Jennifer Lopez’s new Netflix movie The Mother is now out, and reviews have been comparing it with everything from John Wick to James Bond. The action thriller sees her play a former assassin who is forced to come out of hiding when her estranged daughter is kidnapped.
It’s a pretty star-studded affair too with Joseph Fiennes, Omari Hardwick, Gael García Bernal, and Paul Raci all appearing in supporting roles. Reviews have been a bit mixed so far, but there’s plenty of praise for both Lopez’s performance and the action scenes.
"It’s a lot of action with not many surprises, but the sharply staged blowouts and chemistry with Cruise add a nice momentum to the predictable proceedings," says IndieWire’s Jude Dry. While Time’s Stephanie Zacharek writes: "Lopez can get away with things that other mere mortals can’t, and if you approach it in the right spirit, The Mother could be ridiculously good fun."
Associated Press writer Lindsey Bahr calls it a "mostly generic action trifle" but argues that Lopez is the "most interesting part" of it. "Lopez’s character is basically Jason Bourne, James Bond, John Wick, and Nikita rolled into one," the reviewer writes.
Continuing the theme, Variety’s Owen Gleiberman writes: "Lopez, as a military sniper, turned broker of underground arms deals turned FBI informant turned savagely cool-headed protector of her 12-year-old daughter, is playing a badass not so far removed from those played by Jason Statham or (in his grade-B prime) Bruce Willis, and she’s up to the task."
"Lopez – who rarely gets the acting credit she deserves – is extremely watchable as the resourceful, protective, and even brutal (she hits people with a fist wrapped in barbed wire!) heart of the movie," adds Digital Spy’s Jo Berry. "And her scenes with screen daughter Paez are enjoyably unsentimental, too."
The Guardian was less enamored, giving the movie only one star. "There’s some real ChatGPT film-making here in this abjectly formulaic and inert Netflix thriller from director Niki Caro, although ChatGPT would have made a better, clearer job of the muddled story," writes Peter Bradshaw.
For what else to watch, here’s our selection of the best Netflix action movies available right now.
