Stories of humanity bringing about its own destruction are commonplace on both film and television these days, but writer/director Mattson Tomlin’s feature debut Mother/Android looks to put a new spin on the apocalypse.
In a world where subservient robots do the bidding of their human masters, Chloë Grace Moretz’s Georgia discovers she’s having a baby with Algee Smith’s Sam, but she’s not even sure that she wants them to be together. That all gets put to the side when the cybernetic servants go on the fritz, causing the AI uprising everyone had been dreading.
Georgia and Sam end up traveling across the country trying to find a safe haven, but they run into many obstacles along the way, not to mention a mysterious stranger played by Army of the Dead‘s Raúl Castillo. Mother/Android comes to Hulu tomorrow, where it should be appointment viewing for sci-fi fans.
Ahead of the movie’s release, We Got This Covered had the chance to speak to Moretz, Smith and Castillo about Mother/Android, and you can check out what the stars had to say below.
There’s a lot of post-apocalyptic stories out there, what is it that makes Mother/Android stand out from the pack that’s going to hook audiences?
Chloë Grace Moretz: I would say a few things. I think one thing in particular is that, you know, it’s almost almost pre-apocalyptic, because it’s during the beginnings of,an artificial intelligence revolution. So I think one thing that really stands out is that the story centers around a young couple who are facing a crossroads in their life. You don’t see the happenings going around them on a constant basis in this film.
You know, it’s something that you go on the journey with the young couple, and then trying to get to Boston, trying to have their baby. And it almost feels like a relationship drama for a large amount of the movie. And then you really start to obviously get into the more thriller aspects, and the more action-packed aspect, when we do see the robots come into our vision, and to actually rub up against them in the story. But ultimately, I think it stands out because it deals with, I think, a lot of parallels that we’re dealing with currently.
And it feels like a not-so-distant future of possibility. I mean, especially with the most recent robot that just got released; videos of it where, you know, she’s breathing and gasping, and moving. And, it’s super realistic. So I think, you know, it’s not so far off in the future, I think with this.
Algee Smith: Yeah, I think they just kind of piggyback off that, but I think we have the emotional side of it, which takes it away from just being very apocalyptic. And there’s really an emotional anchor to that, that me and Chloe have to go through with our characters. Not to get too much away, but with the characters and with our child we’re expecting. So I think that factor of he hits his home a lot, and makes it more than just a thriller/apocalyptic film.
It looks like there were some pretty tough shooting conditions and intense action involved, did you find that being pushed physically helped you get into the mindset of your characters creatively?
Raúl Castillo : I mean, you guys [Moretz and Smith] got it worse! By the time I got there, I think you guys were three weeks deep sitting in the rain, in rain tents.
Chloë Grace Moretz: Yeah! It was pretty rough a few times. I remember Algee was kind of excited about the rain sequences for a little while. And I was like, “You’re excited now”. It was like freezing cold in Boston, you know? And then by the end of it, he was blue. Like, he was shaking. And I was like, “Yeah, buddy”.
Algee Smith: For me, yeah, it was crazy. It was crazy. We actually did go through a lot more than Raul did, but it was definitely worth it.
Chloë Grace Moretz: I think, you know, we were really tracking through those mountains every day, and kind of deep in the forest. And it definitely added to the experience. And, you know, aided our sensibility in the scenes.
All three of you play characters that audiences maybe wouldn’t expect to see from you, was that something you took into consideration when figuring out how to approach your performances?
Algee Smith: For me, personally, I’ve never done a sci-fi film before. So this is new territory. All in all, I think I was saying the emotional factors were what drew me in above everything, because I knew that there’s a real heart to the story. And so I knew that this is a chance for me to try something new, but also something that I’m kind of familiar with as well, with that emotion.
Chloë Grace Moretz: Yeah, I mean, I would piggyback off that same answer and say, you know, I think playing a young mother for the first time was, actually for the second time. I just remembered that. But for the second time, at least playing pregnant for the first time.
It was a really interesting experience. And I think, you know, especially with the relationship that I grew with Mattson our director, and how personal the story is to his own personal life. It was a whole new depth into a character that I hadn’t really felt before.
And it was really vulnerable and like, really beautiful. And I think we had a really fun time, Algee and I, excavating those little emotions and little moments, and feeling out where these characters were; when and how and what it means to them.
Which of the three of you do you think would fare best in a world without technology?
Chloë Grace Moretz: Not Algee!
Algee Smith: I would just go along with her, I didn’t even hear the question in totality, but she clearly knows me!
Raúl Castillo: I’m the old man in this group, so I’m saying I’d be fine. I remember the time before…
Chloë Grace Moretz: Yeah, I’m gonna say Raúl! The time before? The Land Before Time…
That concludes our interview with Chloë Grace Moretz, Algee Smith and Raúl Castillo. Mother/Android comes exclusively to Hulu on Friday, December 17, and be sure to check back for our chat with writer and director Mattson Tomlin.
