I watched a $500K sci-fi thriller starring AI actors. The movie made me feel something real — for a moment.

Mădălin Mihai

For a brief moment toward the midpoint of the AI-generated film "Hell Grind," I caught myself experiencing something unexpected: genuine emotion. As the male lead, Roco, gazed at a photo of his recently kidnapped love interest, he flashed back to memories of them growing up together in an orphanage. The sadness and yearning felt real. The sensation didn't last. Mid-flashback, Roco and his AI-generated costars began laughing in an eerily synchronized fashion, their eyes peeled wide open. As I