Paisaje con Mano Invisible

We found the movie fresh and fairly unpredictable, with some clear satirical references to race relations, reality TV and social networks, wealth disparity, and the fate of indigenous people.

The acting was fine, nothing cringe-worthy. At times, it felt like the director was the main actor's mom -- look at my boy, he's so pretty! But otherwise it was fine.

We really liked the aliens, who avoid most of the tropes of the genre. No humanoids with brow ridges here!

The special effects were well done, no problem with suspension of disbelief.

There is no real conclusion, and the future is frankly bleak, but the human spirit lives on (we hope?).

Worth watching simply because it touches on topics that most sci-fi is usually reluctant to even allude to.

This film was pretty unexpected and unlike anything I've seen, and I think because of that it was a bit weird, like it had some narrative shifts. I loved the fact it touched on some pretty controversial topics, which is something I really enjoy under a Sci-fi lens.

Like distribution of wealth, what happens to native people in occupied land. It was really interesting.

The acting was pretty good, and the creature design was excellent in a way that it was very inhuman, and even communicated very differently, which was pretty cool. The film was well made with nice details, even down to the soundtrack.

The Vuvv represent all the worst aspects of modern, neo-liberal capitalism, imposing a world order in which one can only survive by being their direct servants, their paid mouthpieces (and they'll alter your message or art to make sure its acceptable), or by underbidding everyone else to sell one's labor, although that last option leaves you and yours only barely scraping by.

Unions are obviously a thing of the past, and cultural imperialism is being implemented to assimilate humans into the Vuvv way. It's all straight out of the playbooks of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, Reason and The Economist, The Cato Institute and more think tanks than you could shake a stick at. Unfortunately for humanity, the Vuvv breath life into a theory and practice of neo-liberalism, whether it's called Reaganism, Thatcherism or Blairism, that is intellectually and empirically worn out, and can now only be implemented by fascists wearing a populist face.

In other words, Landscape with Invisible Hand stands in the grand tradition of Star Trek and The Twilight Zone, hiding themes and messages meant for today behind science fiction trappings. Overall, it's a good film, and a nice break from dystopian fiction in the style of A Quite Place, The Walking Dead and The Rest of Us.

"Landscape with Invisible Hand" is a 2023 satirical sci-fi comedy that attempts to critique capitalism, economic exploitation, and class divisions through interactions with quirky alien beings called the Vuvv. The film's satire occasionally teeters on the edge of parody as it portrays the Vuvv as whimsical and amusing visitors rather than imposing invaders. The story follows teenager Adam Campbell in a world where the Vuvv have left humanity financially distressed and creatively stifled. While the film has an inventive premise, it struggles with an overabundance of ideas and tonal inconsistency. The characters are emotionally detached, making it hard to connect with them. Despite its promise, the film often falls short in delivering a deep exploration of its themes. The portrayal of the Vuvv verges on becoming caricatures, and the film's tonal shifts disrupt the overall experience. However, it retains an odd charm and occasional moments of amusement, making it worth a watch for those open to its quirky journey.

This film is a mixed bag of genres that really didn't work when combined. The story started off with so much promising potential with the initial premise being very creative, then it devolves into a narrative that was just too convoluted, inconsistent, lacking impact, and riddled with tonal inconsistencies that will leave you scratching your head. Even the attempts at humor were more cringe than laughs.

The filmmaker's ambition surpassed his execution, that struggled to balance a social commentary, a coming-of-age romance, and a sci-fi dystopian cautionary tale. Sadly, the film ends up failing on both dramatic and comedic levels, and ultimately is underwhelming and will leave you feeling frustratingly unsatisfied, especially the ending, which felt lazy and rushed.

I will credit this film with some impressively staged sequences and set pieces with great performances by all cast members, but that wasn't enough to overshadow this film's failure to tell a compelling story. Maybe in the hands of better filmmakers, this may have been a hit, but as is, it's a miss, and a loss of 105 poorly paced minutes I'll never get back. It's a generous 6/10 for the great concept, performances, cinematography and score.