Foe is a hotly debated film, with a lot of varying opinions on it’s quality, especially when it comes to the writing. While I didn’t fall in love with the film, I am a little bit confused about the pretty definitive hate that I’m seeing. I thought that this was a simplistic sci-fi story that was self contained with good performances and an effective emotional payoff.
A lot of the films that I’ve seen recently, I have walked out feeling one way, and only until I sat with the story or spoke to those around me did I really appreciate some of the elements that went over my tiny monkey brain. This is one that I flip flopped for a while, I am now going to write both sides so I can sit in the fence.
The story is laid out pretty simply, 2065, middle America. We have a couple, Hen and Junior, who live together in an old wooden house, one that has been in Junior’s family for 5 generations. It’s something he has a lot of pride in, the tradition and his upbringing. With this old house, he brings a lot of memories that he is clinging on to, taking up space in their home.
We start the story with Terrance arriving, in the middle of the night to break the news that Junior has been shortlisted to go and work in the space station for a year, comparing it to a war effort, being drafted to help the dying planet or to setup a future for humanity off Earth.
This change brings on some tension in the marriage between Hen and Junior, starting the film off with distance. Through the film we watch them grow closer, questioning things about life and almost falling in love again.
While I found some of these sections a little “Bo Burnham #Deep”, I think the sentiment and reasoning is there, even if I didn’t connect to their conversations too much.
During a Q&A after the film, the director Garth Davis said that the film was made as one to rewatch a second time, appreciating the details with a new perspective. I can see why this would be an interesting watch, but it does make me feel like the film was made with the ending in mind and a work back from that to fill in the gaps. I don’t necessarily think this is a bad thing, especially with a lot of the setup working well for me.
The film has a steady pace to it, lingering a lot and allowing the mystery to unravel almost painfully slowly. I don’t think this is an oversight by Davis though, something that was very much intentional to show the connection between the leads.
I do feel a little disappointed in that connection though, not fully feeling the love in the marriage. I think there is an inherent bond there but not one we necessarily saw on screen. At the beginning, we have a year time jump about fifteen minutes in. During that time, we assume a lot of growth happens between the couple, which we’re not privy to, instead we get some time with them, working out issues, some nice moments of giggling or pearl clutching pillow talk about life. These pillow talk sessions are a little too broad, without enough depth to grip on to emotionally.
The lead performances were, of course, great. It will be a cold day in hell when I dislike a Saorise Ronan and Paul Mescal performance. Separately, I think they bring so much to the film. WIth Paul as Junior trying to stay strong in his masculinity, standing up for what he has known and falling into a rabbit hole of insecurity and worry for their future. Saorise does a lot with what she is given, which is someone figuring out what they want from life, in true Belle form, she imagines there must be more than this provincial life. Her physical acting in her face and eyes tell so much of what she is feeling inside, especially with the context of the ending. I would be most interested to watch her and her intricacies upon a rewatch.
Aaron Piere plays Terrence, and brings a campness to his “villainy”, feeling like the one who got the most in the script to work with. He has an all knowing power to him, making him suspicious to us the entire time, not allowing us to settle.
I would also happily look at the cinematography on rewatch, capturing the scale of destruction the Earth is in, baron and manufactured. Contrasted with the house, rich with history and personality. It is not the most homely home though, with it’s old structure and dated decor, you feel the past linger in the house.
There are quite a few aerial shots of the world around them, showing how we have adapted to a world with lacking resources and overpopulation. These shots are wide and oppressive in their nature, shrinking our characters down to tiny specs on the screen.
While in the house, we get some intimate close shots, quite often locked off and steady, without a big push for movement. The movement is reserved for moments of emotion, good or bad.
Music wise, we get some fitting needle drops, of older songs that focus on a yearning for male affirmation and attention, contrasting the feelings going on inside of Hen’s head. The soundtrack around it is very melancholic, with a lot of mystery and dread to it, leaning heavily into the disjointed nature of their relationship.
So, overall, we have a slightly overpopulated film, with a good premise and an effective payoff but just not enough specific focus on the central characters, allowing you to watch them grow as a pair. I wasn’t totally disconnected from their feelings, understanding what they were meant to be, but not always feeling the words of actions on screen. If we’re going to boil it down to basics, I did not cry at this film, and I will cry at most things. I would like to see these two main actors work together again, maybe forever, just maybe a little more feeling next time.
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