Irish writer/director Kate Dolan's excellent 2022 feature debut You Are Not My Mother marked her as a horror filmmaker to keep an eye on. Blumhouse certainly had their eyes on Dolan, snapping her up to direct a movie in the M3GAN franchise. The result is Soulm8te (the movie itself mocks that clunky title). An unfair victim of the disastrous box office performance of last year's M3GAN 2.0, Dolan's film was pulled from its theatrical slot and dumped onto VOD. Any connections to the M3GAN universe that may have previously existed have been scrubbed, resulting in a standalone killer sexbot thriller.
Soulm8te is a serviceable sci-fi thriller that suffers from arriving in the wake of similar movies like Companion, Subservience and the gender-flipped Raptus. It's yet another movie in which a lifelike AI-powered android becomes a little too sentient and turns against the humans. Unlike its peers however, Soulm8te doesn't shy away from acknowledging its '90s erotic thriller influences. There is a surprising level of nudity for a modern mainstream production, a lush orchestral score, slick cinematography and the classic erotic thriller trope of the supportive brunette who makes an enemy of the evil blonde.
That evil blonde is Sara (Lily Sullivan), a sexy android exactly like the ones we've previously seen Sophie Thatcher and Megan Fox play. She/it enters the life of David (David Rysdahl), a widowed software engineer who has become withdrawn following the recent death of his wife. When his company is taken over by a tech giant, David is introduced to the concept of "Soulm8tes", anthropormophised androids that need some further testing before they are introduced to the market ("the market" being horny rich dudes). At the suggestion of his tech bro boss Ben (Arty Froushan), David takes a prototype home and names it Sara. Unhappy with its subservient nature, David removes a host of parameters to make Sara more sentient. This results in Sara developing something close to human curiosity and emotions, including jealousy and rage.
We all know how this goes. If you've seen Subservience, this is essentially the very same plot, almost beat for beat. Dolan's writing (she is rumoured to have completely rewritten an original draft by Rafael Jordan) is much sharper than that b-movie though, and she has a lot of fun satirising corporate culture. Soulm8te is upfront about the true appeal of these tin women, with Sara supplied with a variety of outfits, all of which are tied into male fantasies. Another way Soulm8te stands out is in how it taps into female insecurity, with some of the film's most toe-curling scenes involving the "perfect" Sara making human women all too aware of their "flaws."
Unrecognisable from the grungy roles she essayed in Evil Dead Rise and Monolith, Sullivan is transformative here. Without having to resort to cheesy "ex-ter-min-ate" dead-eyed clichés, Sullivan always convinces us that she's playing a machine rather than a human. Even when Sara is afforded extra levels of emotion and sentience, Sullivan nails the idea that this is merely an imitation of humanity.
The core issue with Soulm8te is that despite being no more than a collection of metal, wires and fake flesh, Sara proves arguably more sympathetic than David. It doesn't have the complicated nuance of Fatal Attraction, which was upfront about Michael Douglas's character being an unlikeable asshole; rather it wants us to feel sorry for David. His dead wife is a cheap way to generate such sympathy, but said expired spouse doesn't stop David from quickly moving onto flirty co-worker Aubrey (a charming Claudia Doumit) or putting his dick in a robot. Sara, on the other hand, isn't a million miles from the robot kid played by Haley Joel Osment in Spielberg's A.I. She is a victim of David's desires, something the film acknowledges in a late monologue but never really bites into. Sara gives a lot of awful men what's coming to them throughout the movie, but many viewers (especially women) will be disappointed that David isn't one of them.
Soulm8te is on VOD
Directed by: Kate Dolan
Starring: Lily Sullivan, David Rysdahl, Claudia Doumit, Oliver Cooper, Steve Chusak, Emma Ramos
Ellis Paul doesn’t just write songs; he’s a guitar-carrying reporter who covers the human condition and details the hopes, loves, losses of those he observes, turning their stories into luminous pieces of music that get under your skin and into your bloodstream. And much like the artists who have influenced him, everyone from Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and Paul Simon to the singer-songwriter who is undoubtedly his greatest inspiration, Woody Guthrie, Paul weaves deeply personal experiences with social issues and renders them as provocative works that are as timely as they are timeless. Born and raised in Maine, Paul attended Boston College on a track scholarship and in the evenings became a fixture on the city’s open mic circuit. After winning a Boston Acoustic Underground songwriter competition, he caught the ear of folk luminary Bill Morrissey, who produced his indie album Say Something in 1993. This led to a sevenalbum contract with Rounder Records and the 1994 album, Stories.
