# Mother/Android
**Mother/Android** is a 2021 American post-apocalyptic science fiction thriller written and directed by Mattson Tomlin in his feature directorial debut, starring [Chloë Grace Moretz](https://www.edgepedia.org/chloe-grace-moretz), Algee Smith, and Raúl Castillo. Set in a near future where household androids turn violently against humanity, it follows a pregnant woman and her boyfriend on a journey to reach safety before their child is born.[1](https://www.miramax.com/movie/mother-android/) The film premiered on December 17, 2021, as a Hulu original in the United States.[1](https://www.miramax.com/movie/mother-android/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Director and writer | Mattson Tomlin, his feature directorial debut[1](https://www.miramax.com/movie/mother-android/) • [2](https://www.elseptimoarte.net/peliculas/motherandroid-24131.html) |
| Release | December 17, 2021, on Hulu[1](https://www.miramax.com/movie/mother-android/) |
| Cast | Chloë Grace Moretz (Georgia), Algee Smith (Sam), Raúl Castillo (Arthur)[3](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13029044/fullcredits/) |
| Runtime and rating | 111 minutes; rated R for violence and language[4](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/mother-android) • [5](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/motherandroid) |
| Studios | 6th & Idaho Productions, Miramax[6](https://www.netflixmovies.com/mother-android-2021) |
| Producers | Matt Reeves, Rafi Crohn, Charles Miller, Bill Block, Adam Kassan, and others[7](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt13029044/credits/) |
| Reception | 34% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer (38 reviews); 5.0/10 on IMDb (about 23,000 votes)[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mother_android) • [4](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/mother-android) |
## Spoilers
### Premise and plot
The story is set in a near future in which human-looking androids serve drinks at parties and work as household help. At a Christmas party, college student Georgia (Moretz) and her boyfriend Sam (Smith), who have just learned she is pregnant, are attacked when a robot waiter short circuits and turns on the guests; the incident is part of an artificial intelligence uprising spreading across the country.[5](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/motherandroid) • [9](https://richardcrouse.ca/mother-android-2-stars-short-on-originality-and-long-on-derivative-ideas/)
Nine months later, with the baby overdue, the couple has fled the cities for rural military camps where electromagnetic transmitters hold the rampaging robots at bay. To find a safe place for their child, they plan to leave the United States for Korea, where the robots have not taken over. To get there they must cross No Man's Land, a stronghold of the android uprising that stands between them and safe passage out of the country.[9](https://richardcrouse.ca/mother-android-2-stars-short-on-originality-and-long-on-derivative-ideas/) A third character, Arthur (Raúl Castillo), whose intentions are not immediately clear, appears midway through the journey.[9](https://richardcrouse.ca/mother-android-2-stars-short-on-originality-and-long-on-derivative-ideas/) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13029044/fullcredits/)
## Production
Tomlin wrote and directed the film, which was produced by 6th & Idaho Productions and Miramax; the producers include [Matt Reeves](https://www.edgepedia.org/matt-reeves), Rafi Crohn, Charles Miller, Bill Block, Adam Kassan, Thomas Zadra, Andrew Golov, and Tomlin himself.[1](https://www.miramax.com/movie/mother-android/) • [7](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt13029044/credits/) Michelle Birsky and Kevin Olken Henthorn composed the score, [Pat Scola](https://www.edgepedia.org/pat-scola) was the cinematographer, and Andrew Groves edited.[7](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt13029044/credits/)
According to the director's statement in the production notes, the story came from a personal place for Tomlin: his parents had to make a difficult but necessary decision about his future when he was a baby.[10](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/motherandroid-movie-review-2021) Tomlin, born in the aftermath of the [Romanian revolution](https://www.edgepedia.org/romanian-revolution), said he swapped that background for a robot revolution to add a genre element.[6](https://www.netflixmovies.com/mother-android-2021) The film was shot with Massachusetts locations and modest effects; Variety's Dennis Harvey described it as well-crafted and resourceful within its bounds, creating a credible portrait of a civilized world badly eroded in a few short months.[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mother_android)
## Reception
Critical response was largely negative. On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a 34% Tomatometer from 38 reviews and a 27% Popcornmeter score from more than 250 audience ratings; the critics consensus says it transcends its budgetary limitations visually but is far less successful on the storytelling front.[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mother_android) On IMDb it rates 5.0 out of 10 from about 23,000 votes.[4](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/mother-android)
Reviewers repeatedly noted the gap between the film's craft and its story. Tomris Laffly at RogerEbert.com called it a bland mash-up of genre staples while crediting its visuals and the actors' dedication.[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mother_android) Richard Crouse, a Canadian film critic, gave it two stars and wrote that it feels like the love child of *Children of Men*, *The Terminator*, and *A Quiet Place*, short on originality and long on derivative ideas, though he called Moretz the best thing about the film.[9](https://richardcrouse.ca/mother-android-2-stars-short-on-originality-and-long-on-derivative-ideas/) Common Sense Media's review observed that the film is much more "mother" than "android," focusing on the drama of a pregnant couple rather than developing the robot rebellion, and recommended it for viewers 16 and older.[5](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/motherandroid) Later assessments were warmer toward the lead performance: a 2025 Geek Vibes Nation review called Moretz easily the highlight of the movie.[8](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mother_android)
## Availability
In the United States the film streams on Hulu and on the Disney+/Hulu bundle; [JustWatch](https://www.edgepedia.org/justwatch) reported no free streaming options as of late 2026.[4](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/mother-android) It is also available on Netflix in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, India, and more than 130 other countries.[11](https://helposter.com/movie/739413-739413-motherandroid) • [6](https://www.netflixmovies.com/mother-android-2021)
## References
1. [MOTHER / ANDROID, Official Site, Miramax](https://www.miramax.com/movie/mother-android/)
2. [Chloe Grace Moretz protagonizará 'Mother/Android', El Séptimo Arte](https://www.elseptimoarte.net/peliculas/motherandroid-24131.html)
3. [Mother/Android (2021) Full cast & crew, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13029044/fullcredits/)
4. [Mother/Android streaming: where to watch online?, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/mother-android)
5. [Mother/Android, Parents' Guide & Movie Review, Common Sense Media](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/motherandroid)
6. [Mother/Android (2021) on Netflix, NetflixMovies.com](https://www.netflixmovies.com/mother-android-2021)
7. [Mother/Android (2021), Box Office Mojo](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt13029044/credits/)
8. [Mother/Android, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mother_android)
9. [MOTHER/ANDROID: 2 STARS, Richard Crouse](https://richardcrouse.ca/mother-android-2-stars-short-on-originality-and-long-on-derivative-ideas/)
10. [Mother/Android movie review & film summary, RogerEbert.com](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/motherandroid-movie-review-2021)
11. [Where to Watch Mother/Android (2021), Helposter](https://helposter.com/movie/739413-739413-motherandroid)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Science fiction and fantasy films (individual works) › Science fiction and fantasy films of the 2020s › Science fiction films of the 2020s › Titles M to X*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license