Film · The Signal
Variety’s critic praises Trees Are Watching’s actors but faults its AI imagery
Variety’s TIFF review finds a mismatch between the actors’ work and the film’s generated sequences.
Reporting updated Sep 23, 2026
Judge a generated insert in the edit. A striking image still has to belong beside the performances around it.
What Happened
Bahman Ghobadi’s Trees Are Watching drew a sharply negative review from Variety’s Siddhant Adlakha after its Toronto premiere. He praised Eva Green and the child performers, but argued that generated imagery weakened the film’s visual and tonal continuity.
The review discusses generated asides and connecting shots, but does not identify the tools used.
Why It Matters
For a filmmaker mixing live action and generated shots, this is a reason to test a short sequence before committing to more inserts. Watch the cut for changes in texture, mood and attention. If the new image pulls focus from the actor’s moment, a better-looking standalone frame may not solve the scene.