Weapons dealer Hector Lvarez (Gael Garcia Bernal) and weapons broker Adrian Lovell (Joseph Fiennes) are the targets of Lopez's sniper-turned-informant, The Mother. The guys are not only important FBI targets, but they also present a serious risk to The Mother since she is expecting a child and one of them is likely the father. The Mother leaves to protect her daughter after a failed attempt at her murder forces her to make a tragic decision. Years later, when Lovell and Alvarez find the girl and decide to get vengeance on The Mother for torching their facility, they force her out of hiding.

The film's screenplay is straightforward, cutting out a lot of the extraneous material that would often be saved for dramatic effect in other films, such as a drawn-out past full of desire and betrayal and a sincere romantic scene in the middle of a rescue effort. The mother-daughter relationship, which comprises most of the movie, is quite robust. When they dive deep into the dynamics of their characters, Lopez and Lucy Paez manage themselves admirably. Although the second act drags a bit too much as the distance between mother and daughter grows, the family drama isn't overblown or overloaded. The third act takes the movie to a little predictable and anticlimactic conclusion, but because it is so well-known and straightforward, The Mother is able to stand apart.

Slick and direct, Caro's directing is hampered by jagged editing and some questionable staging. However, this is more of a hollywood problem than a Caro problem because the movie can't quickly go into the action sequences. It is impossible to create tension with fast cuts and cutaways for various viewpoints. Great passion, tension, and anticipation may be created by just delaying the action by one or two beats, as john Wick and Atomic Blonde demonstrated. Quick cuts may be accounted for as a way of hiding errors, stunt doubles, and the staged character of the sequence, and they occasionally succeed in raising the energy.

Jennifer Lopez is the driving force behind this film's assurance. She gives her job her all. The Mother is wounded and cynical. Her attitude, succinct comments, and unwavering conviction reveal her accomplishments. Despite the script's simplicity, Lopez is able to thoroughly inhabit the part and successfully portray the character's emotional journey. The plot is based on an oddly old tradition of female-led action films where the hero's path is ultimately determined by her parenting skills; yet, Lopez makes this concept work. The actor has a natural warmth that complements the maternal feeling that her character strives to suppress, even if she can play strong and austere just well.

The Mother is a fun movie overall. Although it doesn't always succeed, it comes close. Caro doesn't provide anything new, but it does give us a better understanding of the director's approach to emotionally charged narratives. It takes time and perseverance to develop the abilities necessary to be a great action director, but The Mother shows that she is headed in the right direction. The movie does a good job of demonstrating Lopez's ability to take on action roles. If she so chooses, she may be matched with the perfect creative team that can guide her through a brutal action movie.