Space exploration is one of the most popular topics for movies. Audiences love the idea of something unknown but real. Unlike fantasy, which lets our imagination fly and imagine things that do not exist in our world, Sci-Fi movies give us a glimpse into what is possible if we just know more. The great unknown will forever be intriguing to the human mind. What’s out there and all the endless possibilities of space? Garth Davis’s Foe is the latest film that will take us into space.
In recent years, our approach to space exploration has changed. We no longer only seek it out of pure curiosity. With Earth’s climate quickly deteriorating and the future becoming more uncertain, looking out there became more of a priority. Answering questions such as “Can humans live on another planet?” and “Can we sustain life in space?” became a priority for many scientists. It’s all exciting until you think about the genuine possibility of not everyone having the privilege of escaping to the great unknown.
What happens to those left behind? If you get the chance to save yourself and live out there, would you be able to leave your loved ones? Those are the questions that will plague Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal in the new sci-fi drama Foe.
What is Foe (2023) About?
In the not-so-far future, around 40 years from now, a husband and a wife live on a secluded farm together. The farm belonged to Junior’s (the husband) family for generations. Since getting married, he and Henrietta, his wife, have been operating the farm and living off the produce. However, due to the quickly deteriorating climate, the farm is barely producing enough, and they’re barely surviving off of it.
One day, a stranger shows up on the couple’s doorstep with a strange proposal. He tells them that Junior has been selected to live in space without his Henrietta. In order for Hen not to feel lonely, they will send a robot that looks like Junior to live with her! The strange proposal forces them to dig deep into their relationship and their marriage. As they ponder the opportunity, Junior and Hen are pressured by the stranger to explore their relationship, their commitment, and their love for one another.
Foe’s is a romance film discussing love and marriage against a backdrop of space exploration and an apocalyptic future. In a very similar sense to shows like Black Mirror, Foe will explore the dark side of the future while simultaneously keeping human connection at the heart of its story.
Who is Making Foe (2023)?
Foe is based on the 2018 sci-fi novel by Iain Reid. It’s directed by the Australian director Garth Davis, who has produced the movie and co-written the script for Reid. The film will be released by Amazon Studios in the US and UK.
Garth Davis (Director, Producer, and Co-writer)
Garth Davis is best known for directing the film Lion (2016), starring Dev Patel, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival to great reviews from critics and audiences. Lion has received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
According to Davis, he has read Foe and immediately fell in love with the book and the characters. Having always wanted to make a sci-fi film, Foe felt like the right project to adapt because of its grounding approach to the vast idea of space travel. Davis said that the relationship between Junior and Hen has deeply moved him, and their tenderness and love towards each other is how we should be treating not just each other but our planet as well.
Iain Reid (Novelist and Co-writer)
Iain Reid is an award-winning Canadian writer. He is the author of I’m Thinking of Ending Things (2016) and Foe (2018). Both his novels have been adapted into feature films. I’m Thinking of Ending Things has been adapted by Academy Award-winning director Charlie Kaufman into a movie starring Jesse Plemons for Netflix.
Foe is his second novel and his second movie adaptation. He has co-written the script with director Garth Davis. Unlike I’m Thinking of Ending Things, Foe will be his first movie to have a major theatrical release with Academy Award nominees at the helm.
Who Is Starring in Foe (2023)?
Since the story is located on a secluded farm in the middle of nowhere, Foe only has three characters at the helm of the story. Junior, the husband, will be played by Academy Award nominee Paul Mescal. Henrietta, the wife, will be played by Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan. Terrance, the stranger, will be played by Aaron Pierre.
Paul Mescal
Paul Mescal is an Irish actor who started his career doing theatre in Dublin. After earning an Arts degree from The Lir Academy, he starred in many theatre productions, such as The Great Gatsby.
Mescal rose to fame with his role in the mini-series Normal People (2020), based on Sally Ronny’s famous novel. He starred in films such as Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Lost Daughter (2021) and the psychological drama God’s Creature (2022). Also in 2022, Mescal starred in the coming-of-age drama Aftersun. His role as a troubled father earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and his first BAFTA Awards win for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
His upcoming projects include the romantic fantasy All of Us Are Strangers (2024) with Andrew Scott. He is also set to star in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator 2, but before all of these projects, we will, of course, see him first as Junior in Foe (2023).
Saoirse Ronan
Saoirse Ronan is an Irish actress and a four-time Academy Award nominee. She started as a child actress in supporting roles until her breakout role as Briony Tallis in Atonement (2007).
Her role in Atonement earned her her first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. She is one of the youngest actresses ever to be nominated in that category. From then on, she went on to star in multiple period dramas and coming-of-age films. She is best known for her Academy Award-nominated performances in Jack Crowly’s Brooklyn (2015), Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird (2017), and Little Women (2019) alongside Timothee Chalamet.
Saoirse’s upcoming projects include The Outrun, a film adaptation of Amy Liptror’s novel, and the World War II film Blitz alongside Steve McQueen. We will first see her, however, in Foe (2023) as she plays Hen, the wife of Paul Mescal’s Junior.
Aaron Pierre
Aaron Pierre is an English actor who has pursued acting since he was a teenager. After studying Performing Arts at Lewisham College and training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, he went on to start a career in theatre.
He starred in many theatrical projects, such as Othello at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and King Hedley II at the Theatre Royal Stratford East. He made his film debut in Amazon Prime’s The Underground Railroad (2021) and went on to appear in M. Night Shyamalan’s Old (2021).
Pierre’s upcoming projects include the thriller Rebel Ridge as well as Marvel’s highly anticipated film Blade. Before all of these, we will get to see him play the stranger from space, Terrance, in Garth Davis’s Foe (2023).
Where Was Foe (2023) Filmed?
Filming took place mainly at Dockland Studios in Melbourne, Australia. The cast and crew also shot some scenes in a rural area in Wangaratta, northeast of Victoria. The incredible vast lands of Wangaratta are perfect for capturing the secluded sense of Junior and Hen’s farmhouse.
Filming wrapped up around mid-April 2022.
When Can We See Foe (2023)?
Foe has had its world premiere at the 2023 New York Film Festival. It is set to be released in theatres across the US and the UK on 6 October 2023. You can check with your local theatre for the exact date and time of release. As for streaming, there is no news yet of if and when the film will be available to stream. However, since the movie is released by Amazon Studios, we can expect it to be available to stream on Prime Videos sometime next year.
What Can You Do As You Wait for Foe?
The first thing you can do is watch the trailer! The trailer shows an intimate look into Junior and Hen’s relationships and the strain the proposal to take Junior to space puts on them. Mainly focusing on dialogues between the characters, the trailer shows a promising glimpse into the film that stays true to the vibe of the novel it is based upon.
If you’re up to exploring the story more before the release of the film in October, then we recommend reading the novel by Iain Reid, which is the source material of the movie. The book is heartbreakingly beautiful and showcases the love between Junior and Henrietta in such a moving way that it will leave you in tears. Some people might be worried about spoiling the movie for themselves, but reading the original work before watching the adaptation only makes your experience richer.
If you’re someone who enjoyed movies such as Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, we’re sure you will have a great time watching Garth Davis’s Foe when it comes out in theatres. With such a talented cast, an excellent director, and great source material, Foe (2023) is set to take the world of Awards by storm next year! Don’t miss out on the opportunity to be one of the first people to see it in the theatre soon.