I watched Brick on Netflix so you don’t have to – here’s a far superior sci-fi thriller I recommend streaming instead

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Just another brick in the wall

Tim holding a flashlight and standing next to Olivia in Brick
(Image credit: Netflix)

Brick has crawled up the Netflix top 10 this week, cementing itself at #3, but unfortunately, the new German thriller movie has been a real letdown. At the time of writing, it has a very low Rotten Tomatoes score of 35%.

I was also let down by Brick when it arrived on one of the best streaming services, despite being very excited by it when I first saw the trailer, as I was scrolling through my Netflix library.

A story about an apartment building that gets surrounded by a mysterious wall, with seemingly no escape, sounded great. Sadly, I felt particularly let down by the ending.

But while I wouldn't recommend this one, there is a much better sci-fi thriller that I think you should watch instead.

Skip Brick, watch I Am Mother

I AM MOTHER | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube I AM MOTHER | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube
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Straight away, I Am Mother does feel like a superior movie, considering its Rotten Tomatoes score of 89%. Far higher than Brick's low 35% score. But you're going to need more than that.

Well, I absolutely adored this movie. It follows a human girl who lives in a post-apocalyptic bunker, where she is raised by a robot that aids in the repopulation of Earth. The robot is known only as Mother, and the human as Daughter; an interesting choice, as it reduces them to their titles and makes it feel very clinical.

Daughter gets her entire education from Mother, and is told that she cannot leave the bunker as it's contaminated outside. This reminded me a lot of one of my favorite sci-fi shows Silo, which you can watch on Apple TV+, as I'm fascinated by how societies can have no knowledge of the outside world.

On top of all that, it poses a lot of moral questions around technology and the advancement of it, and examines what might happen if there was an extinction event. While far-fetched in places, of course, I did find this to be a very thought-provoking movie that will have you thinking long after the credits roll.

There's minimal performance here with Clara Rugaard, Rose Byrne, and Hilary Swank making up the very small cast, but these three actors knock it out of the park and create something that is truly gripping from start to finish.

So, instead of Brick, I highly recommend this lesser-known Australian movie, which sticks the landing and then some. I can't wait to rewatch it again.

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Lucy Buglass
Lucy Buglass
Senior Entertainment Writer

Lucy is a long-time movie and television lover who is an approved critic on Rotten Tomatoes. She has written several reviews in her time, starting with a small self-ran blog called Lucy Goes to Hollywood before moving onto bigger websites such as What's on TV and What to Watch, with TechRadar being her most recent venture. Her interests primarily lie within horror and thriller, loving nothing more than a chilling story that keeps her thinking moments after the credits have rolled. Many of these creepy tales can be found on the streaming services she covers regularly.

When she’s not scaring herself half to death with the various shows and movies she watches, she likes to unwind by playing video games on Easy Mode and has no shame in admitting she’s terrible at them. She also quotes The Simpsons religiously and has a Blinky the Fish tattoo, solidifying her position as a complete nerd. 

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