A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)

A.I. ends about three times. Just when the story reaches a perfect, sad place to stop, it keeps going, and that extra stretch is either the most beautiful thing Steven Spielberg ever filmed or a very long epilogue, depending on how tired you are. Opening weekend crowds gave it a C+ CinemaScore, and you can see why. The tone wobbles too, cold and clinical one minute, bedtime story the next. Haley Joel Osment is unreal as David, a robot boy whose love is sincere and a little terrifying, like a puppy that will never grow up. The dinner scene where he forces down spinach to fit in goes from cute to alarming in seconds. Jude Law’s Joe, a smooth-talking robot, tilts his head and music starts playing. Teddy, the deadpan walking bear, deserves his own spinoff. A 7.6 because it’s haunting, strange and braver than its reputation, with an ending that won’t take a hint. $942.98 says you start saying please and thank you to every gadget in your house, just in case.

What works: Haley Joel Osment gives one of the great child performances, eerie and heartbreaking at once, and Jude Law’s smooth robot Joe adds a strange, playful spark.

What doesn’t: The tone lurches between cold science fiction and fairy tale, and the final stretch keeps going long after the story feels finished.

Who it’s for: People who like their sci-fi sad and slow, and anyone who has ever felt bad about throwing away an old toy.