Martin Scorsese fans have some mixed feelings right now. The fans are reacting to his involvement with a new festival movie that makes heavy use of generative AI. The filmmaker, who has long supported traditional filmmaking and the work of human artists, is now facing criticism after reviews questioned the film’s use of AI-generated visuals.
The controversy centers on Trees Are Watching, a psychological horror movie directed by Kurdish-Iranian filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi. The film premiered at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival, where Variety criticized its visual effects and extensive use of generative AI.
The review described the movie’s visuals as feeling like the result of typed prompts rather than finished creative work. Fans on Reddit were especially displeased with the use of artificial intelligence technology in a movie.
@Plane-One-7351 commented, “From goodfellas to goodprompts.”
@ArsenalBOS wrote, “I wonder who helps Scorsese on the producing/business side. He seems to be officially included in an incredible number of projects at any given time, especially for an 83-year-old who is still making his own movies.”
@CaptainKino360 mentioned, “Imagine what even 2019 “they’re the movie equivalent of theme parks” Scorsese would say about this sh-t.”
@throwawaysnumber added, “Real dissapointing to see Scorsese fall for the AI bandwagon. I know he’s an old rich guy, the main demographic, but he’s been a huge advocate for the arts, he’s a major voice to the efforts of film preservation so this investment on AI feels like a big slap to the face of the medium.”
AI-generated imagery reportedly appears throughout the movie, including transitions, forest landscapes, and mythological flashback scenes.
How is Martin Scorsese involved with the Trees Are Watching movie?
Scorsese serves as an executive producer on Trees Are Watching. He joined the project shortly before its TIFF premiere, helping bring more attention to the independent film.
His connection with Ghobadi goes back more than a decade. Scorsese previously presented Ghobadi’s 2012 movie Rhino Season. Ghobadi also spent time observing Scorsese while he worked on The Wolf of Wall Street and The Irishman.
Starring Eva Green, Trees Are Watching follows a writer who returns to southeastern Turkey with her daughter. Their lives change after strange supernatural events begin surrounding a carved wooden chair.
Scorsese’s involvement does not mean he directed or created the AI imagery in the movie. However, his executive producer credit has brought additional attention to the debate over how generative AI should be used in filmmaking.
