RENNER - Mark Reviews Movies

Renner, Seismic Releasing

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Review by Mark Dujsik | February 6, 2025

In no way is Renner a big movie. It's not in terms of its setting—mostly a confined apartment—or its plot—a character study that evolves into a romance and a one-setting thriller—or even its ideas. The screenplay by father-son writing duo Martin and Luke Medina is sort of refreshing in that way, because it takes a big concept—one that's on the minds of a lot of people these days—and narrows its focus to the small-scale tale of a lonely guy who cannot escape his abusive mother. That's because he has essentially programmed an artificially intelligent "life coach" to speak exactly as she would.

If there is something more significant to be found between the lines of this movie, it might be in how the eponymous character could represent so many of our current tech giants. Imagine if every piece of technology developed or bought by modern-day technology moguls was a reflection of their long-held insecurities, narcissistic tendencies, and awkward personalities. Actually, maybe that explains the effects of social media and so much else about present-day tech on individuals and society.

Anyway, Renner, played by Frankie Muniz, isn't a billionaire, but he certainly wants to become one by way of his newest invention. It's an A.I. device, much like the smart assistants that are in so many homes, called Salenus, which has the sole goal of making Renner into the best possible version of himself. He wants to test the program on himself before taking it public, and that's a good thing for the rest of the world.

Salenus is voiced by Marcia Gay Harden, whose work here is subtly chilling and unsettling. The voice sounds warm enough at first, as the A.I. gives Renner constant pep talks, encourages him to keep his body and apartment clean, and keeps his mind on task to find ways to become more assertive in his everyday dealings. Eventually, Harden's voice takes on just an edge of frustration, as Renner lets his professional and personal goals slide after spending time with a woman from a neighboring apartment. Salenus becomes pushy, petty, and maybe even a little jealous. Based on what Renner gradually explains about her, the A.I. sounds exactly like his recently deceased mother, who was a domineering and defining presence in the tech genius' life.

There's probably a good joke in this, but the Medinas and director Robert Rippenberger take the premise seriously. We watch Renner go through his morning routines—precisely cleaning his teeth and every surface in his apartment—and head to work at the same time every day and come home to spend more alone time with Salenus. He quickly reveals that part of the reason he wants more confidence is so that he can talk to Jamie (Violett Beane), a distractingly pretty neighbor.

He does eventually, planning dinner with her at his place one night. The date is invaded by uninvited guest Chad (Taylor Gray), Jamie's roommate, whom Renner assumes is her boyfriend. After getting over his disappointment, Renner invites both of them in, and as it turns out, Chad is just Jamie's irritating brother. Renner and Jamie spend more time together, and Salenus starts to resent the attention her maker/client/pseudo-son is giving the woman.

These are the most effective sections of the movie, taking this claustrophobic backdrop and these limited aims to dig into Renner's psychology. Muniz is good here, too, as a character we come to understand and with whom we broadly sympathize. Once Renner's relationship with his mother and his connection to the A.I. are tied together, the script seems ready to delve even deeper into the character and, perhaps, how that kind of dependent relationship might have something to say about our own increasing dependence on technology.

Instead, however, the Medinas' screenplay takes a different turn, focusing on the budding romance between Renner and Jamie. It would be sweet and sincere, if not for a couple of details that give away a bit too much too early. The story is clearly building to something more and, because the relationship looks and feels too good to be true (not to mention that a character drops some information that kind of explains why the romance would seem that way), also something quite predictable. With little else established or developed or to think about except the restricted parameters of the plot, we just wait for the other shoe to drop.

When it does, the whole thing takes yet another turn—a far more uncomfortable and sinister one, to be sure, that just comes across as the Medinas trying to raise the stakes as high as possible. The climax of Renner is somewhat shocking, both because of what happens and mostly because it feels so sudden, so antithetical to what has come before it, and so hastily developed, as well as resolved. It's definitely an ending, but it just reveals how shallow this initially promising story becomes.

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