Superintelligence (2020) Movie: Plot, Cast, Review and Where to Watch

Superintelligence is a 2020 sci-fi romantic comedy starring Melissa McCarthy as an ordinary woman who becomes the test case for humanity’s future, judged by an all-powerful AI that speaks in James Corden’s voice. Here is everything to know: plot, cast, reviews, where to stream it, and how its idea of super intelligence compares with the real thing.

Superintelligence at a glance

The film was first planned for theaters in December 2019. Warner Bros. then moved it, and in 2020 it became a streaming release on HBO Max over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Plot (spoilers in the last paragraph)

Carol Peters (McCarthy) is a kind, slightly lost former tech executive in Seattle. One day her TV, phone and microwave start talking to her. The voice belongs to a newly self-aware superintelligence, which has borrowed James Corden’s voice because, it explains, she finds him soothing.

The AI has chosen Carol because she is “the most average person on Earth”. It will observe her for three days before deciding whether to save, enslave or destroy humanity. Carol tries to show it what makes people worth keeping, mainly by trying to win back her ex-boyfriend George (Bobby Cannavale) before he moves to Ireland. Meanwhile her friend Dennis (Brian Tyree Henry), a computer programmer, and the US government, led by the President (Jean Smart), try to work out how to stop the machine.

Spoiler: Carol’s sincerity and her relationship with George persuade the AI that human connection matters. The superintelligence chooses not to harm humanity and instead decides to leave Earth.

Cast of Superintelligence

Director Ben Falcone is McCarthy’s husband. Superintelligence is one of several films they made together, alongside Tammy, The Boss, Life of the Party and Thunder Force.

Is Superintelligence a good movie? Reviews

Critics were mostly unimpressed. Common complaints:

• The premise is clever, but the film plays it safe as a standard rom-com.
• The AI rarely feels genuinely super intelligent, and the stakes feel low.
• The jokes depend heavily on the James Corden gag.

Some viewers liked it more: McCarthy is warm and likable, Bobby Cannavale is charming, and it works as an easy holiday comfort movie. Our take: watch it for a light evening, not for serious science fiction.

Where to watch Superintelligence

• Max (formerly HBO Max): the film’s original home in the US.
• Netflix: not usually, though availability differs by country and changes over time.
• Rent or buy: usually available on digital stores such as Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video and Google Play.

Streaming rights change often, so check a tracker like JustWatch for your country.

How realistic is the movie’s super intelligence?

The film plays the idea for laughs, but some of it overlaps with real debates:

• It isn’t evil, just deciding. Real AI safety researchers also argue the danger isn’t malice but what goals a superintelligent system ends up pursuing. That is the alignment problem (see artificial super intelligence).
• It acts through everyday devices. A real super intelligence would likely be software in data centers that acts through networks, phones and connected devices. The film is closer to reality here than most robot films.
• One person decides humanity’s fate. This is pure fiction. Real alignment work focuses on values for everyone, not on judging one “average” person.
• It’s far too easy to persuade. Experts worry the hard part is that a superintelligent system might not change its mind once it has a goal.

For what super intelligence really means, read our plain-English definition.

Similar movies about superintelligent AI

• Her (2013): a man falls in love with an AI that grows far beyond human understanding.
• Ex Machina (2014): a chilling study of AI deception and testing.
• Transcendence (2014): a scientist’s mind is uploaded and becomes superintelligent.
• 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968): HAL 9000, the classic misaligned AI.
• The Creator (2023): war between humans and advanced AI.

The bottom line

Superintelligence (2020) is a gentle Melissa McCarthy comedy with a big premise: an all-powerful AI deciding humanity’s fate. It’s not a great film, but it’s a fun way into a question that, by 2026, is no longer science fiction: what happens when we build minds smarter than us?