Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Mother/Android’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

It is definitely safe to say that we are living in some tumultuous and scary times. For there is a raging pandemic still sweeping over the globe, and there is grand uncertainty surrounding what the climate and our world is going to look like in the near future. Plus, there is political and civil unrest everywhere to be found and to top it all off, there is a grand rift now forming between the haves and the have nots and governments seem disinterested in doing anything to fix that before it truly gets out of hand. Which are ugly realities that have us wondering some days… if mankind will make it to the 22nd Century and if we wish to, what kinds of changes it would take to get us there.
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Because at the moment, it appears as though a grand upending of the system is the only way to change course and these questions and concerns are so important that popular media is working to explore how we might change things, with mixed results. Since no one really has a clue as to how exactly to get the world on a path that is far more hopeful. But perhaps in this moment, answers aren’t what we need. Instead, we might be in need of reassurances and comfort and reminders… about what it means to be human and why our species is indeed worth saving, and it just so happens that a new movie on Hulu… explores those positive concepts in a terrifying manner in Mother/Android.

Now in this particular film, we are introduced to a young couple named Georgia and Sam, who are going through quite the wild time in their lives at the height of the holiday season. For they have just discovered that they are going to have a child and are unsure of how to proceed with this news. But sadly, circumstances make that concern a low priority. For one fine night during the holidays, the androids that make up America’s new workforce… revolt and collapse the modern world. Forcing Georgia and Sam into the wilderness for months on end until they decide that the time has come to return to civilization to have their baby and potentially escape the hellscape that America has become. Provided of course, they can survive the roving armies of androids and do what must be done to survive in a bold new world.

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Which is a plot that seems more grounded in where we are now and where we might be going and there’s definitely a lot of commentary on our modern world in this story for certain. Since obviously, the androids speak volumes to our reliance on and love of technology and how our endless desire to consume and own will eventually backfire upon us. But once you get past the commentary and the echoes of today, and the bleak and devastating nature of this tale, there are some genuinely beautiful concepts to be found. For instance, this story serves to remind us… that we are in fact survivors and can weather ugly storms when we choose to buckle down and do so. But of course, just knowing we can handle the tough stuff doesn’t exactly bring inspiration or comfort, since so many of us are doing that right now. But thankfully, there are more uplifting messages to be found in this film.

Because it eventually takes the time to point out… that we are a divided species right now. For politics and fame and stupid ideologies have helped us to lose sight of the fact that what makes the human condition so wonderful and powerful, is our ability to unify and accomplish wonders. A feat we’ve shown ourselves we are capable of time and time again, because we understand the importance of sacrifice deep down and we know that when we lift each other up, hope springs eternal and nothing can stop us. And the time has come to put that top of mind now so that we can finally solve our problems and give mankind a fighting chance at the better tomorrow we’ve all dreamed of. Which is something that some viewers might see as a super saccharine message to inject into a story filled with terror and disaster and the potential end of mankind, but it is the right message to find in a story such as this and it is a message, we need right now.

Because that’s the kind of stuff that reminds us that we’re better than political parties or silly thought, we’re human beings. We’ve been to the moon because we believed we could, and we could save our world from strife if we banded together like that again. But make no mistake about it, it takes a lot of darkness to bring that epiphany forth. And this movie deserves praise for really taking us on quite the bleak and powerful journey, one designed to remind us that we’ve endured enough darkness and need to wake up and it is also anchored by solid performances from Chloë Grace Moretz (Georgia) and Algee Smith (Sam) and it is one you absolutely need to see. Since it really does offer the audience so much to ponder upon and the good news is, you don’t have to wait much longer to catch it, since Mother/Android will be available to stream on Hulu, tomorrow.  

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