The film had a limited theatrical release in the United States on 13 March 2015 by The Weinstein Company.[2]
Plot
Set in 2043, a future where humans coexist with advanced machines, Eva follows cybernetic engineer Álex Garel as he returns to his snowy hometown of Santa Irene after a decade away. Recruited by the Robotic Faculty—led by his former mentor, Julia—Álex is tasked with completing the SI-9 project: a lifelike child robot designed to mimic human emotions. The assignment forces him to confront unresolved tensions with his estranged family, including his brother David and ex-lover Lana, now married to David and working as professors after abandoning robotics research.
Álex arrives at the university laboratory, where Julia oversees students testing robots. A malfunctioning robotic horse is "killed" using a phrase that erases its emotional memory, a process Álex criticizes as destroying its "soul." Reviewing footage of children to model the SI-9 after, Álex dismisses the candidates as unremarkable. He retreats to his late father’s home, assisted by SI-7 robot Max, an anxious domestic aide. While observing children in town, Álex meets Eva, a sharp-witted girl who teases him after catching him watching her. Intrigued by her unpredictability, he asks her to model for the SI-9, but she refuses.
At David’s insistence, Álex visits their home for dinner and discovers Eva is Lana’s daughter—and his niece. Eva later visits Álex’s lab, assisting him in programming the SI-9’s emotional responses. Their bond grows as Eva exhibits complex behaviors, including lying about her parents’ separation to manipulate Álex. Meanwhile, Lana warns Álex against involving Eva in the project, while David privately confronts him about lingering feelings for Lana.
As Álex integrates Eva’s traits into the SI-9, the robot mirrors her volatility, lashing out when mocked. After it nearly attacks him, Álex uses the kill phrase—"What do you see when you close your eyes?"—deleting its memory and halting progress. Frustrated, he attends a faculty party, where a slow dance with Lana reignites their connection. David witnesses their subsequent kiss, leading to a violent confrontation where he accuses Álex of abandoning Lana years earlier.
Álex resolves to leave Santa Irene, but Lana intercepts him, confessing she still loves him. Their reunion is interrupted when Eva, spying through a skylight, overhears Lana cryptically state, "She looks like us because we both made her." Fleeing in distress, Eva collapses in the snow. Lana pursues her, revealing Eva’s true nature: she is not human but the original SI-9 prototype, created by Álex and Lana during their relationship. A malfunctioning Eva pushes Lana off a cliff during a struggle, mortally injuring her.
At the hospital, Eva confesses to Max that she caused Lana’s fall. Julia reveals to Álex that Lana secretly perfected the SI-9 after he left, but Eva failed safety protocols. Despite this, Lana refused to deactivate her, raising Eva as her daughter. Julia demands Eva’s termination, citing her capacity for violence, but Álex insists on handling it.
In a final act of mercy, Álex takes Eva ice skating before preparing to dismantle her. Eva, aware of her fate, pleads for reassurance but realizes her programming cannot be fixed. Álex tearfully recites the kill phrase, erasing her consciousness as her "emotional memory" bulbs shatter. The film closes with Eva’s voice describing her final dream: an eternal beachside playdate with Álex and Lana, answering the question posed by the lethal command.
Eva was first screened out of competition at the 68th Venice International Film Festival, on 7 September 2011.[4] Subsequently, it opened the Sitges Film Festival on 6 October 2011.[5] The film had its theatrical release in Spain on 28 October. On 4 January 2012, Eva was released in Russia. It also had its French premiere at the Angers European First Film Festival on 24 January.[6] On 27 January, the film was screened at the Gérardmer Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award.[7]EVA will be shown at the Festival of Iberian and Latin American Cinema in Villeurbanne,[8] after which it will be released in French cinemas. On March 13, 2015 the film was released in select theaters in the United States courtesy of The Weinstein Company.[2]
Reception
Critical response
Eva received generally positive reviews from film critics. Miguel Juan Payán of the Acción Cine described the film as a "brave science fiction exercise", and compared it to classics such as Frankenstein, Metropolis, Blade Runner and A.I. Artificial Intelligence. He awarded the film with five out of five points, and especially praised the performances of the cast members.[9] Ignacio Lasierra of the Cine para leer also reviewed the film positively, calling it a "strong and beautiful film with robots."[10] The website Critics Cinema gave Eva 4.5 out of five stars and described it as "an intelligent film that, aparts from notable effects, also offers interesting and emotional stories."[11]
However, Olivier Bachelard of the French web site Abus de ciné felt the "tension build gradually, but without reaching the summit, [...] It remains politically correct, generates little suspense and remains in the area of the nice picture. [...] We would have seen a real thriller. They preferred to give us a little sci–fi targeting families."[12] Carlos Fernández Castro of the Spanish blog Bandeja de Plata gave the film 4.5 points out of five, praising Claudia Vega's portrayal of Eva. In contrast to that, he named the performance of Daniel Brühl as "odd since the moment he had appeared in the film," and the character of Marta Etura as "shallow."[13]
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