On Sept. 25, the student-made film “Superhot: Mind is Software” premiered in Blanche Davis Theater. Directed by and starring UWRF student Ryan Bartley, the film follows an unnamed protagonist who receives a video game from a friend to review.
After booting up the game, the protagonist begins noticing strange features within it. As he continues to play, the line between the game and reality becomes increasingly blurred.
The film has generated polarized reactions, with some viewers praising it and others strongly criticizing it. While the film has several strengths, its weaknesses ultimately make it difficult to fully engage with.
The strongest aspect of the film is its cinematography. The director of photography deserves credit for creating several visually interesting shots, and the use of the dolly zoom is particularly effective. The cam-era work frequently feels dynamic and demonstrates clear ambition.
The film also contains several solid performances. Many of the background actors and voice actors help provide some of the stronger moments in the production.
At times, however, the film is unintentionally funny. Some moments intended to be dramatic lose their impact because of performance choices or staging that can feel exaggerated. In several scenes, reactions pull attention away from the story rather than reinforcing the tension being built.
Unfortunately, the film’s technical strengths are not enough to overcome what may be its biggest issue: characterization.
The protagonist is central to nearly every major event in the film, yet the audience is given very little information about who he is or what motivates him. The explanation for his continued involvement with the game arrives late in the film and does little to strengthen the character’s motivations.
The protagonist also lacks a clear arc. He begins the film obsessed with the game and ends the film obsessed with the game. Because the audience learns little about his personality or background, it can be difficult to connect with him or become invested in his journey.
This problem extends beyond the main character. Even some of the characters who are portrayed well by the actors are given limited characterization, reducing their overall impact on the story.
Another issue is the film’s audio mixing. Dialogue early in the film is noticeably quiet, making some conversations difficult to follow. This stands out because the voiceover audio is much clearer and easier to understand.
The color grading also feels inconsistent. Some scenes appear to have a noticeable blue tint while others do not. It is difficult to determine whether this was an intentional choice because no clear pattern emerges.
The final criticism involves the story itself. Because the protagonist’s motivation never feels fully developed, the narrative struggles to establish meaningful stakes. Rather than building toward a clear emotional payoff, several plot developments leave the audience feeling uncertain about what the film is trying to communicate.
One example occurs near the film’s climactic moment. The protagonist appears to throw the game away, only for it to later reappear in his pocket. Whether this is an intentional storytelling choice or a continuity issue is unclear, but the sequence creates confusion at a moment that appears intended to be significant.
None of these criticisms erase the effort that clearly went into making the project. The cinematography demon-strates creativity, and there are moments that show genu-ine promise. However, those strengths are outweighed by weak characterization, uneven execution and a story that struggles to maintain audience investment.
“Superhot: Mind is Software” is an ambitious student project with several effective visual ideas. While it does not fully succeed in its storytelling, it demonstrates cre-ativity and effort, and its strongest elements provide a foundation on which future projects can build.
