Review: Foe

Official Synopsis: Hen (Saoirse Ronan) and Junior (Paul Mescal) farm a secluded piece of land that has been in Junior's family for generations, but their quiet life is thrown into turmoil when an uninvited stranger (Mid Sized Sedan Aaron Pierre) shows up at their door with a startling proposal.

When I first saw the trailer for this, I like many couldn't help but compare it to the Black Mirror episode "Beyond The Sea." And you know what? Fine. That was an interesting concept. Saoirse is one of my favorite actors and Mescal is a gorgeous up-and-coming, what could go wrong?

Well, apparently a lot. First, if you're going to specifically tell your audience that this film is set in the American Midwest, maybe try harder to hide the fact that you are clearly shooting in Australia. Even someone who has never lived in that part of the U.S would likely be able to point out that something just looks off with the scenery. 

Second, it feels like large chunks of story are missing. You have the constant feeling of walking up to someone mid-conversation. And I'm sure some of it is deliberate to support the ending, but that does not justify the choppiness. There's a point where Paul Mescal's character is giving this big speech. And I can picture the director and everyone in the room telling him he's killing it. And I can see him acting his ass off, but all I could think about is that I had no idea what he's getting at. It was the point where I gave up.

And finally, without spoiling, I'm left with one question. What did they think was going to happen? With Black Mirror, I at least understood where they were going with it. But this? You can see the outcome from a mile away. How is anyone surprised by this?

Saoirse is innocent, of course. She's always great even in her worst films. This just wasn't it.

Grade: D