This Forgotten Sci-Fi Robot Movie Has Been Waiting To Be Discovered On Netflix

Netflix dropped a killer sci-fi movie in 2019 that was suspenseful, had a few twists and turns, and delighted audiences. "I Am Mother" has an 89% score on Rotten Tomatoes from critics and a 75% score from moviegoers. Those are some positive numbers, and digging into the reviews reveals lots of praise for the movie. Despite all of that, and some big names in the cast (Hilary Swank and Rose Byrne), it faded into obscurity. It remained in the top 10 streaming movies for only 12 days and in the top 100 for 25 days. Yet, it's a movie that few talk about.

The techno-thriller follows a young girl named Daughter (Clara Rugaard), who thrives in a post-apocalyptic bunker with the robot known as Mother (voiced by Rose Byrne). Acting as a mechanical foster of sorts, Mother's primary directive is to encourage the repopulation of the planet. A wounded woman (Hilary Swank) shows up and upends the entire situation, which is where the thrills begin.

Borrowing from top reviewers, the film can be described as "thought-provoking," incredible in many ways, and as one that subverts your expectations. On IMDb, "I Am Mother" has a 6.7- out of 10-star rating with over 107,000 reviews. That is as impressive as the positive Rotten Tomatoes scores. It's worth noting that this movie is not the Jennifer Lopez Netflix movie "The Mother," which has a similar title.

It's difficult to say with certainty why the film isn't more renowned. The acting is solid, the sound and lighting are on point, the themes land, and the plot is nothing if not intriguing. Even if you don't find the content particularly enthralling, you're still likely to stick around to see its conclusion, which is the hallmark of a decent popcorn flick, at the very least. It's an Australian film that premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, where it created some buzz before Netflix picked it up and released it worldwide. It never had a theatrical release as planned, and went right to streaming, which could be part of the reason for its obscurity.

It was written by Michael Lloyd Green and its director Grant Sputore, neither of whom is well-known for anything else. Sputore did go on to produce "We Bury the Dead," a zombie movie that deserves more fans, as well, and stars Daisy Ridley. Lloyd Green is purportedly working on the upcoming "Godzilla x Kong Supernova," scheduled for 2027.

"I Am Mother" is definitely worth watching more than once, because after you understand what's going on, there are numerous details that foreshadow some events that you only pick up on the second time around. Then you might consider some of the other best sci-fi series and movies on Netflix and see why "I Am Mother" ranks up there with them.