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One Movie Punch


Jul 18, 2019

Hi everyone!

Today, we’re welcoming back Garrett Wright of the Two Views Movies podcast for another review, this time a Certified Fresh Netflix Original from Australia. Garrett’s been busy finishing up 100 episodes of Two Views Movies, along with multiple guest appearances on other podcasts. For a few other reviews from Garrett, check out his very first review at One Movie Punch for “Creed II” (Episode #335), his excellent review for “Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse” (Episode #381), and his most recent review for “Apollo 11” (Episode #507).

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Take it away, Garrett!

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<< TWO VIEWS MOVIES PROMO >>

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Hey everybody!

My name is Garrett Wright and I co-host Two Views Movies podcast along with my friend Carson Graff. We are a spoiler-filled podcast by two guys who love watching movies almost as much as we love arguing about them. Our weekly podcast features reviews of new releases, retro reviews of older favorites, obscure top 5 lists, and our two views of all things movies. You can find our podcast on all major platforms and at TwoViewsMovies.com, where you can also find spoiler-free written reviews of the movies we watch. You can follow me on Twitter @TwoViewsGarrett and the podcast as well on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at the username @TwoViewsMovies.

Today’s movie is “I Am Mother”, the Netflix film directed by Grant Sputore and written but Michael Lloyd Green. “I Am Mother” follows a teenage girl who is raised underground by a robot “Mother”, designed to repopulate the earth following an extinction event. But their unique bond is threatened when an inexplicable stranger arrives with alarming news.

All spoilers were killed in the extinction event, so keep on listening today as we are spoiler-free.

The mere mention of a sci-fi movie from Netflix about artificial intelligence is enough to elicit an epic eye roll from most anyone. Netflix’s track record for original movies is far from stellar and adding in a well-worn plot device like artificial intelligence is going to lead to a lot of people scrolling or swiping past “I Am Mother”. Thankfully, first-time director Grant Sputore delivers futuristic visuals worthy of the big screen, while writer Michael Lloyd Green keeps the plot twisting and turning so that it never feels fully like something that’s been seen before. 

Relative newcomer Clara Rugaard, known simply as Daughter, is tasked with carrying the vast majority of the film on her shoulders and never falters. With a performance that will draw valid comparisons to Sam Rockwell in “Moon” and Mary Elizabeth Winstead in “10 Cloverfield Lane”, it is safe to assume that we will be seeing more of Rugaard soon. Especially considering that she holds her own in every scene that she shares with two-time Academy Award winner Hillary Swank, who delivers a strong performance that reminds us of why she won those two Oscars. And lastly, there is Rose Byrne providing the voice acting for the Chappie-esque Mother. Though not a wholly notable performance, it is certainly a dynamic one. Byrne manages to strike the right balance in the Mother character depending on what the script is calling for while never dipping into an uncanny valley area of robotic voice work. 

Fans of science fiction movies will surely enjoy “I Am Mother”.The bleak post-apocalyptic visuals, futuristic technology, and stark landscapes found in this film are all sci-fi staples. And there’s an endless supply of influences at work here. From “The Matrix” to “Ex Machina” to any of the aforementioned films. But Sputore and Green weave them into the film subtly and inevitably craft something that feels familiar, yet new. If Netflix can deliver more films like this, they may just save themselves from the upcoming streaming apocalypse.

“I Am Mother” is a well-crafted science fiction movie with enough twists to keep a potentially tropey plot feeling fresh. It is worthy of the big screen and as far as Netflix originals go, is a must watch. 

Rotten Tomatoes: 91% (Certified Fresh)

Metacritic: 64

One Movie Punch: 7.3/10 

“I Am Mother” (2019) is currently available on Netflix.

Thanks for listening to my review here at One Movie Punch. If you like what you heard – or didn’t – reach out to me on Twitter @TwoViewsGarrett and let me know. I’ll be back soon with more reviews on One Movie Punch, but you can always find me on the Two Views Movies podcast.

I will catch you next time.