'Foe' Movie Review - Sky Buzz Feed

‘Foe’: A Muddled Dystopian Love Triangle Starring Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal

Reviewed at New York Film Festival, Sept. 28, 2023. Esteemed by indie critics, they portray a farming duo in a sci-fi movie that captivates before it bewilders.

“Foe” is a captivatingly complex dystopian science fiction film featuring Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal as a resilient Midwestern farm couple in the year 2065. In this desolate future, they appear to be the last surviving farm couple in the region. While the initial premise might suggest a fusion of “Interstellar” and “Blade Runner,” leading one to expect a departure from the indie film realm into the realm of big-budget blockbusters for these critically acclaimed actors, “Foe” defies such expectations.

Rather than being a visual effects-laden, profit-driven spectacle, “Foe” opts for an intimate and understated approach. The majority of the film unfolds within the confines of the couple’s centuries-old farmhouse, emphasizing the raw and genuine acting prowess of Ronan and Mescal. Instead of relying on grandiose special effects, the movie aims to explore the depths of human emotion and connection, making it a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant experience.

FOE | Official Trailer

The film begins with a vulnerable moment as Ronan’s character, Hen (short for Henrietta), stands under the shower, tears streaming down her face. In a poignant voice-over, she reflects on her marriage, evoking a common yet weighty notion: that relationships often commence with an abundance of romantic idealism, only to gradually lose their enchantment, eventually becoming something chilly and unexciting. Hen candidly expresses how, as time passes, fragments of her true self seem to have slipped away in the process.

A short while later, Mescal’s character, Junior, arrives with a playful demeanor, wearing a charming grin reminiscent of Mark Ruffalo’s endearing younger sibling. As the story unfolds, we are drawn into the lives of this couple, keenly observing the subtle emotional distance between them, evoking a sense of Antonioni-esque introspection. However, these observations are accompanied by some rather ordinary inquiries that linger in the minds of the audience. Questions like: Why does this couple seem isolated, devoid of friends, children, or pets? What occupies their time day in and day out?

We discover that Junior is employed at an industrial chicken processing plant, while Hen, interestingly named given Junior’s profession, works as a diner waitress but seems to spend much of her time in a state of melancholy. The farmhouse, with its weathered exterior and relics of the 20th century, has been a cherished part of Junior’s family for generations, and his dedication to staying there has become a point of contention between the couple. It becomes evident that their profound isolation plays a pivotal role in the disintegration of their marriage, given their remote existence.

The opening title of “Foe” positions it as a typical cautionary tale of a dystopian future on the brink of catastrophe. In this bleak world, the environment has been irreparably damaged, cities are in ruins, and humanity is experimenting with space colonies as a potential escape from Earth’s devastation. Moreover, artificial intelligence plays a significant role, with replicants being deployed as laborers. The film’s landscape is undeniably harsh, marked by the transformation of farmland into colossal circular industrial plots.

However, in “Foe,” the apocalyptic consequences of climate change mostly remain off-screen, akin to a separate movie playing on a distant screen. It’s only in a strangely personal and intrusive manner that this apocalyptic world intersects with the lives of Hen and Junior, as if the larger global crisis has suddenly come knocking at their doorstep.

Terrance (played by Aaron Pierre), a representative of what seems to be a totalitarian government or all-powerful corporation, arrives in a futuristic, boxy car with sharply glowing headlights reminiscent of a mid-21st-century DeLorean. This unexpected visitor comes bearing significant news: the government is recruiting citizens for a daring two-year experiment in space colonization. Unfortunately, Junior has not been given a choice in the matter; he’s been conscripted, and in a year or two, he’ll embark on this journey against his will. But there’s a twist. During his absence, the government plans to provide Hen with an AI replica of Junior to keep her company. In a sudden and intriguing twist, “Foe” transforms from a somber exploration of a troubled marriage into a provocative sci-fi love triangle: “Me, my wife, and my replicant.”

The potential for gripping drama lies within this scenario, and thus far, “Foe” has managed to captivate our attention, allowing us to immerse ourselves in its unhurried narrative pace while affording the initial premise some leeway. However, what unfolds after Terrance’s momentous announcement takes an unexpected turn into the realm of the bizarre. A year elapses, and Terrance returns, but instead of carrying out his promise to take Junior away, he opts to move in with the couple. What follows are a series of perplexing psychodramatic interviews and tests that compel Ronan and Mescal to adopt exaggerated, almost theatrical versions of themselves, akin to characters from an intense Method acting class.

Mescal, in particular, is put through the emotional wringer. In his previous role as the down-and-out father in last year’s “Aftersun,” he portrayed a character who drank and wept but remained endearing. In his forthcoming and unreleased film, “All of Us Strangers,” he takes on the role of a lovelorn queer libertine, still retaining that charm. (One might wonder if he’s on a mission to make even a gladiator seem cuddly.) However, in “Foe,” Mescal sets aside his Teddy-bear persona to undergo a catharsis that, regrettably, ends up feeling rather empty. The more he cries out, shouts, and endures, the more we find ourselves questioning the direction the movie is taking.

When you discover that a sci-fi drama is going to revolve around a replicant, you can reasonably anticipate a few key elements. Firstly, the movie is likely to explore the replicant’s capacity for human-like emotions, as portraying it solely as a mechanical entity would risk becoming mundane. (This concept, once eerie and thought-provoking, is increasingly taking on the tone of corporate promotion for the AI industry.) Furthermore, four decades after the release of “Blade Runner” and the extensive discussions it sparked regarding whether Harrison Ford’s character, Deckard, is a replicant or not (an enigmatic issue never entirely clarified in the film, regardless of the version you watch and despite Ridley Scott’s own perspective), it’s entirely possible that the film might introduce a character who outwardly appears human but is, in truth, a replicant. Iain Reid, the author of the 2018 novel upon which “Foe” is based (and who also co-wrote the screenplay with the film’s director, Gareth Davis), is clearly well-versed in the same cinematic influences as the rest of us and doesn’t hesitate to draw from them.

In “Foe,” both the character portrayed by Paul Mescal and the audience are in store for a significant revelation. However, the issue with the movie arises when this revelation occurs, and upon reflecting on what transpired, the narrative becomes even more perplexing. As the film nears its conclusion, a vague semblance of a message begins to emerge, although it doesn’t exactly qualify as profound. It could be summarized as: “Every authentic love story requires an element of the artificial.” Yet, in its attempt to convey this message, the movie becomes entangled in a web of contrived and bewildering complexities. Instead of leaving the audience with a resounding “Whoa,” “Foe” prompts a response that is a blend of “Huh, interesting” and “Whuuut?” simultaneously.

“Foe” is set to premiere on October 6, 2023. Notably, despite being an Amazon Studios production, it will have a theatrical release before becoming available for streaming on Prime Video for home viewing.