Foe
Theatrical release poster
Directed byGarth Davis
Screenplay by
Based onFoe
by Iain Reid
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMátyás Erdély
Edited byPeter Sciberras
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • September 30, 2023 (2023-09-30) (NYFF)
  • October 6, 2023 (2023-10-06) (United States)
  • November 2, 2023 (2023-11-02) (Australia)
Running time
110 minutes[1]
Countries
  • Australia
  • United States

Foe is a 2023 science fiction psychological thriller film directed by Australian director Garth Davis, from a screenplay he co-wrote with Iain Reid, based on Reid's 2018 novel of the same name. An Australian-U.S. co-production filmed in Australia, the film stars Saoirse Ronan, Paul Mescal, and Aaron Pierre.

Foe premiered at the 2023 New York Film Festival on September 30, 2023. It was released in the United States by Amazon MGM Studios on October 6, 2023, and in Australia by Transmission Films on November 2, 2023. The film received generally negative reviews from critics.

Plot

The film starts in the year 2065. Fresh water and habitable land are precious commodities, and cities are overpopulated, leaving rural areas slowly abandoned. The government has engineered a new settlement in the form of a space station, OuterMore, orbiting the earth. A lottery system is in place to create a short list of qualified persons to resettle on the off-earth habitation.

The testing process on the candidates takes about two years. While waiting they are expected to continue with their lives. Those selected are replaced with AI human substitutes that have the capacity for human consciousness. The program is beginning with the most ravaged areas of Earth.

A young couple somewhere in the Midwest reside on an isolated farm. One of them is selected in the preliminary lottery for relocation.

Cast

Production

It was announced in June 2021 that Garth Davis would be directing the film in addition to co-writing with the author of the novel, Iain Reid. Saoirse Ronan, Paul Mescal, and Lakeith Stanfield were announced to star.[2] In October, Aaron Pierre was cast to replace Stanfield.[3]

Filming began in Winton, Victoria, Australia, in January 2022[4] and wrapped in South Australia in April 2022.

Release

Amazon Studios entered negotiations for the distribution rights in July 2021.[5] On August 15, 2023, along with first look images of the film, it was revealed that it would be released by Amazon Studios on October 6, 2023, in the United States, before the distributor rebranded to Amazon MGM Studios following their 2022 acquisition of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.[6][7]

The film premiered at the 2023 New York Film Festival as part of the Spotlight Gala[8] on September 30.[9]

The film was scheduled to be released in Australia by Transmission Films on October 19,[10] before it was delayed to November 2, 2023.[11]

Foe was released on Prime Video on January 5, 2024.[12]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 24% of 108 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.7/10. The website's consensus reads: "Paul Mescal and Saoirse Ronan give it all they've got, but they're ultimately undone by Foe's clunky sci-fi trappings and ponderous attempts to generate psychological thrills."[13] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 44 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[14]

Luke Goodsell wrote for ABC Arts after its release in Australia: "Oscar nominees Ronan and Mescal are both charismatic, gripping performers, and they give Hen and Junior a rich sense of lived-in love and loathing. But despite the stars' best, hot-and-bothered exertion, Davis and Reid's screenplay eventually hangs them out to dry".[15]

References

  1. ↑ "Foe (2023) - 15A". Irish Film Classification Office. September 12, 2023. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  2. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (June 11, 2021). "Saoirse Ronan, Paul Mescal, LaKeith Stanfield To Star In Garth Davis-Directed Grounded Sci-Fi Thriller 'Foe' – Cannes Market". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 11, 2021. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  3. ↑ Wiseman, Andreas (October 20, 2021). "Amazon Locks In Garth Davis Sci-Fi Thriller 'Foe' In $30M+ Deal; Aaron Pierre Joins Saoirse Ronan & Paul Mescal In Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  4. ↑ McGoldrick, Debbie (January 27, 2022). "Paul Mescal and Saoirse Ronan start filming Foe in Oz". Irish Central. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  5. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (July 6, 2021). "Amazon Studios In Exclusive Talks For Worldwide Rights On 'Foe,' Garth Davis-Helmed Pic Saoirse Ronan, Paul Mescal, LaKeith Stanfield Starrer From Anonymous Content". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 6, 2021. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
  6. ↑ Canfield, David (August 15, 2023). "First Look: Paul Mescal and Saoirse Ronan Face a Dangerous Future in Foe". Vanity Fair. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  7. ↑ de la Fuente, Anne Marie (October 3, 2023). "Amazon Studios Now Called Amazon MGM Studios, Exec Pablo Iacoviello Reveals in Iberseries Keynote". Variety. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  8. ↑ "61st New York Film Festival Spotlight Announced". Film at Lincoln Center. August 17, 2023. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Foe". Film at Lincoln Center. October 8, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  10. ↑ The IF Team (August 25, 2023). "'Foe' (Trailer)". IF Magazine. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Foe – Big Screen Premiere Mon 30 Oct at 6.30pm". ACMI. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Paul Mescal and Saoirse Ronan's Foe confirms Prime Video release date". www.digitalspy.com. November 20, 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Foe". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Foe". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
  15. ↑ Goodsell, Luke (November 2, 2023). "Foe review: Paul Mescal and Saoirse Ronan bring sultriness to their on-screen marriage but it's spoiled by earnestness". ABC News (Australia). Retrieved November 1, 2023.
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