Co-written and directed by Garth Davis, “Foe” – also titled “The Replacement” – propels viewers into a disturbing near future where there is talk of artificial intelligence. To discover on Prime Video.
They are not yet 30 years old and Hollywood is snatching them up. Saoirse Ronan, an actress since childhood, is known for her demanding choices which earned her four Oscar nominations. Paul Mescal became a real star thanks to the series Normal People, broadcast in 2020. In just three years, he has established himself as one of the great hopes of cinema.
In Foe, co-written and directed by Garth Davis (Lion), the two play opposite each other and play a couple subject to the laws of a worrying future.
In 2065, the countryside is abandoned and the cities are overpopulated. In the hope of entering new territories, human beings are sent into space. This is the case of Junior (Paul Mescal), selected against his will, having no choice but to leave his wife behind. To fill his absence, Hen (Saoirse Ronan) learns that an artificial intelligence will replace it.
Foe acts as a tale that echoes our current concerns, from the climate emergency to the influence of technology on our daily lives. It is also a dissection of the complexities of human beings, their emotions, their contradictions and their fear of loneliness.
Prime Video Paul Mescal and Saoirse Ronan in “Foe” by Garth Davis.
Since its presentation in various festivals, the film Garth Davis was slammed by critics, accusing it of both a problem with pacing and a certain confusion about its subject. Still, Foe is worth a look.
There is, first of all, its duo of main actors, the beauty of its images but also a risk-taking in its way of offering unconventional science fiction, which differs from the usual rules of the genre, more inclined to explore the sensitivity of the characters than to focus on the spectacular.
Foe is available on Prime Video.