Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal in Foe. Courtesy of the New York Film Festival.
The collective star power of Academy Award nominees Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal isn't enough to save this sweaty (both literally and figuratively) lo-fi sci-fi melodrama from its own ambitions. Despite intriguing heady themes like the ethical dilemma of artificial intelligence, the moral ambiguity of cloning and rumination on relationship dynamics, its distrust in the intelligence of its audience leaves it as its own worst enemy.
Foe is playing at the 2023 New York Film Festival.
The year is 2065 and the Earth is irreparably damaged. Young couple Junior (Paul Mescal) and Hen (Saoirse Ronan) are approached by even keeled and enigmatic Terrance (Aaron Pierre). He tells the couple that in an effort to save the human race, a mysterious combination of the government and private companies is sending a group of people into space for two years to understand how to survive. Junior is selected as a part of that group, which will require him to leave Hen alone for two years. But fear not, a nearly identical biomechanical clone will be left to keep her company. What could possibly go wrong?
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Bringing together critical darlings Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird, Little Women) and Paul Mescal (All of Us Strangers) should've been a boon for writer-director Garth Davis's Foe. Putting the star power and screen presence of two of the hottest young actors working today in a single-location barn-burner relationship drama seems like a recipe for success. I mean, a handful of morality science fiction from Blade Runner, a dash of marriage dynamics from A Streetcar Named Desire and a pinch of Hitchcockian psychological pastiche is enough to whet any appetite. But when the movie feels the need to spoon-feed you each plot point, emotion and moral dilemma with a heavy hand, you quickly lose your appetite.
It's unfortunate considering the story, which was adapted from Ian Reid's novel of the same name, is intriguing on its own. Reid co-wrote the screenplay with Davis. But where Reid is unafraid to be obtuse with his storytelling, like his first novel I'm Thinking of Ending Things which was adapted into a stellar psychological thriller by Charlie Kaufman, in translating the story to screen the movie over explains itself. It's unclear whether it is a choice or for fear that the audience wouldn't get the tale. But the fun of a twisty psychological thriller is… well, the twist. In an effort to not alienate the audience, it undercuts the narrative's effectiveness.
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There's clearly a lot on Reid's mind. The ethical dilemma of artificial intelligence, the moral ambiguity of cloning and rumination on relationship dynamics could make for an interesting story. And taken outside of Davis's heavy-handed direction, perhaps those themes could thrive. What we get is a sweaty (both literally and figuratively) melodramatic messy clone of a story already told well. While Mescal and Ronan are chewing the scenery with bombastic performances—screaming, crying, the works—it feels out of place in a story that could've been meditative speculative fiction (see: After Yang).
When Foe finally reveals itself, a reveal you probably saw coming a mile away, it's worn you down with its overwrought anguish. Perhaps there's some so-bad-its-good replay value to it, but why watch a clone when you can watch the better original thing.
Foe premiered at the 2023 New York Film Festival. It will be released by Amazon later this year.
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Hey! I'm Karl. You can find me on Twitter here. I'm also a Tomatometer-approved critic.
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