In the world of Mother/Android, humans have become dependent on technology. Specifically, using androids for a range of needs — from working as personal help at home, construction workers, teacher aides, warehouse workers, you name it. The film's premise is not entirely original as there have been many sci-fi films that tackle human apprehension concerning a technology-dependent society. Sadly, Mother/Android doesn’t do anything particularly interesting with the premise or take viewers on an intimate journey along with the characters. As the film reached its climax, the tone and subgenre of the film switch from a personal drama with elements of sci-fi to a sci-fi actioner with a bit of drama. But no matter what genre of film it's tackling, the root of the problem is the limited character development. Viewers will sympathize with them, but the script doesn't give that extra push to fully root for them.
Chloë Grace Moretz and Algee Smith play Georgie and Sam, respectively, a young college couple who are on the brink of a new stage in their lives. Georgia is pregnant and not thrilled by it. Sam cares about her, but he doesn’t seem to know the right thing to say to ease Georgia’s stress. On the same night they take three pregnancy tests, the world changes. Suddenly the docile robotic helper has decided to wipe out humanity, Terminator-style. The young couple faces increasingly difficult decisions as Georgia reaches the end of her pregnancy.
With a lackluster visual palette, the film requires compelling characters to keep viewers engaged. But the film quickly loses steam as it progresses with little development regarding its central characters' relationship. The story begins with the knowledge that Georgia intended to break up with Sam, but their circumstances being what they are, they stayed together. The story of a couple maintaining a relationship, despite being incompatible, is interesting. Especially when they're throw into a story about the world being on the brink of extinction thanks to murderous androids. The film lingers on themes that it doesn’t work hard enough to explore more deeply. Unfortunately, writer-director Mattson Tomlin fails to give depth to his feature directorial debut, though he is an ambitious storyteller with a lot of promise.
Moretz and Smith have proven to be capable actors in the past, but here they stumble through stilted dialogue and melodrama that doesn’t offer much for them to work with. Moretz manages to pull it together as she has a bit more to do, but with limited character development there is little gained from her performance. Meanwhile, Raúl Castillo (who plays Arthur) comes in like a wrecking ball as the least developed character, and yet the most interesting one. Arthur brings with him a whole other facet to the sci-fi film and it is the one that offers the most compelling plot point in Georgia’s journey. Castillo also has to contend with some flat dialogue, but that isn’t enough to torpedo his presence onscreen.
Mother/Android hinges upon the audience identifying with Georgia and the hard choices she has to make to survive and give her child a chance. The treacherous journey she undergoes to get to a boat that offers safe passage to Korea is filled with heartache and heart-pounding action. As the story dives into the harder parts of her journey, however, the emotionally charged moments feel like they're too little, too late. The foundation laid in the first and second acts of the film can’t carry the turn in the third act, and it certainly can’t carry the baggage that comes with Castillo’s character. The film fumbles through some on-the-nose dialogue and supporting characters that are merely archetypes and wooden as the trees. Needless to say, there isn't enough to keep this film afloat for its nearly two-hour runtime.
Ultimately, the film is torn between two versions of Georgia’s survival story — one that doesn’t directly engage with the androids and one that does. Mother/Android has some very interesting ideas, but cannot balance its themes while simultaneously maintaining interest in its leading characters. Perhaps if this were a miniseries it would give this world and its characters room to become more than just surface ideas.
Mother/Android is streaming on Hulu as of December 17, 2021, and internationally on Netflix starting January 7, 2022. It is 110 minutes long and rated R for violence and language.
