Peripheral

2018

1h 29m

Sci-Fi

List

90%

10 Reviews

Tomatometer

76%

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Audience Score

A young writer faces off against the intelligent software designed to help her write her new book and discovers a conspiracy of social control.

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David W

I was pulled in to watching this by the compelling premise. It's visually compelling and has a plot that grows increasingly bizarre, which keeps you watching as you can't help but wonder where this is all going. However, early on I grew frustrated with highly unrealistic and questionable decisions on the part of our protagonist. Her unexplainable decisions continue as the film progresses. There is also a gratuitous amount of sex, including an extremely strange cyber tentacle sex scene that is not very sexy at all. I would not watch this again.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/24/24

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meta 4

Interesting adaptation of the book(s), may be better in the way it moves the plot like more modern narrative style than the original text

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Matthew B

This TV adaptation started great. It was a different and original story compared to the book but it had its own merits and followed a similar premise. The final episode was terrible. Season 1 had several subplots developing at the same time and for the finally instead of bringing resolution to any of them it introduced several more. The story Amazon was telling through episode eight could have been wrapped up nicely in two or three seasons. The final episode added plot devices and new conflicts that could be stretched out over eight s masons and never be resolved. It felt like the old Lost TV series. Very disappointed.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

12/07/22

Full Review

David W

An unusual and thought provoking slice of horror technophobia. It starts as a writer struggles with her new book, unfamiliar technology and her publisher after the apparent success of her debut and then it goes off in very unexpected directions. The script freewheels somewhat in parts, throwing lots to contemplate at the viewer but this just adds layers of welcome weirdness. It's obviously made on a tight budget but the performances from the small cast, especially from its lead, are excellent and keep it moving well. The director creates an commendable sense of growing unease as it boldly heads into Cronenbergian body horror, tinged with David Lynch territory. Not for everyone but if you're in the mood for something unsettling and strange then it's well worth your time. A film that actually had something to say, whether you agree with it or not.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

11/15/22

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george w

Slow not as good as I had hoped

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

11/08/22

Full Review

Audience Member

In the general sense, the storyline itself is cool but the film altogether is just a little too run of the mill as it gradually inches itself into the "darkside of artificial intelligence" trend prevalent in ultra-modern scifi films. Personally I like the cliche myself but I was hoping this one would prove more originality than i ended up left with by the middle of viewing.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

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Paul Hyett

Director

Hannah Arterton

Bobbi Johnson

Tom Conti

Gilmore Trent

Rosie Day

Shelly

Jenny Seagrove

Merlock

Elliot James Langridge

Dylan

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Anton Bitel

Sight & Sound

The ink-stained results, messy and unnerving, are an introspective oddity and a dystopian satire of the individual's place in a closed political system. It's easily Hyett's finest film.

Nov 9, 2018

Full Review

Alix Turner

Ready Steady Cut

British sci-fi horror about the connections between a writer and her computer, from director Paul Hyett.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 10, 2021

Full Review

Daniel Goodwin

Starburst

The script shimmies into Cronenberg/Raimi terrain throughout the second act and momentarily improves, but instead of running fearlessly in this exciting new direction, it backtracks onto a more budget-friendly path.

Rated: 2/5

Aug 3, 2020

Full Review

Keri O'Shea

Warped Perspective

As tech horror continues to develop and reflect contemporary concerns, this love letter to Cronenberg is grim but stylish, and well worth a watch.

Jul 31, 2020

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Joel Fisher

Battle Royale With Cheese

Peripheral is a multi-faceted story that will satisfy fans of the body horror subgenre, but also many writers may find themselves identifying with the existential crisis that Bobbi finds herself in that may be driving her mad.

Jul 20, 2020

Full Review

Benjamin Gummery

Indie Mac User

Building on the premise of a writer struggling to complete the followup to their debut novel it also acts as a meditation on the writers process, fame and the interference of technology and corporations on our lives.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 3, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

A young writer faces off against the intelligent software designed to help her write her new book and discovers a conspiracy of social control.

Director: Paul Hyett
Producer: Tim Clayton, Gary Collins, Naomi George, Steve Potts, Daniel Shepherd, Jezz Vernon
Screenwriter: Dan Schaffer
Production Co: Ascension Productions
Genre: Sci-Fi
Original Language: English (United Kingdom)
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 4, 2019
Runtime: 1h 29m

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