The term AI was introduced over six decades ago in the 50s but it has heavily dominated the zeitgeist like never before. The Pod Generation is set in the near future where technology and artificial intelligence has taken over daily life while nature quickly vanishes into oblivion. Written and directed by Sophie Barthes, the movie centers on a New Yorker couple Rachel (Emilia Clarke) and Alvy (Chiwetel Ejiofor), enjoying a nice, comfortable living in their posh high-rise condo. The movie quickly makes a comment about the family’s financial dynamic that AI-tech exec Rachel is the breadwinner while botanist Alvy spends his time teaching or caring for his plants at his greenhouse.

The movie does a commendable job in world-building, I adore the production design by Clement Price-Thomas, from the daily household stuff to the futuristic building architecture and sterile-looking interior design. Some of the sparse, sleek designs are pretty Apple-esque and the cinematography is gorgeous thanks to DP Andrij Parekh.

Life immediately becomes more complicated when Rachel signs up with the Womb Center, owned by tech giant Pegazus which offers pregnancies via digitally monitored pods in the shape of an egg. Rachel readily embraces the idea of artificial baby-making but naturally, it creates friction between her and Alvy who’s growing more frustrated by society’s disconnect with nature. It’s a pretty serious topic but the tone is more playful and comedic. 

The increasing tension between the couple is often played for laughs. Even the way they fight is quite hilarious, I cackle at scenes of Alvy arguing with the artificial shrink. I mean, why on earth would anyone design an AI therapist in a form of a weird giant eyeball as creepy as the eye of Sauron. Clarke and Ejiofor are well-paired and make their relationship feel natural. Clarke is a natural comedienne, but I really enjoy Ejiofor’s comedic display as he navigates this strange new world. Rosalie Craig is quite memorable as the director of the Womb Center whose performance is borderline absurd and decidedly unsettling. It’s quite alarming how dangerously timely this movie is and a lot of the AI tech presented here is not at all far-fetched.

As a comedic satire, Barthes’ script does have plenty of thought-provoking elements about science vs. nature and how fertility tech would impact society, specifically women. Supposedly the idea of artificial wombs would liberate women from the ‘burden’ of carrying a baby full term and the physical/mental toll it carries. Ethically speaking there are certainly plenty of issues with this method, though the ‘humans playing God’ cautionary tale gets a bit lost here amidst all the whimsy.

The first half of the movie, with its kooky scenarios and dialog, is far more intriguing than the second. The initial discombobulation to this AI-paved path to parenthood was amusing, but once their lives became consumed by the pod, the movie sort of lost its momentum. Some of the scenes towards the end stretch incredulity even for sci-fi, and there’s the anticlimactic ending that doesn’t feel as impactful as I expected.

At times the movie reminds me of another indie sci-fi After Yang, which deals with a similar topic with much more potency and emotional resonance. Still, there is plenty to admire here and it makes me ponder about our increasing reliance on technology at the expense of our own humanity. Barthes is definitely a skilled writer/director, so I’m curious to see what she’d tackle next.

Have you seen The Pod Generation? I’d love to hear what you think!

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