John Torres’ The Remotes is an ambitious, atmospheric thriller that hypnotises as much as it will frustrate. Its exploration of grief and technological dependence is compelling, even if its non-linear narrative occasionally loses its way. This film demands patience, and it proves more rewarding on rewatches.

Detective Mijares (Alcharis Galura) is still grieving his late wife when he finds himself increasingly ensnared in a series of bizarre road accidents connected to a sinister navigation app. Designed to encourage safer driving, the technology instead seems to guide motorists into danger.

There is something deeply unsettling about letting a machine take control, yet most of us do it every day. We use navigation apps to guide us through unfamiliar places, often personalising them to suit our needs. I have an ever-growing map of Toronto filled with places to eat and shops to pop into. Hell, for some random reason, my wife uses a female Australian voice for her navigation system because she loves Aussie radio shows. What if it could recreate the voice of a loved one, someone who not only guides us but gives us life advice during a journey, if it’s unwanted? That unsettling, compelling idea is broached in The Remotes. If we surrender ourselves and let technology take over because we allow it to be personalised around us, have we lost ourselves to it?

When you combine this idea with grief, it becomes something altogether more dangerous. That voice stops being just a fun navigator; it becomes something you cling to, a voice you would believe without a doubt, because why wouldn’t you believe a loved one? Torres’s ideas here are thoughtful and strong, yet at times they’re just a bit too sprawling, and patience is key to enjoying this on a first watch.

What makes The Remotes linger in the mind is how close it feels to reality; that’s what makes it so interesting. We are increasingly comfortable with technology that talks to us, learns about us, and says things in a way that appeases us, while in reality it offers us only an illusion. Torres takes that familiarity and turns it into something deeply unnerving. The danger isn’t simply that technology might lead us in the wrong direction and put us in danger; it is that we already trust it enough to follow without questioning, like those who follow their routes into rivers.

The Remotes most likely won’t work for everyone, given the film’s purposeful darkness, runtime, and general pacing. There will be obvious frustration, yet it’s a fascinating watch that lets atmosphere and tone take over the film in a wonderfully disturbing way. It will leave you with more questions than answers on the first watch, making you want to return for another look and see what you missed. This is a great watch.

★★★★

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