5.643%55%6.0
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.
Good sci-fi. Good satire. But the ending lacks bite. (insert caring for tamagotchi and/or houseplant joke here)
Plenty of interesting ideas, sci-fi world building and solid performances from Chiwitel Ejiofor and Emilia Clarke make this a watchable diversion. However, the idea presented could have a used a bit longer gestation period before being let out of the pod. The overarching theme of natural vs artificial is ever-present but isn’t explored with any consequence. Folks see AI therapists, go on artificial “nature walks” of some sort, and of course gestate their unborn children in artificial pods rather than carry them to term in utero. The most interesting idea touched on was the (potential) impact motherhood has on career focused women. A pod could be empowering. At the same time, we could see corporation pressuring employees to opt into pod births. These few moments in the film were the only ones that provoked much deeper thought. Everything else is very surface level. I like the Lo-Fi Sci-Fi aspects, but on this whole this was rather bland experience even if Ejiofor and Clarke breathe some life into it.
Amusant et burlesque, avec des personnages s'occupant d'un œuf comme des poules, le film se distingue par sa critique de l'IA à la façon Black Mirror. Cependant, il souffre de lenteurs et de représentations caricaturales. Certaines intrigues restent incomplètes et les séquences oniriques, trop nombreuses, semblent hors de propos.
Reviews
The Pod Generation
Kevin Ward reviewed
The Pod Generation
July 2, 2025Plenty of interesting ideas, sci-fi world building and solid performances from Chiwitel Ejiofor and Emilia Clarke make this a watchable diversion. However, the idea presented could have a used a bit longer gestation period before being let out of the pod. The overarching theme of natural vs artificial is ever-present but isn’t explored with any consequence. Folks see AI therapists, go on artificial “nature walks” of some sort, and of course gestate their unborn children in artificial pods rather than carry them to term in utero. The most interesting idea touched on was the (potential) impact motherhood has on career focused women. A pod could be empowering. At the same time, we could see corporation pressuring employees to opt into pod births. These few moments in the film were the only ones that provoked much deeper thought. Everything else is very surface level. I like the Lo-Fi Sci-Fi aspects, but on this whole this was rather bland experience even if Ejiofor and Clarke breathe some life into it.
l.c.wa reviewed
The Pod Generation
October 9, 2024Amusant et burlesque, avec des personnages s'occupant d'un œuf comme des poules, le film se distingue par sa critique de l'IA à la façon Black Mirror. Cependant, il souffre de lenteurs et de représentations caricaturales. Certaines intrigues restent incomplètes et les séquences oniriques, trop nombreuses, semblent hors de propos.
