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I Am Mother

So, for the 4th edition of Film Shapes in lockdown, we watched I Am Mother on Netflix. This is an Aussie sci-fi, directed by Perth film-maker, Grant Sputore and stars Clara Rugaard, Hilary Swank and the voice of Rose Byrne. There will need to be spoilers in the accompanying podcast but I'll try to be vague here in the write-up. The film takes place in an underground bunker, which looks a little like the Prometheus from Prometheus, one day after an extinction event (we're not told what caused said extinction).

There is one robot in the facility and thousands of human embryos. The apparent aim is to start humanity afresh. One child is 'hatched' and she grows to a young woman under the care and tutelage of the titular Mother. All is going swimmingly until Woman shows up. Rugaard, Byrne and Swank play off nicely against each other and there's enough tension here to hold the viewer for the duration. It's a nice move to have a film like this with a total of zero 'dicks on the dance floor' (apologies to Flight of the Conchords).

See also:

For a similarly sparse human head count, try Duncan Jones' Moon (2009) and for another post-extinction film, A Boy and His Dog (1975), directed by L.Q. Jones. I'm not even certain I'd recommend that one, to be fair, but it's proper fucking bonkers.

SPOILERS RIDDLE THIS POD!!!!

Listen to "I Am Mother" on Spreaker.

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