Mother/Android is a Science Fiction movie set in a not so distant future where Artificial Intelligence takes over — and one big issue ruins the whole thing.
Mother/Android sounds like something that is right up my alley on paper – a Science Fiction flick about a robot uprising. Sure, we have seen it time and time again but it is always an interesting premise. Especially because the more time goes on, the more this feels like something that could definitely happen in the not so distant future. Unfortunately Chloë Grace Moretz trying her hardest to hold this thing together couldn’t even save it — and that is largely in part to one giant issue.
This movie starts off with Georgia (Chloë Grace Moretz) finding out that she is pregnant on Christmas. Her and her boyfriend, Sam (Algee Smith), are discussing whether or not to keep the baby when they realize it is time to head off to a holiday party. The AI butler has a weird glitch, telling them to have a Happy Halloween as they head out the door, and that is a hint that the robot uprising is upon us.
Later that night, the AIs go crazy and start killing people. Georgia and Sam rush out into the streets and it isn’t too long before the story propels us forward to when Georgia is at full term and nearly ready to give birth. This is where the major issue comes into play, and takes away from what would otherwise be a really fun Sci-Fi movie.
What even month is it? If Georgia found out she was pregnant on Christmas, she would need to be at least 4 weeks along, but more than likely closer to 6 or 7. Fast forward to when she is 9 months pregnant and that, at best, would be in August. SO WHY IS IT SO COLD OUTSIDE AND THE LEAVES ARE CHANGING?
Yes, we are told many times over that we are in the Northeast — Connecticut, New York, Boston — but it is not scarf wearing, shivering at night, see your breath when you breathe cold in August. And that is assuming she found out she was pregnant extremely early on. Realistically we are looking at a time frame that should be late June or early July.
It is clearly supposed to be fall here, which makes absolutely no sense at all. While this could be considered a small details for some, this completely took me out of the film. I was annoyed every time something that suggested it was cold out came on the screen. I started to think to myself, did the AIs somehow alter the weather? It was completely distracting and ruined the experience for me.
However, if you push that out of the equation, which can be very hard to do, this is a fun story for those who are into Science Fiction. There are a lot of great elements here, from the AI hunting down humans in the woods, to discussion of safe passage out of the United States, which seems to be the only infected country. All of this comes together for the making of a perfectly enjoyable B movie.
Another issue is that this is a very over done concept. Pretty much ever since technology advancements have been made, there have been movies about that coming back to bite us in the butt. I can happily say, however, that Mother/Android has several added touches that make this movie more memorable than others like it. In order to avoid spoilers, one of those is captured in the photo below — one of the best scenes in the movie, in all honesty.
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This movie clearly had a low budget, but it is still able to pull off some cool action scenes and costumes. There are a few times where an AI’s robot face is exposed and these scenes offer up a bit of grotesqueness weaved in what is an otherwise pretty bland film.
The story over all is quite predictable — even the big twist can be seen from a mile away if you are paying close enough attention. Perhaps that is why they threw in the confusion about what month this all is taking place in, to cover up the very obvious plot points that are playing out on screen.
All of this said, if you are looking for an entertaining enough Science Fiction to movie watch at home, and you don’t care what the Summer looks like in the Northeast, Mother/Android is a decent option. It is a little less than two hours long, but moves along quick enough to feel like it is worth your time. The ending, though predictable, plays out really well on screen and is heart wrenching to watch.
Rating: 2 out of 5
About Mother/Android
Set in the near future, “Mother/Android” follows Georgia (Chloë Grace Moretz) and her boyfriend Sam (Algee Smith) through their treacherous journey of escape as their country is caught in an unexpected war with artificial intelligence. Days away from the arrival of their first child, they must face No Man’s Land – a stronghold of the android uprising, in hopes of reaching safety before giving birth.
The film stars Chloë Grace Moretz, “Georgia” (“Shadow in the Cloud”, “Kick-Ass”), Algee Smith, “Sam” (“Judas And The Black Messiah”, “Euphoria”), Raul Castillo (“We The Animals”).
“Mother/Android” is directed by Mattson Tomlin (“Project Power”, “Little Fish”). Matt Reeves (“The Batman”, “War of the Planet Of The Apes”, “Cloverfield”) through his 6th & Idaho production company with Adam Kassan (6th & Idaho) and Rafi Crohn (6th & Idaho) along with Miramax’s Bill Block (“The Gentlemen”, “District 9”), and Charles Miller serve as producers.
Mother/Android premieres Friday, December 17, 2021 on Hulu.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.