Biosphere

Biosphere combines romcom and message movie elements with a science fiction plot, with the latter pulling those elements from the genre which serve to support the message by putting characters in a particular situation, as distinguished from scifi that's more rooted in the popular entertainment aspects of the genre. This kind of science fiction drama will appeal to a certain audience if it's well-written from beginning to end. It's relatively uncommon for me to find something that I think is wildly overrated on Letterboxd. Biosphere is an audacious but ultimately unsuccessful film.

The movie is funny in parts, and the acting is very good. It falls short for me in a couple of key areas. First, it's too long for what it's trying to achieve. If it'd been condensed to an hour, it could have been more impactfull. Instead, it delivers exposition too slowly via scenes that are too similar to be anything but repetitive; lingering shots that are supposed to have emotional resonance, but somehow don't; and other scenes that are just longer than necessary.

I also found the score annoying, distracting, and too cute by half, though I'm sure some people will find it quaint or amusing. This shortcoming extends to the film's conclusion, which is like the lame punchline to a joke that took too long to tell.

A curious little indie that is delivered through key support from Mark and Jay Duplass, with Mark taking on co-leading man duties with the game Sterling K. Brown, debut feature film director Mel Eslyn's single location dramedy Biosphere is unlike anything you've likely seen before in ways both good and bad, with this high-concept genre bending offering one that provides a varying experience that ranges from engaging to irksome, often within the space of mere minutes between each up and down.

Set entirely in a small custom designed dome that survives off regular air supply and a dwindling supply of fish in a world where the last two humans alive are Duplass's Billy and Brown's Ray, long term friends and avid Super Mario players that found their successful careers in politics cut short by a catastrophic world event that has seemingly doomed mankind's future to an inevitable conclusion.

Saying too much more about how the slowly unravelling plot unfolds in Eslyn's film would be a disservice to viewers who are in for a wild and surprising ride, with an on face value buddy dramedy film far away from the product we actually get as we start to delve into evolutionary angles and life-changing scenarios that are wild, wacky and even at times tinged with a decent emotional heft, making Biosphere an experience that will enrapture others but alienate others, pending entirely on their tolerance and acceptance of where Billy and Ray's arcs begin to head.

In a day and age where originality can often be the subject of outcries in an industry many accuse of being too cookie cutter or people pleasing, it's always refreshing to see something like Biosphere come along and attempt to shake up expectations and go where no film has yet gone and while there are elements in Eslyn's film that feel familiar, for the most part the film does a solid job of carving out it's own pathway with the commitment of Duplass and Brown undeniable as the two talented leads chew on ample dialogue and play off one another in a series of situations that could've completely derailed the film at any moment.

For a film with such a limited scope in a setting sense no one could deny that Biosphere tries to tackle a series of big issues and high reaching concepts, some of which pay off and others that don't but for anyone that wants to watch something a little outside of the normal or too be expected, Biosphere may just be their new favourite with potential cult fandom soon to come its way.

Final Say -

A film that is best left to be discovered rather than explained prior to a viewing, Biosphere doesn't stick all of its landings but there's enough going on here including two notable lead turns to suggest Biosphere is worth visiting for open-minded viewers.

2 1/2 foot massages out of 5

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)

Before screening this film at The Toronto Film Festival, the presenter asked the audience not to spoil it. This request limits the possibility of a thorough review, as there is not much that can be said about it's plot without giving away it's one trick pony.

Genre-wise, the film steers between sci-fi, drama and grotesque comedy, relying on a single outstretched joke that becomes quite tiresome after multiple iterations. Some members of the audience were laughing throughout, but it may have just as well been a coping mechanism to deal with content that wasn't entirely easy to stomach.

There wasn't any actual beginning or an end, just references to a backstory that was never fully explored. There was no resolution offered here either, making it feel as though the writers have given up halfway.

What did hold this together and stopped me from walking out (in addition to my middle row seat), was the excellent acting by Sterling K. Brown & Mark Duplass. They were extremely believable, despite the ridiculousness of the plot, adding to the overall atmosphere of discomfort that it evoked.

Ray (Sterling K. Brown) and Billy (Mark Duplass) are best friends and last people on Earth. They survive under a dome built by Ray. They rely on fish farming for food, but the last female fish just died. Eventually, their fishes will run out and so will they. Somehow, life finds a way.

This is an indie from Mel Eslyn and Mark Duplass. It's a two person play and a high concept sci-fi post-apocalyptic flick. It starts with some mildly humorous best friends banter. It turns into an one-joke concept. I would like the premise to have a more specific scientific explanation. I doubt that the film cares that much about that. They are playing this for the comedy. It's awkward. It's uncomfortable. It's cringe comedy and only slightly funny to me.

Greetings again from the darkness. 'Life will find a way.' The iconic line spoken by Jeff Goldblum in JURASSIC PARK (1993) fits right into this offbeat science-fiction film from writer-director Mel Eslyn and co-writer and co-lead actor Mark Duplass. You may not be familiar with indie filmmaker Eslyn, but Duplass has built a career by specializing in projects that rip us out of our comfort zone, and then force us to consider a topic from a new perspective ... as evidenced by films like CYRUS (2010) and CREEP (2014).

The pre-credit opening scenes quickly establish the personalities of Ray (Sterling K Brown) and Billy (Duplass). Ray is a dedicated and serious scientist, while Billy is the former US President (likely inspired by George W Bush). The two are lifelong friends who have been living a few years isolated in the biodome created by Ray. We are to assume these are the final two human survivors on Earth, and we may also assume they are still alive thanks to Ray's ecosystems of fish for protein and plants for nutrients.

Initially, this gives us the appearance of a buddy film as the two men share a morning jog and discuss the dynamics of Mario and Luigi. It's the first of our clues, along with Billy reading "Kiss of the Spider Woman", and the repeated viewings of LETHAL WEAPON. However, the tone shifts pretty quickly with a certain development in the fish habitat. It's best to avoid any further specifics on where the story goes from here, because although there are leaps of faith that must occur by viewers, the core elements raised here are certainly unusual.

A recurring gag about a magic trick with a bowling ball (and its thud), and an ever-present green light in the sky, punctuate the Ray and Billy chats centered on philosophy, gender roles, friendship, masculinity, adaptation, and of course, survival. This is termed a "two-hander" since only two performers make up the entire cast. Sterling K Brown and Mark Duplass are both likable actors and they expertly overcome any shortcomings in the script. And despite those flaws, you'll likely carry on some internal discussions with yourself long after the final drop.

Opening on July 7, 2023.