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 a month later, on November 2. The film garnered generally mixed-to-negative reception from critics.
Synopsis[]
The lives of a married couple are turned upside down when a stranger arrives at their farm and informs the husband he will be sent to a large space station, and his wife will be left in the company of a robot.
Cast[]
- Saoirse Ronan as Hen
- Paul Mescal as Junior, Hen's husband
- Aaron Pierre as Terrance
Production[]
Foe was announced in June 2021 when it was revealed 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. In October, Aaron Pierre was cast to replace Stanfield.
Filming began in Winton, Victoria, Australia, in January 2022 and wrapped in South Australia the following April.
Release[]
Amazon Studios entered negotiations for the distribution rights in July 2021. On August 15, 2023, along with first look images of the film, it was revealed that it would be released by Amazon on October 6, 2023, in the United States, before the distributor rebranded to Amazon MGM Studios in light of their 2022 acquisition of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Foe premiered at the 2023 New York Film Festival as part of the Spotlight Gala on September 30.
The film was scheduled to be released in Australia by Transmission Films on October 19, before it was delayed to November 2, 2023.
Reception[]
Foe received mostly mixed-to-negative reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, 24% of 102 critics' aggregated reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.6/10. 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." Metacritic assigned the film an average score of 44 out of 100, based on 33 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.