Pros: post-apocalyptic story; the essence of “Mother”; theme of freedom of choice Cons: final act; the logic of some scenes in “Robot Child” / I Am Mother
Genre fantasy, thriller
Directed by Grant Sputor
Cast: Clara Rugaard (Daughter), Hilary Swank (Stranger), Luke Hawker (Mother)
Компании The Penguin Empire, Southern Light Films, Rhea Films (II)
Year of release 2019
IMDB page
The plot shows the world after humanity has been destroyed. There is a bunker left on Earth in which a robot lives, whose name is “Mother”. His goal is to revive the human race. The robot has 63 thousand frozen embryos at its disposal. He chooses one of them, resulting in a girl being born in the bunker. The “mother” takes care of the child, instilling in him knowledge of science and conducting exams that reveal the best moral qualities. As the girl gets older, she wonders what is outside the shelter. Her curiosity is sparked even more by an unexpected guest who knocked on the bunker one day. But the daughter is not allowed to open the door and go outside.
In the film, the relationship between the girl and the “Mother” raises an interest in issues of attachment and freedom of choice. Before us is a teenager who has never seen people, and a robot that imitates the human essence. They interact perfectly, but each of them can fail in its own way.
Grant Sputor worked on the idea for the plot, and he also took the director’s chair. This is Sputor’s first feature film, and it shows a promising side to the newcomer. The film “Robot Child” is entirely devoted to the moral vacillations of the main character; on the screen they are transformed into elements of a successful thriller. In addition, here you can find allegories about raising children, who one day grow up and try to re-understand the world, while neglecting the knowledge they have acquired.
Grant Sputor builds the plot well, leaving room in it even for action. What happens in the first half of the film prompts praise for the script, but closer to the climax and denouement, controversial moments appear. They relate to the logic and general idea of the film. Although, I have to admit, even with such nuances it looks like a breeze.
In Robot Child, the most famous of the small cast is Hilary Swank, but she is not cast in the lead role. The teenager, who lived under the supervision of a robot, is played by Danish actress Clara Rugaard (appearing in another June premiere this week – in the film “Chasing a Dream”). She is almost always in the frame and portrays a character learning about the world.
Her co-star on the set was “Mother,” played by actor and special effects specialist Luke Hawker. On set, every day he put on a robot suit, consisting of three hundred components, for about an hour and repeated the practiced smooth movements. The only thing that Luke Hawker did not take responsibility for was the voice of “Mother”: in the original voice acting of the tape, the robot speaks in the voice of the Australian artist Rose Byrne.
“Robot Child” is an interesting science fiction version of what will happen to people after a global catastrophe. Unfortunately, the script does not fully polish this idea, so that in several scenes of the final act the story encourages people to throw up their hands. But in general, you can’t find fault with the logic, considering that this is the director’s first work.
Conclusion:
Australian science fiction with an interesting plot. Despite the film’s shortcomings, the intrigue remains almost until the very end.
