GOLEM.AI (2025)

3 stars

GrimmVision. Digital. 12th October.

GOLEM.AI is a micro budget horror – one of those films that take place via computer screens and online video calls. Whilst this is listed as a 2025 production onscreen evidence points to this 65 minute production was put together during Covid (or is meant to look like it was set then). As our initial character Dylan (Dylan Hares) looks at his planner they are lots of references to ‘Survive Covid’.

He joins a call with Alec (Alec Seymour) who he used to do online gaming with, but they haven’t spoken in a couple of years and they initially seem quite antagonistic – even slightly obnoxious. They start catch up with each other and what has happened in the intervening time.

They then decide to play a really old first person shooter called Global Assault. But it doesn’t run smoothly and there is a loud noise. They stop playing. Then Alec notices someone behind Dylan. Dylan can hear crying in Alec’s flat. Odd things start to happen. Something or someone is playing games with them. Is it from their past gaming interactions online.

Because some arcane Hebrew symbols appear, there is talk of the Jewish folklore of the Golem – to in some way justify the title, as it isn’t really explored beyond that.

I have a low tolerance for these kinds of split screen productions – the acting is fine here and it’s fairly well staged in the found footage style, if never actually scary – there are better productions in this groove. If you want to see this done with genuine frights then check out HOST from 2020.