the robot runs like tom cruise

‪I AM MOTHER features a small all female cast with an intriguing premise & is handsomely mounted by newcomer director Grant Sputore. I wish it asked more questions & gave us more to chew on but on a technical level it manages to do a lot with a little. ‪Clara Rugaard is a new star to watch, Hilary Swank doesn’t have much to work with and Rose Byrne’s voiceover performance is perfect.

Small-scale science fiction that will inevitably remind genre-savvy viewers of Moon and Ex Machina in equal measure, and that's no bad thing. Really strong performances, terrific robot special effects (it looks like CGI, but it's a robo-suit), and a particularly well-defined environment boost this story up beyond its somewhat basic narrative, which feels like a throwback to Terminator-era science fiction, in a way that makes the more sophisticated modern visuals kind of startling. Not philosophically challenging or thoughtful about AI/human relationships, but thoroughly entertaining on a "What's going to happen next?" basis.

Crazy cool, nerdy, full-on futuristic sci-fi. A robot "mother" raises a girl inside a repopulation facility underground but there's much more going on than that. I really dug it. Slick practical set/bot designs are awesome, great sound design, juggles tons of ideas - not all successfully.

I just love that there's original, epic sci-fi projects like this being made out there without us even knowing, getting funded somehow. And they can go all-out with crazy ideas and make something new & unique. Then it shows up at Sundance - oh yeah I'm a sci-fi geek.

It's not my favorite film but I can look past some of the faults in this and still appreciate it for the intense, cerebral, twisty sci-fi thriller it is.

Was given the go-ahead to write about this film, and let me just say... what a fantastic debut. Genuinely. Grant Sputore uses all the right influences, without ever becoming a copycat. He adds his natural sense of humour and quirk to this fascinating sci-fi. It’s jRd to believe this movie marks the debut of such a filmmaker, and yet here we are.

On the acting side of things, Clara Rugaard absolutely crushes the lead role, thanks to the immaculate direction from Sputore, and assistance of Hilary Swank. Rose Byrne’s portrayal of the titular character is haunting, and yet, endearing. 

Cannot recommend this feature enough. If you love Blade Runner, Looper and Ex Machina, this is the perfect concoction of all three.

WALL-E meets I, Robot

There's definitely a reason Netflix bought this

incredible production design!!!!!!

I'm just... becoming kind of tired of sci-fi films where they're like... yoooooop technology is bad. Okay, we get it. And for the vast majority of this film it had the potential to subvert that and to really engage with the ethics discussions it showed but personally I feel it let itself down by deviating from that at the end.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0l0c606Ma58

impressive set and robot design with a few awesome sequences and a great lead actress, but there’s really not much here we haven’t seen before

nonetheless, wouldn’t be surprised if grant rightfully gets a studio movie after this - overall, a solid debut

‪I AM MOTHER features a small all female cast with an intriguing premise & is handsomely mounted by newcomer director Grant Sputore. I wish it asked more questions & gave us more to chew on but on a technical level it manages to do a lot with a little. ‪Clara Rugaard is a new star to watch, Hilary Swank doesn’t have much to work with and Rose Byrne’s voiceover performance is perfect.

Sundance ‘19 - Entry 7

I was afraid this would be bland, and guess what, it’s kinda bland. Borrows from SO many sci-fi films (Mother is literally just HAL, come on man) that it just feels like a boring soup of unfulfilled potential. To be fair there’s definetly a lot of room for philosophical/ethical discussions post-viewing. I’m excited to see Sputore’s future work, cuz his directing was far stronger than the writing.

(Q&A with director)

This movie has a lot of potential that doesn't quite pay off in the end. The director was going for a Nolan-esque ending, but was too vague and confusing. I loved the acting, practical effects, and world created here. I just think the writing could've been tightened up a little. It feels like it ran out of steam near the end.

Sundance #22

Miss Hilary Swank came and said I'm still here bitches... I Am Mother is SO good, don't get me wrong: there's great sequences, beautiful imagery and a good story. But we've seen this before.