I Am Mother (2019) Review!!!

Synopsis – A teenage girl is raised underground by a kindly robot “Mother” — designed to repopulate the earth following the extinction of mankind. But their unique bond is threatened when an inexplicable stranger arrives with alarming news.

My Take – If there is one genre which does not get the much deserved love now days, it has to be science fiction, especially original takes. I get it, the future of the planet looks quite bleak, hence dystopian science fiction is becoming less fun and a little more like a sneak preview of what the world will become in our lifetimes.

As a result, these thought-provoking original pieces from daring filmmakers, are being deemed unsuitable for cinematic distribution, and are finding themselves snatched up by the streaming giant, Netflix. While Netflix films continue to be seldom good, this latest entry into its library is surprisingly a cut above most of the platform’s sci-fi originals.

While it does seem to be heavily inspired by ‘Westworld’, ‘Terminator’, ‘Moon’, and ‘Blade Runner’, however, this Australian-American thriller-science fiction film directed by Grant Sputore manages to be a satisfying example of a familiar sub-genre: self-contained yet tense, cerebral and stylish sci-fi dramas that explore wider themes with a small cast.

Falling somewhere between the accessible entertainment of a YA blockbuster and the complexity of a low-budget indie like Moon, this fascinating, oddly moving at times thriller spares the complicated world-building and simply gives its leads plenty of interesting material to work with, leaving you pleasantly surprised.

The story follows a young girl (Clara Rugaard), simply known as Daughter, who was raised in an isolated re-population facility, by a droid named Mother (Luke Hawker, with voice provided by Rose Byrne), who was activated the very second after the last human being on Earth died by a deadly virus. Living a lonely existence of watching old episodes of The Tonight Show and studying philosophy.

Raised to believe that it’s unsafe to leave the facility, and that there isn’t anyone out there anyway, Daughter begins to bristle under the close attention Mother pays to her, and the demands she places on her for endless aptitude exams. She’s also shaken up by Mother’s brutal efficiency when it comes to preventing contamination, such as incinerating a mouse Daughter finds skittering around the facility.

Blindly trusting of her guardian, Daughter never questions Mother’s claim, but her unconditional belief, however, wavers when a severely wounded stranger (Hilary Swank) arrives at the bunker doors. Claiming that not a virus, but a swarm of killer robots that happen to look exactly like Mother, murdered the complete human race. As tension begins to mount in the confines of the facility, Daughter is forced to confront the very fact of her existence, while figuring out who she can really trust.

Employing familiar science fiction tropes, the film ends up delivering a smart, compelling tale that is cunningly unpredictable. Even as Michael Lloyd Green’s screenplay slowly reveals its cards, director Sputore keeps the audience guessing and takes several unexpected turns along the way. The film moves at a deliberate pace, gradually ratcheting up the tension.

The film’s most familiar sci-fi tropes about our future robot overlords have been examined in more interesting ways before. Still, the film offers just enough of a twist on an old futuristic tale to be enjoyable, and its small cast buoys the film above most small-budget sci-fi.

Though it drifts a bit in the third act, when some of the action takes place outside the facility, the film manages to be a clever and eerie, a three character play in the spirit of Ex Machina. Its numerous twists are both creepy and tragic, and seem obvious once they reveal themselves, but it’s unlikely that you’ll see them coming. And Mother herself joins a long list of memorable film A.I. with a personality all her own.

Despite its futuristic setting, between the lines of the film is an existential techno-drama that mostly finds the sweet spot between philosophy, and psychology.

Playing as a thematic exercise about mothers and daughters, and about who you trust, the robot that raised you or the human that you just met and most of all about protecting our children from a harsh world outside their doors, in this case a dystopian wasteland.

At a certain point, a parent, even a robot one has to stand down and let their kid go and hope that all the parenting work they’ve done prepares them for dangers that come, even if the biggest danger is Mom herself. While the woman and Daughter develop their own familial bond with unsettling ease, largely because Daughter is so desperate to see someone who looks like her. Both the woman and Mother not only demand Daughter’s loyalty, but her acknowledgment that they know what’s best for her.

Even though Daughter’s relationship with Mother is off-putting in some ways, the fact that they only ever refer to each other as Mother and Daughter gives their scenes an appropriately uncanny edge, despite also being genuinely sweet.

The setting also plays a significant role here. Thought, most post-apocalyptic films take place in charred cities or wastelands, here director Sputore places his tale in the sterile, high-tech refuge of bunker. At the onset, it seems to be an idyllic sanctuary. Its comforts and conveniences are steadily eclipsed by its sinister secrets.

The performances also help in elevating the overall experience. Clara Rugaard turns in a breakout performance and is excellent as literally the perfect daughter, who strives to please Mother without ever questioning or making demands of her.

While Hilary Swank occasionally leans a little too hard into sweaty, tough as nails Sarah Connor pastiche, she nimbly keeps her character’s motives unclear. She comes across as sympathetic one moment and manipulative the next. Despite Mother being a robot with one unblinking eye and a head shaped like a toaster, Rose Byrne‘s soothing and stable voice makes her an excellent character. On the whole, ‘I Am Mother’ is a smart, suspenseful and intriguing high-concept sci-fi that is well-acted and very entertaining.