Spoiler alert! The post below has details about the ending of “Foe” (now streaming on Prime Video).
Based on its trailer, you can guess that “Fo” is an action-packed dystopian thriller.
But the film (now streaming on Prime Video) is actually more reminiscent of a Tennessee Williams play, with its explosive dialogue, single location and small cast of just three actors. In other words, “it’s right up my alley,” says Oscar nominee Paul Maskall, who starred in Williams’ London production of “A Streetcar Named Desire” last year.
The story is set in a bleak near future, where climate change has ravaged the planet and the United States is sending people into space to test if it is habitable. When Junior (Mescal) is selected for an experiment, a government official (Aaron Pierre) offers to give his wife, Hen (Saoirse Ronan), a robot replica of her husband to keep her company.
As his departure date approaches, martial issues surface. But in the movie’s shocking finale, we find out that AI Junior was actually with Han this whole time, while the real Junior was in space. And when Human Junior returns home, he calmly watches as his android counterpart is killed, jealous that the robot may have formed a more genuine connection with his wife.
Mescal, 27, unpacks the twist ending and more (edited and condensed for clarity).
Q: You shot for ‘Fo’ two years ago. Given all the anxiety about AI in Hollywood and our everyday lives, does this story seem more relevant now?
Paul Meskal: It was in the cultural zeitgeist at the time, but it feels timely given what this year was and the kind of impact it had on the industry. The film is about AI on the periphery and the emotional impact it can potentially have on humans. In essence that’s what I personally love about the film.
How challenging was it to play both Real Junior and Android Junior? Were there subtle or major ways you tried to make them stand out?
The calibration between the two people was very clear in my mind. With Junior returning, there was obviously a physical thing to focus on with the effect of gravity on his limbs. The challenge for me was just the size I wanted to go with. It wasn’t that I picked him for the big performance, I was just like, “This poor guy is being gaslit for the whole movie, and the version of marriage he believes is not reality.” Its reality is very dark, and that kind of psychological pressure was really (difficult). One could argue that one of the most human parts of the film is the AI version of Junior.
When you read the script for the first time, what was your reaction to the twist?
I found the twist at the end really moving; I really didn’t see that coming. For me, the focus of the film was like “Marriage Story” but on steroids. It was interesting to play those scenes with Saoirse using (stylistic elements) to break free of the tropes you see in relationship dramas. I know this film works for some people and it doesn’t for others, but I got to play a character that’s really different from what I’ve done before.
When you get into the third act, you’ve got Junior’s speech where he talks about his observation of the human race and how disgusting and dirty it is. What he’s really saying is that he’s lost and in a lot of pain, and he’s just trying to articulate it in a language he’s not literate. I can’t figure out what’s successful or unsuccessful about my own performance, but that scene in particular is one that I’m really proud of. It was one where it was like, “I don’t know where this is going to go,” but ultimately that’s where I wanted it to land.
Did you meet Saoirse before this project?
We met once at a party. Irish artists look after each other, for the most part – we have a weird shorthand with each other. It is impossible to quantify or specify, but it simply exists. Perhaps it is the same sensitivity or the absence of overwhelming emotion.
I understand you are both big rugby fans. Were you bound by that while shooting in Australia?
The rugby thing was really new to us. He’s a very important person in my life – I feel like we’ve known each other a lot longer than we really have. You hear stories of artists who reach a level of success, and then they (stop working). But as we got closer to the rehearsal, her enthusiasm was really refreshing – it was like it was her first job. She had just moved to town, and as a result, we became very close. And then there was a strike and the Rugby World Cup was on, so we just went to the pub, drank and watched the rugby.
