Iain Reid's compelling sci-fi novel FOE now comes to the screen with an exciting cast giving voice to its intriguing premise. Oscar nominees and Irish acting stalwarts Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn) and Paul Mescal (Aftersun) play a fractious married couple living on a family farm who are offered a chance at redemption from a mysterious stranger played by Aaron Pierre (Old).
The set-up: Mescal's character Junior is offered a once-in-a-lifetime chance to work aboard a groundbreaking space station. However, he must make the trip alone and leave his spouse Henrietta (Ronan) back on Earth. To counter-act feelings of loneliness, she will be paired with a robotic counterpart of her husband.
You imagine that a refusal is a no-brainer. Well, with their marriage seemingly on the rocks, the prospect of enforced distance looks increasingly enticing to both parties. Will the time they spend away from each other help reinforce the value of their union? And what happens when Henrietta acclimates to Junior's double in his absence?
It's a thorny and prickly conceit that grounds fantastical trappings in a homestead environment more akin to the movies of Terrence Malick. With Lion director Garth Davis behind the camera and Reid himself on co-writing duties, both fans of the book and newcomers to the story stand to be swept up by its emotion and philosophical quandaries.
FOE is due for UK release on October 20th. Check out the trailer below.
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