels in the longing of intelligences both real and artificial to self-replicate, as Proteus IV and Susan yearn alike to escape their respective traps.

Jun 25, 2023

Full Review

Steve Warren

The Barb (Atlanta)

Probably the silliest story idea of the year; and yet it's developed with a certain inner logic, infused with an excellent star performance and decorated with trippy visuals.

May 9, 2023

Full Review

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Synopsis

Child psychologist Susan Harris (Julie Christie) lives with her husband, Alan (Fritz Weaver), in a home operated by a computer program. When Alan invents Proteus IV, an artificial intelligence system capable of advanced thought, Alan's obsession with technology strains his relationship with Susan. But Susan sees the true power of her husband's invention when Proteus IV takes her hostage in her own home and plans to impregnate her in order to take on a human form.

Director: Donald Cammell
Production Co: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Rating: R
Genre: Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 11, 2017

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