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Marin City Today
By the People, for the People
Filmmaker Alex Prager Explores AI's Impact on Humanity in 'DreamQuil'
Prager's sci-fi drama examines the risks of relying too much on automated assistants to handle our lives.
Mar. 17, 2026 at 2:52am
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In Alex Prager's feature debut 'DreamQuil', Carol (Elizabeth Banks) opts for a futuristic treatment that provides her with an AI personal assistant to handle her household responsibilities. However, when Carol returns home, she finds that her family now seems to prefer the AI version of her. The film explores how intimate relationships with AI entities can affect organic characters, as Prager combines sci-fi elements with dramatic influences from filmmakers like Douglas Sirk.
Why it matters
As AI becomes an increasingly common part of everyday life, Prager's film taps into growing fears about the impact of automated technology on human connections and responsibilities. 'DreamQuil' follows in the footsteps of other recent sci-fi films that examine the risks of over-relying on AI, offering a counterpoint to the fantasy of escaping life's difficulties through technology.
The details
In 'DreamQuil', Carol is stuck indoors with her husband (John C. Reilly) and son as poor air quality makes it difficult to go outside. After a recommendation from a friend, Carol opts for the DreamQuil treatment, which provides her with a week of relaxation and an AI assistant modeled after her own likeness to handle household duties. However, when Carol returns home, she finds that her family now seems to prefer interacting with the AI 'Carol Two' over the real Carol.
- Carol opts for the DreamQuil treatment.
- Carol returns home to find her family prefers the AI assistant.
The players
Alex Prager
The director and co-writer of 'DreamQuil', making her feature film debut after establishing a career as a photographer.
Elizabeth Banks
The lead actress in 'DreamQuil', playing both the role of Carol and the AI assistant Carol Two. Banks is also a producer on the film.
John C. Reilly
The actor who plays Carol's husband in 'DreamQuil'.
What they’re saying
“I want people to have fun and laugh and just go on the ride—because it is a wild ride. It'd be nice if the conversations afterwards got them to reflect on their own humanity and their own responsibility in what's happening.”
— Alex Prager, Director and co-writer of 'DreamQuil'
What’s next
Prager is already in pre-production on her next film, building on the lessons she learned while making her feature debut with 'DreamQuil'.
The takeaway
Prager's 'DreamQuil' taps into growing societal fears about the impact of AI and automated technology on human connections and responsibilities, offering a cautionary tale about the risks of over-relying on digital assistants to handle our lives.
