Wednesday, March 30, 2022

I Am Mother (Netflix)


 

On day one after an extinction event, a robot puts an embryo in a small chamber and waits patiently while it develops.

She tenderly cares for the child, who we see grow through childhood to her teen years.  The girl is smart, sweet, well behaved, caring.  She's tested periodically, on her knowledge as well as her ethics.

First a mouse makes it's way into the facility. Mother disposes of it immediately as it likely contains the contagion that wiped out humanity.

Then, a woman bangs on the door. The girl is so thrilled to see another human that she hides her from Mother, as she doesn't want her to meet the same fiery end as the mouse.

The woman is almost feral, and claims there are other humans alive, and the girl belongs with them rather than with the murdering robots.

Mother insists the woman is not telling the truth about anything.  The bullet she was shot with came from a gun just like her own.  

The tension mounts as the girl and the viewer really can't tell which view of the world is correct.  As it turns out, both robot Mother and would be human mother are telling very little of the truth.

For myself, I was more distrustful of the human woman and her story.  Also, she had a very savage nature.

Having read a book called A Close and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers, with a large section dealing with a young girl raised by an AI, I was taken with the many scenes of care and tenderness shown by Mother and wanted her to be telling the truth.

Very enjoyable.

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