A troubled woman is sent to housesit in a house run by a sinister A.I. in Romi. After being part of a hit-and-run accident, Maddie Keys (Alexa Barajas) is sent by her senator mother to housesit in a smart home owned by Hertig (Pavel Kríz), controlled by an advanced AI named Romi (Jocelyn Chugg). The house hasn’t been lived in since the disappearance of Hertig’s wife Irina (Jamie Shelnitz) and Maddie finds herself alone, apart from regular visits from Romi’s technition Barkley (Juan Riedinger). However, the longer Maddie stays in the house, the more she comes to believe that Romi may have a mind of its own.
Romi Synopsis
Romi is a supernatural horror film directed by Robert Cuffley (Bright Hill Road), based on his 2019 short film of the same name. The film stars Alexa Barajas (Yellowjackets) as an anxiety-ridden young woman, who is sent on this housesitting job to lay low while her senator mother tries to clean up a mess resulting from a hit and run. Maddie becomes frustrated when Romi seems to ignore her voice commands, often switching its profile back to that of Irina’s. Maddie soon begins to suspect that someone or something might be in the house with her.
My Thoughts on Romi
Romi is a very timely horror film that plays into fears about AI and smart technology. For much of the film, it seems like Romi is being controlled by a supernatural force, which includes a number of jump scares. However, the film does make a revelation in the final act that makes you want to take a second look at everything that came before. Altogether, Romi is a quite solid supernatural horror film.