In celebration of Mother’s Day, Netflix has released a new action-thriller film called The Mother. The film stars Jennifer Lopez as a former special forces sniper known only as The Mother, who gave up her baby and went into hiding in the Alaskan wilderness after being forced to abandon her child due to the dangerous men from her past. The story follows The Mother as she tries to protect her daughter from the heinous criminals from her past who kidnap her after 12 years.
Jennifer Lopez’s performance
Jennifer Lopez’s performance is one of the highlights of the movie. Known for her incredible work ethic, Lopez puts her fullest extent of her abilities into this project. She is believable in her character’s skill set and manages to pull off the action scenes with great intensity.
The bond between The Mother and her daughter
The bond between The Mother and her daughter is another aspect of the movie that shines through. The slow bonding process between them over several survivalist training sessions is touching, and you can’t help but feel for them as they face the danger together.
The backstory of the central character
One of the biggest weaknesses of The Mother is the backstory of the central character. The Mother is a morally bankrupt and opportunistic killer who gave up her baby, conceived with one of two morally bankrupt and opportunistic men, and only decided she had one line she wouldn’t cross while pregnant. This is a tall order for the audience to proceed with in a redemption story that only decides to focus on the potential of a reunification with her daughter and not whether she deserves it.
Weak and clichéd villains
The other weak aspect of The Mother is the paper-thin and incredibly boring clichés for villains. The two villains played by Gael Garcia Bernal and Joseph Fiennes ranged from cringy to bored as their characters didn’t have much to work with before the cameras rolled.
The Cast
Omari Hardwick
Power star Omari Hardwick did the best he could with minimal screen time and weak dialogue. However, it’s hard to ignore his talent even in such a small role.
Edie Falco
Emmy-winning The Sopranos star Edie Falco did her best to elevate the material and succeeded to some extent.
Paul Raci
Recent Oscar-Nominee Paul Raci (Sound of Metal) did a great job with the small role he had, making the most out of his limited screen time.
The Direction
Director Niki Caro, who started her career incredibly well with the critical success of 2002’s Whale Rider and 2005’s North Country,