The Mother

Plot

Unnamed U.S. military operative, known as "the Mother", brokers an arms smuggling deal between ex-SAS marine Adrian Lovell and arms dealer Hector Álvarez. Romantically involved with them both, she ends up becoming pregnant. After discovering that they are involved with child trafficking, the Mother approaches the FBI to be an informant.

While the Mother is being interrogated at a safe house by FBI Special agent William Cruise, Lovell attacks the property; Cruise is shot and wounded, and the other FBI agents are killed. The Mother saves Cruise's life and crafts a time-delayed bomb. Lovell confronts her in the bathroom and stabs her before getting knocked out by the explosion. After the ordeal, the Mother gives birth to a girl prematurely in the hospital.

SAIC Eleanor Williams informs the Mother that Lovell's body was missing and that her newborn daughter will be placed with a foster family for protection. Understanding that the child will never be safe with her, she disgruntledly waives parental rights. The Mother visits Cruise, giving him three conditions: the child will have a life as ordinary as possible, she'll get a photo every birthday, and to call her if she is in jeopardy. The Mother then secludes herself in a remote cabin in Alaska for the next twelve years, until Cruise contacts her to meet in Ohio.

Cruise informs her that when the ATF busted some of Álvarez's men in Mexico, they found a photo of her daughter, Zoe, suggesting they're onto The Mother. While shadowing Zoe playing at a park, Hector's men kidnap her. The Mother manages to gun down several of them before escaping the cops with Cruise. While he thinks Zoe's kidnapping is for ransom, she knows it was done to lure her out of hiding.

They head to Havana, Cuba in hopes of uncovering a clue to Zoe's whereabouts. They catch Tarantula, Hector's lieutenant, who reveals that she is being held at Hector's house on "the Plantation". Infiltrating his home, they rescue Zoe. The Mother then kills Hector.

While escorting Zoe back home, the Mother's gaze upon her makes Zoe realize that she is her biological mother. The Mother decides to part ways and let Cruise return her to her foster parents. Lovell manages to intercept them, but the Mother arrives and escapes with Zoe. Angered, Lovell kills Cruise.

Realizing Zoe is not safe if she returns home, the Mother takes her to the cabin. Over time, she teaches the reluctant girl survival training. They start to bond but when the Mother realizes Adrian is coming for them, she decides to leave Zoe with Jons, her former army colleague. Upset to know she's being abandoned again by her own mother, Zoe is confronted by Jons, who encourages her to see the Mother through her actions and not her words. After she finds a letter from the Mother, explaining everything she has ever done has been for her, Zoe decides to go back to the cabin and help her ward off the attackers.

Lovell and his men have a final confrontation with the two. The Mother manages to kill all of Lovell's men before facing him. While she is knocked out, Lovell grabs Zoe and speeds away, but the Mother snipes and kills him. With her former allies dead, the Mother returns Zoe to her foster family. No longer needing to remain in hiding, she continues to observe Zoe from a distance.

Cast

• Jennifer Lopez as The Mother
• Lucy Paez as Zoe
• Omari Hardwick as William Cruise
• Joseph Fiennes as Adrian Lovell
• Gael García Bernal as Hector Alvarez
• Paul Raci as Jons
• Jesse Garcia as Tarantula
• Yvonne Senat Jones as Sonya
• Edie Falco as SAIC Eleanor Williams