Hulu just released its latest original film Mother/Android — and I was surprised at this film. Written and directed by Mattson Tomlin (a somewhat newcomer to Hollywood having directed a slew of short films), this movie makes me feel like we are going to be hearing his name a lot more in the coming years.
Mother/Android is a post apocalyptic sci-fi thriller that takes place in the unclear time period of today. I say that because it could take place today, tomorrow, or several short years from now, and, as the title suggests, there are Androids in this film. However, the time period being unclear doesn't take away from the film. The film stars Chloë Grace Moretz (Kick Ass) as Georgia — who finds out that she’s pregnant in the opening scene — and Algee Smith (Judas and The Black Messiah) as Georgia's boyfriend Sam. Shortly into the film, we are introduced to two different Androids who act as butlers. A few beats later, an unknown cause triggers an Android uprising.
The first half of this film is a bit of a slow crawl, giving us character building. Then the second half really sinks its teeth in. The performances here are great. However, Moretz outshines everyone. She really brings emotion to every scene and, no offense to Algee Smith, but the film could have stood on its own with just her. The film never really falls into that “humans vs humans” scenario that we see so often in these types of movies, which is a breath of fresh air. Instead, it focuses on the two characters at hand and their struggle as a couple who were seemingly forced together due to the circumstances.
I enjoyed Mother/Android very much. The performances were great and the predictability was low, which is always a plus. There were twists and turns that I didn't see coming,which made me love it even more and really kept me on the edge of my seat. The story was a different take on a classic tale, and didn’t give you too many answers leaving the audience to interpret their own theories.
Mother/Android is now available for streaming on Hulu.