The Pod Generation

Name: The Pod Generation
Genre: Sci-Fi, Comedy, Romance
Released: August 11, 2023
Duration: 101 min
Rating: 60
Cast: Anne-Marie Agbodji, Ashley Johnson, Bernard Gallant, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Emilia Clarke

2023

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Mixed or average reviews based on 23 Critic Reviews

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The Pod Generation

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Movie Details & Credits

Roadside Attractions | Release Date: August 11, 2023 | PG-13

Starring: Anne-Marie Agbodji, Ashley Johnson, Bernard Gallant, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Emilia Clarke, Emma De Poot, Jean-Marc Barr, Karel Van Cutsem, Kathryn Hunter, Kyoung Her, Lamara Strijdhaftig, Megan Maczko, Nilson David, Rita Bernard-Shaw, Rosalie Craig, Rupert Simonian, Veerle Dejaeger, Verona Verbakel, Vinette Robinson

Summary: New York couple Rachel (Emilia Clarke) and Alvy (Chiwetel Ejiofor), are ready to start a family. As a rising tech company executive, Rachel lands a coveted spot at the Womb Center, which offers couples the opportunity to share pregnancy on a more equal footing by way of mobile, artificial wombs, or pods. Alvy, a botanist and devoted puristNew York couple Rachel (Emilia Clarke) and Alvy (Chiwetel Ejiofor), are ready to start a family. As a rising tech company executive, Rachel lands a coveted spot at the Womb Center, which offers couples the opportunity to share pregnancy on a more equal footing by way of mobile, artificial wombs, or pods. Alvy, a botanist and devoted purist about the natural environment, has doubts, but his love for Rachel prompts him to take a leap of faith. And so, begins the wild ride on their tech-paved path to parenthood.… Expand

Director: Sophie Barthes

Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Comedy, Romance

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 101 min

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Critic Reviews

Alan Ng

Jan 26, 2023

The Pod Generation is a science-fiction film with something to say and forces us to confront our future by asking questions. Just because we can screw around with biology, should we? Sophie Barthes’ futuristic tale is worth watching just for the conversation that’s bound to happen afterward. Read full review

IndieWire Kate Erbland

Jan 23, 2023

Strong performances by both Clarke and Chiwetel Ejiofor, plus compelling production design from Clem Price Thomas (the pods and the wider world around them are instantly credible) recommend the feature, even if some of Barthes’ biggest ideas (she also wrote the film’s script) sometimes feel under-explored by the time the film reaches its conclusion. Read full review

Leah Greenblatt

Feb 2, 2023

Ejiofor is eminently relatable as an analog man who can't seem to understand where it all went wrong, and Clarke's eyebrows knit with such pained expressiveness, it's as if they're having their own wriggling monologue throughout the movie. Read full review

Liz Shannon Miller

Jan 31, 2023

The resulting film is lacking in subtlety at times, but the world-building offered up some fascinating details, especially in a time when we’re seeing real-life human professions be reconsidered as potential tasks for artificial intelligence. Read full review

Steve Pond

Jan 23, 2023

There’s an austerity to the film, but also a sense that this interesting couple in this interesting environment is going over the same territory with only minor changes. Read full review

Robert Abele

Aug 14, 2023

In Barthes’ curiously distanced, muted handling, we only sense points being made, not lives being lived. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Peyton Robinson

Aug 11, 2023

The Pod Generation is thoughtful and timely but flat, an opaque expression of an overly simple thesis. Read full review

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MovieReviewMave

Aug 31, 2023

IN A NUTSHELL:
In a not-so-distant future, tech giant Pegazus offers couples the opportunity to share their pregnancies via detachable artificial wombs or “pods”. And so begins Rachel and Alvy’s wild ride to parenthood in this brave new world.
The movie was written and directed by SophieIN A NUTSHELL:
In a not-so-distant future, tech giant Pegazus offers couples the opportunity to share their pregnancies via detachable artificial wombs or “pods”. And so begins Rachel and Alvy’s wild ride to parenthood in this brave new world.
The movie was written and directed by Sophie Barthes. It premiered at the Sundance Festival and offers a fascinating look at pregnancy and parenting.

THINGS I LIKED:
Emilia Clarke is wonderful and perfect in this role. You’ll almost forget she’s a British actress because she does a great American accent.
Chiwetel Ejiofor is always fantastic in everything.
The world building is quite imaginative and could be our future someday. Would like living in a world like this?
The film offers social commentary on our reliance on technology.
I thought it was hilarious to watch the sequences where the dad starts to do everything with the pod, making him emotional like an actual crying, pregnant mother. My crazy hormones turned me into a weepy mess when I was pregnant. Ha ha
I have to admit that it would have been fascinating to see my baby’s daily development when I was pregnant. In the movie, they’re able to look inside the pod.
The movie shows an AI tool in the home that also serves as a therapist. That would be cool and I’ll bet a lot of people would like that!
An interesting element of the movie is the importance of our dreams when we sleep. We learn that babies born from the pods don’t dream in their lives and the parents are told that dreaming serves no real purpose. Do YOU dream? In color? I’ve heard it said that dreaming is our brains way of shuffling through everything we experienced during the day as it’s filing things in “cabinets” in our body. I like that imagery.
The film does a great job comparing Mother Nature with what humans have come up with. THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:
The devices with the eyeballs are creepy looking.
The couple repeats over and over how hard it is to process everything.
The movie is described as a romantic comedy, but this definitely isn’t what you’re thinking when you imagine that genre. It’s hard to describe which genre it best fits into…maybe science fiction? TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will probably be bored.
We see a very pregnant woman in a two-piece bathing suit.
Emilia Clarke sure doesn’t have a problem showing her bare chest like she did in Game of Thrones. We see some of it while she’s wearing a robe.
Some “light” profanity.
We see a married couple getting frisky in bed, but nothing graphic.… Expand

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JLuis_001

Aug 19, 2023

The artificiality of having a baby inside a capsule with the idea that pregnancy will not become a hardship for women who must carry them in their womb for 9 months is the heart of this film even as the movie delves into conflicting ideologies regarding technology and the potential societalThe artificiality of having a baby inside a capsule with the idea that pregnancy will not become a hardship for women who must carry them in their womb for 9 months is the heart of this film even as the movie delves into conflicting ideologies regarding technology and the potential societal implications of such a transformation.

The Pod Generation aspires to be thought-provoking, and its timing are clearly timely and opportunistic, but the underlying premise is so simplified that it feels like a mere essay that never emphasizes anything of real relevance to its plot.

Moreover, you have to add the absence of on-screen chemistry between Emilia Clarke and Chiwetel Ejiofor and both seem to be out of sync with the story itself, and it becomes more than difficult to not only believe in their relationship but also to evoke genuine concern for the unfolding events in their journey.

In its pursuit of a significant objective, The Pod Generation embarked on a a very long walk but lost sight of the finish line.
In the end it all comes down to something very simple: If you want to tackle a theme of this magnitude, you need to do more than just scratch its surface a little.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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