Artificial intelligence has become one of cinema’s favourite subjects over the past few years, with films often portraying it as either humanity’s greatest achievement or its ultimate downfall. What Only Cicadas See takes a more grounded approach. Rather than asking whether AI will destroy humanity, writer and director Brad Courtemanche explores what happens when people allow technology to fuel their own ambitions, grief and obsessions. The result is an intelligent, atmospheric thriller that blends crime investigation with psychological drama, while asking some timely questions about our growing dependence on artificial intelligence.
The story follows documentary filmmakers Mara and Tariq, who are desperate to break into the big leagues. Tired of seeing every streaming service churn out documentaries about decades-old cold cases, they decide they need to be first rather than best. Instead of revisiting crimes that have already been examined countless times, they want to document “warm cases” – investigations that are still unfolding.
To gain an advantage over their competition, Tariq secretly develops and begins using an AI assistant called Echo. Mara is initially sceptical, worrying that artificial intelligence threatens the careers of creative people like themselves. Tariq, however, sees Echo simply as another filmmaking tool, capable of analysing crime reports, identifying patterns and finding leads that human researchers may overlook.
Echo soon begins linking together a series of burglaries involving stolen firearms before identifying something far more compelling: recent unsolved murders occurring within a relatively small area of rural Florida. Suddenly, the pair believe they may have found the documentary that could change their careers.
Their first investigation centres on the murder of a young man whose body was discovered nailed to a tree deep within woodland. With few public details available, Mara and Tariq travel to the crime scene hoping to uncover information overlooked by local media. It’s here that the film really begins to find its identity, moving away from procedural investigation and into something far more unsettling.
As additional murders begin to emerge, Echo notices similarities between the victims and their locations, suggesting there may be connections that authorities have yet to recognise. The filmmakers continue following the trail, interviewing locals, speaking to potential witnesses and gradually becoming more invested in the investigation than they perhaps should be.
One memorable encounter sees them meeting Sasha, an adult film performer outside a roadside motel who freely offers local rumours surrounding one of the victims. It’s an unusual but effective scene that reinforces how information often spreads through communities long before it reaches official channels.
Running parallel to the investigation is Mara’s own unresolved trauma. Her brother was murdered years earlier, and the case remains unsolved. As the pair dig deeper into fresh killings, those old wounds begin reopening. Her emotional breakdown inside the car is one of the film’s strongest scenes, with Mary Pursell delivering a genuinely moving performance that grounds the thriller in real human emotion.
Pursell proves to be an excellent lead throughout. Mara begins the film as someone deeply suspicious of AI, viewing Echo as little more than another technology designed to replace human creativity. As events unfold, however, she develops an increasingly complex relationship with the software, even finding herself asking Echo philosophical questions about thought, emotion and consciousness. Those conversations quietly become some of the film’s most interesting moments.
Omar Moustafa Ghonim provides a strong counterpart as Tariq. He’s ambitious, optimistic and fascinated by technology, convinced that Echo can give them the edge needed to finally succeed. The chemistry between the two leads feels completely believable. They bicker constantly, swear at one another without offence, and share the kind of easy friendship that only develops over years of knowing someone. Their relationship gives the film warmth even as the investigation grows darker.
Echo itself is another highlight. Voiced by Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, the AI never becomes an over-the-top villain or an all-knowing supercomputer. Instead, it remains calm, analytical and strangely intriguing throughout, leaving audiences questioning whether it is merely processing information or beginning to develop something resembling intuition. The film wisely avoids easy answers.
Visually, What Only Cicadas See punches well above what most audiences would expect from an independent production. Steven Schloss’s cinematography captures rural Florida beautifully, contrasting bright sunlit exteriors with moody night sequences that become increasingly oppressive as the investigation progresses. Wide shots of forests, isolated roads and abandoned locations create a quiet sense of unease long before anything overtly frightening happens.
The sound design deserves equal praise. The constant chorus of cicadas, buzzing insects and distant birds fills the soundtrack throughout much of the running time, creating an immersive atmosphere that subtly reinforces the film’s title. Nature is never simply background noise here; it becomes part of the storytelling.
The pacing isn’t quite perfect. Some sections of the investigation linger a little longer than necessary, and there are moments where tightening individual scenes would have maintained momentum more effectively. A handful of compositions also lack the visual polish found elsewhere in the film, making certain scenes feel less cinematic than others. These are relatively minor criticisms in what is otherwise an impressively confident production.
What Only Cicadas See Is a Refreshing Indie Thriller
What makes What Only Cicadas See particularly refreshing is that it refuses to become another cautionary tale about evil artificial intelligence. Instead, it suggests that technology is neither inherently good nor bad. Echo simply reflects the ambitions, fears and desires of the people using it. The real danger lies not within the software itself, but within humanity’s willingness to push ethical boundaries in pursuit of success.
There are shades of Her in the way the characters begin relating emotionally to artificial intelligence, while the investigation itself occasionally evokes the slow-burning atmosphere of True Detective. Yet Brad Courtemanche never feels like he’s copying either. Instead, he combines familiar influences into something that feels uniquely his own.
Independent thrillers often struggle to balance character development with suspense, but What Only Cicadas See largely succeeds by ensuring audiences care about Mara and Tariq before the mystery fully unfolds. By the time the investigation reaches its more dangerous stages, viewers are invested not only in solving the murders but in the emotional wellbeing of the people trying to solve them.
Thoughtful, atmospheric and refreshingly mature in its handling of artificial intelligence, What Only Cicadas See is one of those independent films that demonstrates just how much can be achieved through strong writing, committed performances and confident filmmaking. It may not be flawless, but it is ambitious, emotionally engaging and proof that compelling science fiction doesn’t always require enormous budgets or spectacular visual effects. Sometimes the most unsettling questions come from the technology we are already beginning to invite into our everyday lives.
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