The Mother

Interest 20

CAT'S PICK : ★ 7.7

The Mother, a new Netflix film that is indistinguishable from the generic potboilers that flood streaming services on a weekly basis, stars Jennifer Lopez as an assassin who is called back into action when her teenage daughter is abducted by goons. These films are best enjoyed as a background distraction that you can occasionally glance at while doing other things because they offer little in the way of entertainment or insight.

It's the sort of film where everyone conveys in constant conversations that constantly rotates around removing data, or cautioning someone that they've been deceived, or conveying tasteless article. It is during one such scene that we find out about the mother's past. In case you were wondering, she also does not have a name. We're informed that the anonymous mother is a veteran of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, and has 46 affirmed kills added to her repertoire. Before 30 minutes are up, we additionally discover that she is a specialist marksman, and light-footed on her feet.

However, thematically, tonally, and structurally, The Mother is a mess. For instance, why does the movie basically start over at the half-way point after reaching a somewhat satisfying conclusion? While we're on the subject, why does the mother conceal her true identity from her daughter for more than an hour when everyone already knows?

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