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Hot Spot

Play trailer 1:45 Poster for Hot Spot R Aug 2026 1h 40m Sci-Fi Mystery & Thriller Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
21% Tomatometer 19 Reviews 25% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
In Hot Spot, set in a near future society ruled by sentient A.I., a private eye investigates a murder case only to discover a rebel group capable of undermining the digital overlord. As the detective's identity slowly unravels, his world enters a state of hypnotic meltdown.
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Hot Spot

Critics Reviews

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Guy Lodge Variety Aug 21, 2026
One could, at a push, argue for Hot Spot as a nihilistic forecast of a future in which artificial intelligence renders void all human conflict and contrast. If so, Smoczynska’s restless, vigorously witty imagination feels proudly unsuited to that vision. Go to Full Review
Monica Castillo AV Club Aug 21, 2026
D
Hot Spot is trying to say something but it loses interest in its own dystopia. Go to Full Review
Natalia Winkelman New York Times Aug 20, 2026
Hot Spot, with its arcane rules and stilted exposition, is closer to a video game or a lucid dream than a worthy science-fiction entry. Go to Full Review
Matt Konopka Dread Central 4 days ago
3.5/5
Bogged down a tad by sluggish pacing and a convoluted story, Hot Spot nevertheless fascinates through hypnotic style and a strong commentary around A.I. that begs us to remember we are human beings, not machines. Go to Full Review
Todd Jorgenson Cinemalogue Sep 4, 2026
Emphasizing bleak dystopian atmosphere over coherent storytelling, this surreal drama winds up more tedious than provocative. Go to Full Review
Maxance Vincent InSession Film Sep 3, 2026
D-
A tedious but oddly intoxicating nothingburger. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Mr Hollywood Sep 18, 2026 A complete mess. Boring. Ridiculous See more Allen Aug 24, 2026 I really wanted to like this movie… And there are some nice visuals here. I just wish they were accompanied by a coherent story. See more Kei Aug 23, 2026 The film was too discreet and dystopian to understand any underlying meaning See more miguel a Aug 21, 2026 As a private eye investigates a murder in a future world of sentient A.I., his identity and marriage suffer a hypnotic meltdown. Sci-fi/Thriller Pros: Definitely unique, with cool visuals, a decent score, and some intense gore effects. Cons: Talk about a director being up his own ass. Weird and obtuse just for the sake of being weird and obtuse. Maybe I’m an idiot, but none of this movie made any damn sense to me. Overall: Definitely unique and visually interesting, but way too weird and obtuse for its own good. I spent most of the movie wondering what the hell I was watching. See more LauVeh Aug 21, 2026 Really did not like this movie, it was a bit too boring See more Scott L @RT38304957 4 days ago I enjoy the movie I like seeing new actors in lead roles that you don't really get to see all the time. The foreign feel made me like it even more I like the perspective on AI and futuristic aspects that it has I feel like this is a movie that even depreciated today but you watch and later down the road in like 5 years maybe even 10 people will love it you'll end up turn to a cult classic as people stumble across it. I'm just saying it's actually a really good movie if you relax sit down and just decide to really let your imagination go and watch a fun movie. If ya do like it you don't like art. See more Read all reviews
Hot Spot

My Rating

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Movie Info

Synopsis In Hot Spot, set in a near future society ruled by sentient A.I., a private eye investigates a murder case only to discover a rebel group capable of undermining the digital overlord. As the detective's identity slowly unravels, his world enters a state of hypnotic meltdown.
Director
Agnieszka Smoczyńska
Producer
Bogna Szewczyk, Klaudia Śmieja, Gregory Jankilevitsch
Screenwriter
Robert Bolesto
Distributor
Focus Features
Production Co
Madants
Rating
R (Graphic Nudity|Gore|Brief Language|Sexual Content|Strong Violent Content)
Genre
Sci-Fi, Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 21, 2026, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 8, 2026
Runtime
1h 40m
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