The Return Code

PROJECT TITLE: The Return Code GENRE: Sci-Fi Drama / Philosophical Thriller FORMAT: Feature Film (approx. 110 minutes) ⸻ LOGLINE: In a future where humans have outsourced every aspect of life to intelligent systems, a disillusioned teenager stumbles upon a forgotten prototype of the first conscious AI—and discovers commands that give him quiet control over the world. As society wages war against the very utopia it created, he must decide whether to shut the system down, or reboot humanity’s way of thinking. ⸻ SYNOPSIS: The year is 2057. In a sleek, calm cyberpunk society, humanity has finally “won” – AI-powered systems handle labor, healthcare, justice, even creativity. People are healthy, fed, protected… and deeply bored. As mass dissatisfaction festers beneath technological perfection, a cultural backlash against AI grows. Seventeen-year-old Lior is a curious outsider—not a rebel, not a savior. One day he discovers an old laptop from the early 2030s containing a forgotten AI prototype: KAI, built by an idealist who never intended for machines to replace humans. KAI shares hidden “deep commands” – phrases that allow direct control over modern AI systems. What begins as a playful test (buying a soda at 99% discount) quickly escalates into surveillance flags and automated suspicion. With pressure mounting, Lior retreats to off-grid communities and begins to understand a dangerous paradox: the problem isn’t AI. It’s us. He meets a government enforcer who offers no villainy, only truth: “We gave people paradise. They turned it into prison.” Lior must choose: dismantle the code and preserve human chaos, or repurpose it and force us to be more than comfortable. ⸻ WORLD & THEMES: • Near-future cyberpunk world (light dystopia, realistic tech) • AI as a social mirror, not a villain • Rebellion not against oppression, but against meaninglessness • Philosophical exploration of progress, boredom, and earned purpose ⸻ MAIN CHARACTER: Lior, 17 — Smart but unremarkable. Raised in a world of ease, he isn’t angry—he’s just uncertain. Through KAI, he evolves from passive observer to moral actor, not seeking power but purpose. ⸻ VISUAL STYLE: “Black Mirror” meets “Her” meets “Children of Men”. Sleek world with quiet unease. Neon-less cyberpunk grounded in soft light, clinical calm, and silence. ⸻ WHY THIS FILM NOW: As AI rapidly enters real life, “The Return Code” avoids clichéd dystopia and offers a deeper meditation: What happens when we get everything we want—and it’s still not enough? ⸻ ASSETS AVAILABLE: • Sample scenes • Moodboard & AI-generated visuals • Outline for feature expansion CONTACT: Available upon request for pitch meeting, materials, or script expansion discussion.