Prime Video's latest sci-fi movie is streaming now and packed with A-Listers

Prime Video has added another recent cinema release to its shelves, not long after the addition of the juggernaut Saltburn.

Foe came out in cinemas back in October 2023, but you may have missed it as it was a limited release, in 85 UK screens, says Box Office Mojo.

It’s already the second most popular movie on Prime Video according to FlixPatrol, sitting just behind Saltburn.

But what is Foe? It’s an unusual sci-fi drama starring Paul Mescal and Saoirse Ronan.

They play Hen and Junior a married couple working on a farm back on a climate-ravaged Earth in 2065.

Junior is offered work on a space station, and instead of that granting Hen a ticket up into the stars, the couple are offered an AI replacement for Junior while he is away.

And as part of the AI training process, Junior and Hen have to divulge uncomfortable truths about their marriage.

Foe film reviews

Sounds intriguing, right? Well, as we noted in our first highlighting of Foe in last week’s What to Watch update, the film received patchy reviews.

It sits at a 24% fresh rating over at RottenTomatoes, although it did also receive some largely positive 3/5 and 4/5 reviews from notable outlets.

All the critics can seem to agree on is Ronan and Mescal put in fine performances. It’s everything else that teeters more precariously.

“It’s hard not to admire a film that so determinedly zigs when you would expect it to zag,” says Little White Lies's 3-star review. There’s a notable twist in the movie, one that may be what turned so many of the critics off.

“The title of Foe makes no sense, and neither does anything else in this rambling heap of junk,” says Observer’s review. "The actors deserve a medal for babbling so much convoluted claptrap with a straight face.”

Still, Observer reviewer Rex Reed claims to have fallen asleep during the film so you might want to take his words with a pinch of salt if you’re still on the fence.

“An emotional, if familiar, take on loyalty and technology in a world where love and survival feel near-impossible,” says Empire’s 3-star review.

Foe is directed by Garth Davis, whose previous work includes the well-reviewed Lion and the less well-liked Mary Magdalene from 2018.

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