| Director: | Garth Davis |
| Cinematography: | Mátyás Erdély |
| Editing: | Peter Sciberras |
| Runtime: | 110 minutes[1] |
| Language: | English |
Foe is a 2023 science fiction psychological thriller film directed by Australian director Garth Davis, from a screenplay he co-wrote with Canadian writer 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. Its plot concerns a young couple, Hen and Junior, having marital issues when Junior is called to serve on a space station.
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 on November 2, 2023. In early 2024, the film was available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
Foe is set in the near future, where Junior lives with his wife Henrietta (Hen) on a remote farm. One night a stranger appears at their door who introduces himself as Terrance from an aerospace corporation called OuterMore. Terrance announces that Junior has been selected to travel to the Installation, a large space station in orbit around Earth. He will remain there for about two years, before returning home. Junior is deeply in love with Hen and is not happy leaving her alone. Terrance reassures him that while he is gone, he will be replaced by a biomechanical duplicate that will care for her. Junior is horrified. Terrance visits the farm house regularly to interview him and collect data to help configure his replacement.
Relations between Junior and Hen become strained. He resents Terrance's presence and she will not talk about it. After about two years, Terrance moves in with them so he can monitor Junior's daily routine. Terrance also spends time interviewing Hen, which angers Junior. He manages to eavesdrop on some of their conversations, and it seems that she knows more about what is going on than she is telling him. Once Terrance asks her if she would like to get away, and she relates to him a fantasy she has of walking out on her husband. After seeing Terrance spend so much time with Hen, Junior becomes convinced that it is Terrance who will be replacing him when he has gone.
One day Terrance congratulates Junior, saying that he did very well. Junior is confused, then astounded when another man looking exactly like him walks in through the door. Terrance introduces the stranger as the real Junior who has just returned from the Installation. He explains to a stunned Junior that he is the replacement sent two years ago to live with the real Junior's wife. The duplicate refuses to believe this and pleads with Hen for help, but she remains quiet. As he becomes filled with rage, Terrance says, "It's time for this to end," and shuts him down.
The real Junior becomes the narrator, with quote-marked speech, and is pleased to be back home again with his wife. When he asks Hen what it was like living with "it", she says it was difficult at first. His behaviour was predictable, but he adapted quickly and she was surprised how much he genuinely cared for her. She says she regrets him having been shut down. This angers Junior, who can't understand how she could have felt anything for her "fake digital husband". Their relationship deteriorates, until one day she walks out. That night she returns, but has changed – she is affectionate and caring. Junior is pleased to have his wife back as he remembered her. In the text, Hen's dialogue now has no quotation marks. A few days later, Terrance visits briefly to check on them. Hen is pleased to see him and says that everything is fine. Junior agrees, adding, "things are finally getting back to normal".
It was announced in June 2021 that 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.[2] In October, Aaron Pierre was cast to replace Stanfield.[3]
Filming began in Winton, Victoria, Australia, in January 2022[4] and wrapped in South Australia in April 2022.
Amazon Studios entered negotiations for the distribution rights in July 2021.[5] On August 15, 2023, along with first look images of the film, it was revealed that it would be released by Amazon Studios on October 6, 2023, in the United States, before the distributor rebranded to Amazon MGM Studios following their 2022 acquisition of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.[6] [7]
The film premiered at the 2023 New York Film Festival as part of the Spotlight Gala[8] on September 30.[9]
The film was scheduled to be released in Australia by Transmission Films on October 19,[10] before it was delayed to November 2, 2023.[11]
Foe was released on Prime Video on January 5, 2024.[12]
Luke Goodsell wrote for ABC Arts after its release in Australia: "Oscar nominees Ronan and Mescal are both charismatic, gripping performers, and they give Hen and Junior a rich sense of lived-in love and loathing. But despite the stars' best, hot-and-bothered exertion, Davis and Reid's screenplay eventually hangs them out to dry".[13]