Paul Mescal continues to ignite indie film fans with his sensitive, connection-driven characters. Most recently, this includes Foe, the sci-fi dystopian romance from director Garth Davis. Based on the book by Iain Reid, who co-wrote the screenplay alongside Davis, Foe is a dysfunctional love story for our modern times. More than just an examination of a relationship on life support, Foe seductively gets under the skin and passionately pulls at the heartstrings of anyone who has ever felt like an outsider looking in on their own life, trapped in a body with no control over how to use it.
Set forty years in the future but for the most part, still grounded in reality, a young man and his wife live in a secluded farmhouse far away from the commotion of the city. There is a palpable tension from the moment we meet Junior (Mescal) and Hen (Saoirse Ronan) but it is hard to pinpoint exactly what is creating their invisible walls. There does not seem to be a presence of anger, but more so the lack of empathy.
One night, Junior and Hen receive an unexpected knock at their door and find a stranger named Terrance (Aaron Pierre) on the porch. The man claims to be a representative of OuterMore, a corporate entity exploring the viability of off-world habitation, and he comes with shocking news: Junior has been involuntarily drafted into their space program. The exact dates are unclear but it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that Junior would be gone for years. Hen, rightfully devastated and confused, is consoled by Terrance’s follow-up proposition. He tells her that in Junior’s absence, an AI body double will be created in his place.
Junior–who has had no say in the matter and is visibly agitated that his life is being thrown into chaos–is against the idea of an AI model. Despite his outrage, Terrance tells Junior he has no choice but to go along with the plan and quickly infiltrates the couple’s life, conducting experiments and intimate interviews all in the name of research. Going through this uncertainty together creates an unstable and highly emotional ebb and flow between Junior and Hen that swirls to a tsunami-like crescendo towards the film’s bittersweet end.
Garth Davis crafts an emotionally-drenched story about autonomy and choice in the name of love. Three characters make up the world of Foe, and all are truly spellbinding. For his part as the slowly unraveling and desperate Junior, Paul Mescal gives the performance of a lifetime. No stone is left unturned as he dials up the manic and physical outbursts, with his vulnerability (including his naked body) on display. Saoirse Ronan commands the room in every scene with her gentle and quietly stirring force. Her embodiment of a woman who exists as just a shell of herself is both relatable and frustrating.
Setting the film’s visual tone is award-winning cinematographer Mátyás Erdély who makes desolation and despair look so beautiful. Musically, the score is stunning-which is no surprise given that composer and cellist Oliver Coates reteams with the Aftersun star for another melodic heartbreaker. Coates contributes more of the classical elements to the score while Korean composer Park Jiha aided in more of the soundtrack’s primal and worldly sounds.
At times, the film does feel a bit clunky and overly dramatic. A more subtle approach, especially with Junior’s emotional expression, would have felt more authentic and made his periodic breakdowns feel more impactful and affecting. Instead, we begin to lose compassion seeing him wail in nearly every other scene. I also couldn’t help but wonder how Drake Doremus would have approached this script. His gentle touch when it comes to stirring up the raw and ugly side of love is what this film would have benefited from immensely.
While the film is not perfect, it does bring up existential questions that are worth pondering like the use of AI to express our thoughts through words that we don’t write ourselves, and the harsh reality of saving troubled relationships on a declining planet. “Do you think more about the future, or the past,” asks Hen one morning. It’s a simple question but one that I personally haven’t been able to honestly answer myself. Foe is a film that asks thought-provoking questions like these in spades. If you are like me and love a film that leaves you spiritually and intellectually stimulated, Foe will be your friend.
Amazon Studios / 108 Minutes / Rated R / English
