I Am Mother - You know something is amiss

Netflix's latest original movie tells the story of the human race and it's (near) total decline.  Now, a lone robot ('Mother') plucks one (lucky?) embryo from among many in a secret underground laboratory which seems to have survived the apocalypse and raises that child as her 'daughter.'

Throughout the first part of the story we see the robot lovingly tend to the little girl's every desire, whether emotional, physical and even playful (from the confines of the lab complex).  Mother often informs her how humanity destroyed itself and she is trying to raise the little girl as the first of many 'children' who will one day take back their planet.  It's all very sweet.  Only it isn't.  If it was a Pixar animated movie then it would be sweet, because it would clearly be aimed at children.  However, below this nurturing tale, appears to lie something deeper - and possibly darker?

As you watch, you just get the feeling that something is very wrong (besides the obvious fact that humanity has destroyed itself!) and there are many clues as to what's really going on, plus a decent amount of 'red herrings' which may throw you off the scent.  It ends up one big exercise in trying to second guess the ending and what's really going on.

As the film goes on, more and more of 'Mother's' mantra starts to fall apart under questioning and the addition of a 'survivor' from outside entering the facility throws both Mother and 'Daughter's' world into turmoil.

This is one of those films that doesn't look cheap enough for you to dismiss it as 'something that should be on the 'Sci-fi Channel,' as it has a decent budget (plus it was able to afford both Rose Byrne's voice for 'Mother' and Hilary Swank as the survivor).  The sets look good and the computer effects depicting the outside world look realistic enough to be believable.  However, overall I would say that this probably isn't the kind of movie that would exactly 'set the Box Office alight.' It's probably best on Netflix and with an audience who can find it and enjoy it at their leisure.  If you like slow-moving, quite thoughtful sci-fi then this is worth adding to your watchlist.

6/10 May just keep you awake if Freddy Krueger was haunting your nights