Mother/Android
By Jennifer Green,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Human drama is focus of sci-fi film with violence, language.
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Mother/Android
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What's the Story?
At the start of MOTHER/ANDROID -- set in the near future, when every house has a robot butler -- college student Georgia (Chloe Grace Moretz) and her boyfriend, Sam (Algee Smith), find out they're pregnant right before leaving Georgia's parents' house for a party. During the party, something happens that turns the androids violent, and the humans find themselves vulnerable to the stronger robots. Flash forward nine months, and a very pregnant Georgia and Sam are surviving in the wilderness and evading the androids. They hatch a plan to get to a safe nearby city to give birth and hopefully escape the country.
Is It Any Good?
Seemingly based in the premise that human emotion is at the heart of all compelling sci-fi, this film misfires a bit by focusing too heavily on the drama of a pregnant couple in an apocalyptic world. Mother/Android is much more "mother" than "android." There's some tension around Georgia and Sam's survival (and that of their imminent baby), but the murderous robots and the circumstances involving their rebellion deserved more development.
The performances are compelling -- particularly Moretz, who's a very credible pregnant woman on the run -- and the grey tonality of the film successfully conveys the harshness of their situation. But the story's focus may disappoint both those looking for romantic drama and those looking for sci-fi action. And the ending forces the actors into a scene that feels disconnected from the rest of the film.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the premise for Mother/Android. Can you imagine a time when every house has a robot butler? Do you think this is an attractive future? Why, or why not?
A character mentions a Czech play from the 1920s that mirrors the plot of the film. Does it surprise you to know robots were a topic of interest to artists so long ago? Where could you go for more information about Karel Capek's work?
How would you describe the look of this film? What emotions do the color scheme and the music evoke?
How do characters demonstrate courage? Why is that an important character strength?
What role does violence play in the film? How did it make you feel? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: December 17, 2021
- Cast: Chloe Grace Moretz , Algee Smith , Raul Castillo
- Director: Mattson Tomlin
- Inclusion Information: Female actors, Black actors, Latino actors
- Studio: Hulu
- Genre: Science Fiction
- Topics: Robots
- Character Strengths: Courage
- Run time: 110 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: violence and language
- Last updated: December 7, 2022
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