Prime Video’s AI-created Turkish series Castle Walls looks crude and feels emotionally hollow
Prime Video has released *Castle Walls*, a Turkish series billed as the first end-to-end AI-created show on a major streaming service. Its two episodes use generative video to depict 11th-century Alamut Castle, but the review says the artificial-looking characters, overloaded imagery and uneven pacing make the result feel visually crude and emotionally empty.
The story follows Hasan Sabbah as he arrives at Alamut and seeks to recruit the warrior Azazil. Turkish studio Ay Yapım says human screenwriters Kerem Deren and Çisil Hazal Tenim wrote the series, and human voice actors were involved. The review acknowledges the technology’s potential to change filmmaking, while arguing that AI should support rather than replace human creativity.
In short
- Prime Video has released a series made with generative video tools.
- The first two episodes run for 17 minutes each.
- The review questions whether AI can deliver human-feeling art.
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The case for
AI-generated production could make ambitious settings such as 11th-century Alamut cheaper and more accessible to depict, giving creators room to experiment with visual styles and stories that might otherwise be difficult to produce. Used alongside human writers and voice actors, the technology may be a new filmmaking tool whose quality can improve with experience.
The case against
The review argues that Castle Walls’ artificial-looking characters, overloaded imagery and uneven pacing weaken its emotional impact, suggesting that technical novelty alone cannot deliver compelling drama. Viewers may reasonably worry that relying too heavily on generated imagery will sideline the human judgement and craft that give performances and stories depth.
Explained simply
Generative AI can create images and video from written prompts, allowing filmmakers to produce scenes without filming every detail in the usual way. Streaming services such as Prime Video distribute programmes to viewers online, while production studios make the shows they carry.
Castle Walls is a Turkish historical drama set around Alamut Castle in the 11th century. It follows Hasan Sabbah’s arrival and his attempt to recruit the warrior Azazil; Ay Yapım says human screenwriters and voice actors worked on the series alongside AI-generated video.
The series draws attention to how AI may change television production and the roles people play in making programmes. Its release also raises questions about how audiences respond to AI-generated performances and imagery in a story designed to convey human emotions.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “Castle Walls review – Prime’s first fully AI-generated show is here, and it’s a Vaseline-smeared mess”.