Bahman Ghobadi’s AI Horror Film 'Trees Are Watching' Premieres to Scrutiny

Key facts

The debut of *Trees Are Watching* marks a distinct shift in technique for its creative team, bringing high-profile acting talent into contact with experimental prompt-based visual creation. As reported by Siddhant Adlakha, director Bahman Ghobadi framed the project as a self-serious midnight horror narrative built around lead performances by Eva Green. Rather than relying entirely on conventional set design or standard digital visual effects, the production utilized generative artificial intelligence prompts to construct its central supernatural sequences and environmental imagery.

Executive producer Martin Scorsese joined the production prior to its premiere, bringing immediate industry visibility to the low-budget independent feature. Scorsese’s executive producer credit aligned the project with his long-standing practice of sponsoring international directors. However, the finished feature has drawn sharp critical scrutiny over its execution and tone.

In his published review, Adlakha observed that the movie struggles to reconcile its dramatic earnestness with the artificial nature of its visual output. The narrative places Green’s character in a series of uncanny scenarios where prompt-generated imagery forms the primary source of terror. Adlakha reported that the reliance on synthetic prompts creates a noticeable disconnect between the dramatic weight delivered by the cast and the visual elements generated by software, characterizing the final result as a self-serious misfire that fails to generate the kinetic appeal typical of midnight genre cinema.

Why it matters

The public emergence of *Trees Are Watching* provides a concrete case study in how generative artificial intelligence software is moving from internet demonstration clips into feature-length narrative film production. For several years, the potential adoption of generative tools in cinema has sparked structural debates across the global entertainment industry. While advocates argue that prompt-based rendering lowers financial barriers for independent directors seeking to realize complex visual concepts without multi-million-dollar visual effects budgets, critics contend that synthetic visual assets lack artistic intent and spatial consistency.

The involvement of Martin Scorsese as executive producer adds significant weight to this industry shift. Scorsese has long been regarded as one of modern cinema's most prominent advocates for film preservation, traditional craftsmanship, and artistic heritage. His decision to lend his name and executive oversight to a project defined by AI-generated prompts indicates that major industry figures are actively testing how automated visual tools fit into the global landscape of art-house and independent distribution.

Furthermore, the critical reception reported by Adlakha underscores the practical artistic hurdles facing AI-assisted visual storytelling. Even when anchored by established actors like Eva Green, narrative cinema relies heavily on spatial continuity, precise lighting, and emotional alignment—elements that current generative image software often struggles to sustain across a full-length movie. The reception of *Trees Are Watching* may serve as an important reference point for distributors and investors evaluating whether audience appetite exists for prompt-generated visuals in commercial feature films.

Bahman Ghobadi is widely recognized as a key figure of modern Iranian and Kurdish cinema. Born in Iran, Ghobadi achieved international recognition with his 2000 debut feature, *A Time for Drunken Horses*, which won the Caméra d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. He expanded his reputation with critically acclaimed works including *Turtles Can Fly* in 2004, which depicted children living near the Iraqi border ahead of the U.S. invasion, and the 2009 musical drama *No One Knows About Persian Cats*. The latter film, which explored Tehran’s underground music scene without official Iranian state authorization, led to Ghobadi's work continuing in exile across Europe and North America.

Historically, Ghobadi's filmography has been grounded in realistic, politically charged human dramas, making his sudden entry into synthetic, prompt-driven horror a sharp artistic departure.

Martin Scorsese’s executive producer role reflects a career-long commitment to supporting global filmmakers. Through executive producer credits and non-profit endeavors such as the World Cinema Project, established in 2007, Scorsese has repeatedly assisted international directors in securing financing, rights restoration, and distribution access in Western markets.

The broader context surrounding artificial intelligence in film has intensified following the major Hollywood labor disputes of 2023. During that year, extended strikes by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) centered heavily on securing contractual protections against uncompensated synthetic performers and unauthorized script generation. While those labor agreements set strict boundaries for major union productions, independent and foreign projects have continued to test generative software as a primary tool for art direction and visual effects.

Lead actress Eva Green has established a career spanning international art-house projects and major studio productions. After her screen debut in Bernardo Bertolucci’s 2003 drama *The Dreamers*, Green gained widespread international visibility in the 2006 James Bond film *Casino Royale* and Ridley Scott's 2005 epic *Kingdom of Heaven*. She subsequently established a strong presence in gothic horror, starring in the television series *Penny Dreadful* from 2014 to 2016.

Reaction

The initial response to *Trees Are Watching* has focused primarily on the contrast between its prominent creative team and its unconventional technical execution. According to review coverage by Siddhant Adlakha, critical reactions have pointed to a fundamental friction between the performance delivered by Eva Green and the visual instability inherent in prompt-generated horror sequences.

Industry analysts and film commentators are waiting to see how festival audiences and specialty distributors respond to the title. While experimental cinema frequently embraces technical anomalies, professional visual effects artists and labor representatives have expressed persistent skepticism regarding the visual quality and employment impacts of replacing human digital artists with automated prompt generation. Neither Ghobadi, Green, nor Scorsese have issued formal public statements addressing the decision to rely on AI-generated imagery, though festival press conferences and distribution panels are expected to focus heavily on these creative choices.

What we don't know yet

Several technical and operational aspects of *Trees Are Watching* remain unconfirmed by available reporting. The exact software platforms, model architectures, and prompt workflows utilized by Ghobadi and his post-production crew have not been publicly detailed. It remains unknown whether the film relied on commercial image generation models, custom-trained proprietary software, or a combination of conventional digital editing and synthetic assets.

In addition, distribution and financial details remain unreported. Available summaries do not specify the total production budget of the feature, the extent of financial backing provided by the production companies involved, or whether any theatrical distributors or streaming platforms have acquired commercial release rights. The exact degree of creative involvement exercised by Martin Scorsese during post-production also remains unstated beyond his formal executive producer credit.

What to watch

Over the coming months, several key milestones will clarify the commercial trajectory and broader impact of *Trees Are Watching*. Industry observers will be watching upcoming screening dates across international film festival circuits to assess whether other critics and specialty audiences mirror initial negative assessments.

Furthermore, potential acquisition announcements by independent distributors or streaming services will signal whether commercial buyers view prompt-generated feature films as marketable entertainment. Finally, ongoing policy discussions within professional guilds and visual effects organizations regarding the crediting, disclosure, and regulation of generative software in feature film production will remain critical indicators of how the wider industry handles prompt-based filmmaking.

This report is based on original news coverage and review reporting published by Siddhant Adlakha on September 19, 2026.