Technological advancements help us stay healthy, offer convenience and bring prosperity. But good things always come with a dark side. What if state-of-the-art technologies began to worsen people’s lives?
SF8, now available on Viu, takes this question and runs wild with imagination. The brand-new project consists of eight short sci-fi films from eight well-known Korean directors; it’s one of the first Korean-made series with an edgy sci-fi focus, touching on controversial aspects of technology.
For instance, what if AI could evolve itself? In one short film, Manxin, an AI-powered fortune teller that accurately predicts the future earns the trust of the masses who follow it for advice. But a mission to learn more about the system behind it raises big questions about humankind and dark forces.
Another film, Love Virtually, starring Super Junior’s Choi Siwon, looks at what happens when virtual relationships go further than we could imagine. How do you find real love when everyone is using fake virtual identities to make their move? This rom-com hints at the answer.
If you’re looking for a doomsday-style short, watch Baby It’s Over Outside, a quirky take on an impending apocalypse. With little time left, many people begin to reveal the negative feelings they’ve been harbouring about each other – but one new couple wants more time to get to know each other and so attempt to extend the world’s expiry date.
While each 40-minute short that makes up SF8 is connected by a similar theme, you can watch them in whatever order you want.
SF8 will release one short every weekend starting 15 August. Each one features subtitles in many languages, so go ahead and add it to your watch list for tonight!