After a catastrophe wipes out mankind, an automated bunker activates. This is facility is stocked with embryos, and staffed by a single robot named 'Mother'.
Mother grows one of the embryos in an artificial womb and begins to raise the resulting child.
Some time later, teenager 'Daughter' is growing restless with her life in the bunker. She is tired of the complex moral and ethical lessons that Mother insists she undertake, in preparation for an upcoming exam. She is also curious about the outside world. Mother warns her that surface contamination makes contact with anything from outside the bunker potentially lethal.
Which presents rather a conundrum for 'Daughter' when a strange woman suddenly appears at the airlock of the bunker, begging for help ...
This Australian SF film was produced on a low budget, but like Pitch Black, which was also filmed here, it is one of those low budget productions that spends its money wisely. The full body robot suit is by the skilled team at Weta Workshop and the small cast - which includes Oscar winner Hilary Swank - are all excellent. It never looks or sounds cheap.
Of course, that's only going to help if the script is solid, and I'm happy to say that it is. While I don't think the story really delivers any huge surprises - certainly the overall arc followed the basic trajectory I expected it would, when I saw the premise - it's certainly well-executed. I'll take execution over innovation if I have to pick. Having both is best, of course, but that's no easy task.
Well acted, well directed, well structured. This is a solid and engaging science fiction drama. If you find the basic scenario interesting at all, check it out.
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