★★★
A teenage girl is raised by a robot designed to repopulate Earth. Their bond is tested when a stranger arrives with alarming news.
Classification: 15
Immersive world-building and captivating performances has I Am Mother transcend its somewhat predictable script as director Grant Sputore builds a disturbing mystery on a post-apocalyptic earth. Clara Rugaard carries the film perfectly with her genuine mix of naivete and skilled practicality as her character of Daughter begins a journey of independence as her world view is challenged by her finally meeting a member of her own species. Sputore builds an interesting character conflict around the base mystery of the film where Rugaard’s character uses the skills her robotic Mother has prepared her for her whole life to directly challenge the caregiver and begin to make her own path.
While Ruggard’s humanity is what makes I am Mother compelling, it is the titular character that makes the film terrifying. A multi-layered performance of performer, computer effects and voice-over work, Mother the robot who has raised Daughter in isolation is one of those great creations of movie magic. Rose Byrne’s soothing delivery juxtaposed with the mechanical design of the suit as well as the production design creates this barren clinical environment that tension and drama thrive in. The best moments of I Am Mother are the scenes that flesh out the relationship between Mother and Daughter, the exposition layered in the dialogue that hints at reveals later in the story and shows the peculiar nature of their connection to one another.
The film’s mysteries are compelling; the nature of the apocalypse, Daughter’s education and training, Mother’s true objective in the facility and when Hilary Swank’s character is introduced these little mysteries begin to form into a larger conspiracy. Sputore’s direction has many strengths but one of I Am Mother’s weaknesses is the pacing and the revelations from these conspiracies. The atmosphere of the film is immersive and keeps its audience engaged thoroughly and so it easy to guess where the plot may go and the film takes its time with the explanations and confirmations that it deflates some of the excitement and tension in the first and second act. There are still genuine surprises and shocks in I Am Mother which makes the third act jaw-dropping in some instances from the pure strength of the science fiction and Ruggard and Byrne’s performances.
So much of the core of I Am Mother is about truth, the truths we tell our children, the truths we discover in our lives, the truths that can rock our world to its core. Sputore’s directions has us follow Daughter on her journey of finding her truth and the consequences of questioning the autonomy and authority of her world order. It is a story dealing with so many themes and analogies but it comes down to a child assuming control over their life and leaving their parent behind. Sputore’s focus on these themes to influence the development of the story and the science fiction makes I Am Mother stand unique from similar science fiction stories dealing with robots, the apocalypse and the future of mankind.
Smart science fiction backed by confident direction and compelling performance, I Am Mother ticks all the right boxes for fans of the genre. With a few narrative and production hiccups along the way, the majority of the film is gripping and delivers a satisfying conclusion that will have you wanting to watch it all over again to unpack the more subtle elements from the performances. High praise to Weta digital’s work in creating the visual design of the Mother character, similar to Alicia Vikander’s character from Ex Machina, the practical and digital are seamlessly put together to create this compelling character who both enchants and haunts. Sputore impresses with his first feature along with Clara Rugaard, who are both two names to look out for in the future.
Director: #GrantSputore
Cast: #ClaraRugaard, #LukeHawker, #RoseByrne, #HilarySwank
Release Date: June 7th 2019
Available exclusively on Netflix.
Trailer:
Written review copyright ©CoreyBullochReviews
Images and Synopsis from the Internet Movie Database
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