Movie Reviews for Writers: Peripheral

There are so many movies about authors, but not so many good ones with something to say about what it means to be an author. And even fewer that have something to say about the world of publishing. 

Well, Peripheral is one of those that actually does both, and I think it should be required viewing for modern authors living in a digital age. 

With its obvious references to Videodrome, another of my favorite movies, Peripheral hits its theme with a hammer. Do I wish it had been more subtle and used something softer? Yes. Does that diminish its message? Not really. 

That theme: 

Who owns the writer's words? The writer? The fans? The publisher? Then who creates the works? The originality of the writer or the expectations of the market? What if your writing hardware took care of all those decisions for you?

The new flesh is no longer video, its digital. Mixed up subplots run together in this confusing soup, but wow, is it beautiful to watch and listen to. And it sticks with you, particularly if you're a writer in the digital age, long after the credits roll. 

Bobbi is an old-school writer not really comfortable with computers, but her publisher wants her output to increase. Pressured into adapting to a new system (with the help of using an author she admires to drive that pressure home even further), Bobbi gives in and tries the new system out. It is designed to pull the story from her and to emulate her voice and even correct her work without her acknowledgment (which she only discovers later). Ultimately, Bobbi learns that she is just another commodity that can be replaced by the digital if she doesn't play ball with her publisher's corporate interests. Even if that means becoming one with the machine. 

To say much more about this terrifyingly interesting flick would be to give too many spoilers away, but if you're at all interested in the blending of technology with creativity, consider it a must-see.