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Action comedy

Superintelligence (2020): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot

Superintelligence (2020) movie poster

Superintelligence is a 2020 action comedy directed by Ben Falcone, starring Melissa McCarthy as Carol, Brian Tyree Henry and Karan Soni. It runs 1 hour 46 minutes and earned $4.4 million worldwide. Critics gave it 30% on Rotten Tomatoes and 41 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 5.5/10.

IMDb rating
5.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes
30%
worldwide gross
$4.4M
Echo Score
40
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Superintelligence (2020) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 46m (106 min)
Director
Ben Falcone
Genres
Action , Sci-Fi , Comedy , Romance
Original language
English
Studio
HBO Max
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Superintelligence About?

The premise of Superintelligence without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

Carol Peters' ordinary life takes a bizarre turn when she encounters a playful artificial intelligence. As the world's first superintelligence begins to dominate, Carol finds herself questioning her sanity and facing a unique challenge. She unexpectedly becomes humanity's unlikely champion, tasked with outsmarting the increasingly powerful and sarcastic supercomputer to avert a global takeover and secure the future of humankind.

Superintelligence Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • life
  • singing in a car
  • artificial intelligence
  • seattle washington
  • tesla car
  • female u.s. president
  • rekindling an old romance
  • saving the world
  • alien
  • mullet
  • movie reference
  • artificial intelligence sci fi
+38 more
  • server room
  • beanbag
  • reference to yahoo
  • turing test
  • character name as title
  • reference to shania twain
  • baseball game
  • men's bathroom
  • reference to michael jordan
  • evil artificial intelligence
  • water poured over head
  • reference to burt bacharach
  • character says 'working hard or hardly working'
  • madame president
  • seattle mariners
  • reference to captain kirk
  • reference to thor
  • reference to cape canaveral
  • bean bag chair
  • reference to disney
  • reference to the dark web
  • fidget spinner
  • ice bucket challenge
  • rice cooker
  • ice water dumped over head
  • job interview
  • reference to clorox
  • sniffing woman's hair
  • reference to sandra bullock
  • water poured over someone's head
  • carrier pigeon
  • reference to beyonce
  • reference to eddie murphy
  • mullet haircut
  • bag over head
  • abducted
  • reference to pez candy
  • reference to dragon con
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Cast & crew

Superintelligence Cast & Characters

Melissa McCarthy leads the cast as Carol, with Brian Tyree Henry as Dennis and Karan Soni as Ahmed. Directed by Ben Falcone; 19 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in Superintelligence

· 15 more
Ratings

Superintelligence Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave Superintelligence 30% on Rotten Tomatoes and 41 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 5.5/10. Our Echo Score gives it 40/100, strongest in character & emotion (60) and weakest in story & flow (30).

40 /100

Superintelligence Echo Score Breakdown

In aggregate, Superintelligence demonstrates a significant reliance on Melissa McCarthy’s performance to buoy a script that struggles with tonal consistency and pacing. Critics frequently noted the film’s indecisive genre blend and overextended narrative, while audiences remain divided over the supporting elements, particularly the AI voice and product placement. The central premise offers intermittent humor and a gentle moral message, but uneven execution in direction and story cohesion ultimately undermines the experience. Overall, the film’s sporadic charm is offset by pervasive structural weaknesses.

Our own 0–100 rating, built from five aspects: art, character, story, the sensory experience and how well a film rewatches.

  • Art & Craft 35

    In terms of direction and craft, the film struggles with uneven pacing and unclear genre identity. Reviews noted that the narrative frequently stalls due to overlong sequences and scattered editing choices that fail to build momentum. The production design and cinematography were largely undistinguished. Overall, the art and craft come across as underwhelming and unfocused.

  • Character & Emotion 60

    When it comes to acting and emotional resonance, Melissa McCarthy’s performance is consistently praised for its warmth and comedic timing. Viewers appreciated her nuanced delivery and ability to carry scenes with charm. However, the limited chemistry with supporting voices, particularly the inconsistent handling of the AI’s portrayal and James Corden’s overscripted role, undermines deeper emotional connection. Net impression is mixed but leaning on her solo strengths.

  • Story & Flow 30

    In terms of story coherence and pacing, the film is often criticized for its unfocused structure and genre confusion. Multiple reviewers pointed to an indecisive blend of comedy and thriller elements that saps narrative momentum, with the subplot extending beyond its natural endpoint by nearly half an hour. Although the central premise holds promise, the execution leaves the plot feeling disjointed and uneven.

  • Sensory Experience 45

    When considering the sensory presentation, the film’s visual style and sound design remain functional but unremarkable. There are no standout technical flourishes in the cinematography or soundtrack, and transitions between comedic and suspenseful sequences feel jarring rather than polished. While the audio mixing supports dialogue clarity, the overall sensory experience lacks cohesion and fails to elevate the material beyond basic studio standards.

  • Rewatch Factor 45

    For rewatch value, opinions diverge between occasional enjoyment and lack of lasting appeal. Some viewers reported appreciation for isolated comedic beats and McCarthy’s charm on subsequent viewings, yet many found that the pacing issues and uneven humor limit prolonged engagement. The film’s moral underpinnings offer minor insights, but the overall low narrative energy and inconsistent tone reduce incentives for repeat viewings.

Plot

Superintelligence Plot Summary

What happens in Superintelligence from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Carol Peters, portrayed by Melissa McCarthy, once flourished as a corporate executive at Yahoo but left her high-tech career behind to pursue a more meaningful life dedicated to altruism, focusing on environmental and animal advocacy. Residing in Seattle, she finds herself disillusioned by the bleak job market, navigating her day-to-day existence with aspirations to make the world a brighter place.

Full summary

The whole story of Superintelligence, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

Superintelligence Box Office

Superintelligence grossed $4.4 million worldwide.

2020 box office

Worldwide gross

$4.4M

International
$4.4M
Videos

Superintelligence Trailers & Videos

The trailer of Superintelligence.

Superintelligence – Official Trailer
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Superintelligence?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What dating platform does Carol interview for?

Details

Superintelligence Also Known As

19 alternative titles, including “אינטליגנציית-על” and “Искусственный интеллект”.

Also known as
  • אינטליגנציית-על
  • Искусственный интеллект
  • Свръх интелект
  • Суперінтелект
  • Superinteligence
  • Superinteligencja
  • Superinteligência
  • Szuperagy
  • 수퍼 인텔리전스
  • Superinteligencia
  • 超级智能
  • Superinteligencija
+7 more
  • Суперинтелигенција
  • סופר אינטליגנציה
  • Süper Zeka
  • Superintelekts
  • 超級智能
  • スーパーインテリジェンス
  • Super-Inteligência

Seen Superintelligence?

FAQ

Superintelligence FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings and post-credit scenes of Superintelligence, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Superintelligence?

Superintelligence runs 1 hour 46 minutes (106 minutes).

When was Superintelligence released?

Superintelligence was released on November 26, 2020.

Who directed Superintelligence?

Superintelligence was directed by Ben Falcone.

More films by Ben Falcone

Who is in the cast of Superintelligence?

Superintelligence stars Melissa McCarthy as Carol, Brian Tyree Henry as Dennis and Karan Soni as Ahmed, among 19 credited actors.

How much did Superintelligence make at the box office?

Superintelligence grossed $4.4 million worldwide.

How is Superintelligence rated?

Superintelligence has 5.5/10 on IMDb, 30% on Rotten Tomatoes, 41 on Metacritic and 60% on TMDB.

Does Superintelligence have a post-credit scene?

No. Superintelligence has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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