Virtual reality is poised to become "the next big thing" in the tech world, as multiple virtual reality headsets ready for release in the next two years. While much has been discussed regarding the immersive potential VR can bring, one group of filmmakers have crafted a powerful warning about the dangers of the technology in a new short film titled Uncanny Valley.
The films tells the tale of one expert game player who slowly learns that the virtual world is not all it appears to be. Soon the line between real and make believe begins to blur, leading to one great twist at the end that we won't spoil here. The whole film is only around seven minutes long, meaning you have no excuse not to watch it.
Not that you'll have trouble watching to the end anyways. The entire film is extremely stylish, cutting between documentary style scenes in the slums of the real world and the sci-fi hellscape of a virtual reality shooter game that VR junkies use to escape. Rather than VR headsets, this fake reality is crafted thanks to a powerful VR noise ring, which sounds kind of strange but actually works.
The film hooks you in and doesn't let you go until the film scene, and then it leaves you wanting more. As The Verge states in their own piece about the film, it's very easy to see this movie becoming a full-length feature film in the same vein as Neill Blomkamp's District 9, which also began life as a short-film. When you finally get your hands on an Oculus Rift, keep this film in the back. For every good use of technology, there are also uses that are far more sinister.
You can watch the entire film below.
UNCANNY VALLEY (2015) from 3DAR on Vimeo.
