Garth Davis (“Lion”) shot an ambitious sci-fi thriller, his third feature, in January of 2022. It’s now ready for take-off, probably this fall.
“Foe,” based on the novel of the same name from author Iain Reid, is being described as a “taut, sensual, psychological mind-bender set.” It stars Saoirse Ronan, Paul Mescal and Aaron Pierre.
Here’s the synopsis:
“Set slightly in the future, after severe climate change has ruined farmland. A farmer and his wife struggle on one of the last remaining farms until a knock on the door changes things.”
Now here’s a capsules reaction from someone who attended a test screening a couple of months ago:
It stars Paul Mescal and Saoirse Ronan as a couple living out in the middle of a desert like area. One night a stranger arrives and offers Mescal the opportunity to be part of a program with the incentive being a hefty payment which they both agree they need, they both agree to it and what follows is an examination of their relationship for a year. As they slowly approach the date of his leave into space, their relationship begins to strain and Mescal slowly begins to realize he might not know who he is. Ronan is also beginning to question her dreams and ambitions missed. The movie is quite a slow burn but it has the benefit of two hypnotic and deep performances and the sci-fi elements really come crashing in during the last 15 minutes.
Davis broke out with his Oscar-nominated feature, “Lion,” he then struck out with his follow-up, “Mary Magdelene.” And then, after the film finally was released, surprisingly landed work as director of the upcoming “Tron 3.”
Expect Amazon Studios to premiere this one in the fall, either at Toronto or BFI London.