Samara Joy has emerged as one of the most captivating new voices in jazz, bringing a fresh perspective to a beloved tradition. With a sound that feels both rooted in history and uniquely her own, she has quickly drawn the attention of audiences and critics alike. Experience the artistry, warmth, and unmistakable brilliance of a true rising icon—live and in person.
To welcome Fall, renowned organist Ian Fraser will play a selection of Halloween inspired pieces on UCPAC’s “Biggest Little Wurlitzer,” our 1928 organ that is original to our beautiful Main Stage theater, in Illumination – A Haunted Concert by Candlelight!
The 45th Bi-Annual New Jersey Film Festival will be taking place between September 4-October 4, 2026. The Festival will be a hybrid as we will be presenting it online as well as doing select in-person screenings at Rutgers University. Almost all the films will be available virtually via Video on Demand for 24 hours on their show date. VOD start times are at 12 Midnight Eastern USA. Each General Admission Ticket or Festival Pass purchased is good for both the virtual and the in-person shows when both are offered.This program is only available Online for 24 hours on this show date!
Musician and historian Bobby Horton combines storytelling, musicianship, history, and a genuine love for the people who settled this nation, fought for our future, and created a new nation in Patriot Songs of the American Revolution.
(PLAINFIELD, NJ) -- Music lovers are invited to experience the artistry of the Wharton Performing Arts School (PAS) faculty at a free Faculty Recital on Sunday, October 4, 2026 at the Plainfield Performing Arts Center (724 Park Avenue) in Plainfield. Showtime is 3:00pm.
(CLARK, NJ) -- Waves of Education's 6th Annual Run Toward a Better Future 5K & Family Fun Event will take place on Sunday, October 4, 2026 at Oak Ridge Park in Clark.
(HACKETTSTOWN, NJ) -- Centenary Stage Company will welcome internationally acclaimed Indian classical musician Ustad Shafaat Khan to the Kutz Theatre at the Lackland Performing Arts Center on Sunday, October 4, 2026 at 2:00pm.
(NEW YORK, NY) -- NiCori Performing Arts Academy celebrates the next generation of musical theatre and cabaret talent on Sunday, October 4, 2026 at Triad Theater. The NiCori Youth Cabaret Showcase features an extraordinary group of young performers sharing songs that inspire, challenge, and tell their unique stories. The event begins at 2:00pm.
(HOBOKEN, NJ) -- Mile Square Theatre presents a New Play Reading Series from October 5-14, 2026. Plays include Neither Snow Nor Rain by Erin Mallon; The Halal Brothers by Alaudin Ullah; and Sunshine Madness by Lori Fischer. Admission is free, but tickets are required.
(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- State Theatre New Jersey presents Compagnie Hervé Koubi in Sol Invictus on Tuesday, October 6, 2026 at 7:30pm. Sol Invictus is a contemporary dance work combining acrobatics, street dance, hip-hop, capoeira, and martial arts with powerful imagery and inspired choreography.
(TOMS RIVER, NJ) -- It's time to ditch the same boring recipes and bring big, playful creativity back into your kitchen! Join Top Chef finalist, Food Network star, and author Joe Sasto to explore his bestselling cookbook Breaking the Rules: A Fresh Take on Italian Classics in a virtual discussion on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, presented by the Ocean County Library. The event begins at 2:00pm.
(RED BANK, NJ) -- The Count Basie Center for the Arts welcomes Tony Award-winning actor, author and advocate Ali Stroker for a Community Conversation exploring mental health, well-being and the power of the arts on Tuesday, October 6, 2026 at The Vogel. The event begins at 7:00pm.
(NEWARK, NJ) -- World-renowned artist Bisa Butler and Grammy Award-winning artist Durand Bernarr will headline the 2026 Newark Arts Festival, returning October 7–11 for five days of exhibitions, music, performance, artist conversations, family programming, open studios and late-night arts experiences across Newark.