Netflix viewers can't get over The Adam Project's hilariously bad CGI

The Adam Project poster
(Image credit: Netflix)

If you're looking for a half-decent, heartfelt sci-fi romp, you'll probably enjoy The Adam Project, Netflix's latest Ryan Reynolds vehicle. But there's one aspect of the film's visuals that hasn't landed well.

The time-travel film features characters meeting younger and older versions of themselves – which is all well and good when the older version is played by a different actor. But the CGI 'de-agification' of one Catherine Keener has baffled viewers – not to mention creeping them out. Much like the best deepfakes of all time, the uncanny valley is strong with this one.

Two screenshots from The Adam Project showing Maya talking to a younger version of herself

The real Keener (left) vs the definitely-not-real younger Keener (right) (Image credit: Netflix/Future owns)

When Keener's villainous Maya Sorian travels back in time to chew the fat with her younger self, she meets, erm, a disturbingly dead-behind-the-eyes de-aged version of herself. And with so many incredible deepfakes out there these days, Twitter users are wondering why Netflix opted to make Young Maya look like a character from The Polar Express. Or The Sims.

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Indeed, with examples like the Star Wars deepfake so good it got the creator hired by Lucasfilm and those hilarious Tom Cruise TikTok videos, it's a little baffling that Netflix itself couldn't come up with something a little more realistic. Still, at least Young Maya isn't quite as terrifying as the humans in Gran Turismo 7.

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Daniel Piper
Senior News Editor

Daniel Piper is Creative Bloq’s Senior News Editor. As the brand’s Apple authority, he covers all things Mac, iPhone, iPad and the rest. He also reports on the worlds of design, branding and tech. Daniel joined Future in 2020 (an eventful year, to say the least) after working in copywriting and digital marketing with brands including ITV, NBC, Channel 4 and more. Outside of Future, Daniel is a global poetry slam champion and has performed at festivals including Latitude, Bestival and more. He is the author of Arbitrary and Unnecessary: The Selected Works of Daniel Piper (Selected by Daniel Piper).