Autonomy was warmly-received at its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival. The film was produced in cooperation with Car and Driver Magazine and has done an excellent job of providing a serious examination of the many (almost endless) questions that are raised by development of self-driving vehicles. They raise many provocative questions about the economics, political, legal, safety, cost, ethical implications, and cultural reverberations. They seriously examine what driverless vehicles will mean. Of course, they can not answer all these questions, but just asking them is a significant step forward. The film moves rapidly and is highly engaging. I highly recommend it to anyone who is trying to think seriously about this really important technological development that is likely to have immense implications on daily lives in the next decade or so.
Plot summary
Brief history of the development of self-driving cars along with an even-handed look at the pros and cons of giving up human control of something that has been a significant part of people's lives for more than 100 years. The film suggests we are at a significant cultural and economic turning point.
April 07, 2023 at 01:32 AM
Tech specs
720p.WEBMovie Reviews
A Fascinating film about the future of Self-Driving Cars
Gladwell is a Genius
If you've never read a book by Malcolm Gladwell, then you just don't understand how rational and logical and eminently correct the man is regarding just about everything. His documentary Autonomy gives the viewer many things to consider. High caliber experts weighing in, fascinating history and meaningful connections.
Waste of my time and yours
A good movie (documentary or otherwise) understands that it has ten minutes to convince you that it's going to show you something new. This is not a good movie.
The first ten minutes consist of telling you ten versions of things you and every other audience member already know.
Many people love cars? Many people love driving? But driving in cities is horrible?YES I KNOW ALL OF THESE THINGS.
The late Martin Mayer had very cruel (but valid) things to say about documentaries, that the only people who watched them were prisoners and the not very smart, because intelligent people had no patience with such a slow delivery of new information. This documentary validates every aspect of Mayer's thesis, and shows a production team who have learned nothing since Mayer made his remark fifty years ago. (Compare, eg, long form television, which *has* learned how to create demanding, non-time-wasting, fare for demanding adults.)