| The Pod Generation | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Sophie Barthes |
| Written by | Sophie Barthes |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Andrij Parekh |
| Edited by |
|
| Music by |
|
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 109 minutes |
| Countries |
|
| Language | English |
| Box office | $31,569[3][4] |
The Pod Generation is a 2023 science fiction romantic comedy film written and directed by Sophie Barthes.
The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on 19 January 2023.
A New York couple, Rachel (Emilia Clarke) and Alvy (Chiwetel Ejiofor), live in a not-so-distant future. A rising tech company executive, Rachel lands a coveted spot on the waitlist for the Womb Center, which offers couples maternity by way of detachable artificial wombs, or pods. Alvy, a botanist with an affection for nature, prefers a natural pregnancy. Despite their different perspectives, they decide to go forward with the Womb Center's services in order to conceive a child.
It was announced in October 2021 that Emilia Clarke and Chiwetel Ejiofor would star in the film, which was to be written and directed by Sophie Barthes.[5] In May 2022, Rosalie Craig, Vinette Robinson and Kathryn Hunter were reported as added to the cast.[6] Rita Bernard-Shaw and Megan Maczko were reported as part of the cast in November 2022.[7]
The Pod Generation premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on 19 January 2023.[9] In March 2023, Roadside Attractions and Vertical Entertainment acquired North America rights and released the film in limited cinemas on 11 August 2023.[10][11]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 41% of 76 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.6/10. The website's consensus reads: "With its roundabout script undermining solid performances from Emilia Clarke and Chiwetel Ejiofor, The Pod Generation stimulates the mind but not much else."[12] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 60 out of 100, based on 22 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[13]
