Biosphere, 2023.
Directed by Mel Eslyn.
Starring Mark Duplass and Sterling K. Brown.
SYNOPSIS:
In the not-too-distant future, the last two men on earth must adapt and evolve to save humanity.
Giving away what the bizarre lockdown chamber piece Biosphere is really about would be a disservice to readers, partially because what intrigue there is to be found here comes from the narrative’s unpredictable nature but in a relatively empty form that never moves beyond proposed ideas to reach a truly thoughtful or profound place. And the wildly bold story beats here do deserve to be applauded, making it all the more frustrating that director Mel Eslyn (writing alongside co-lead Mark Duplass) frequently gets lost in mumblecore dialogue, never making the most of whose plot concepts.
Following an ambiguous disaster that has left the pitch-black outside world uninhabitable, former US President and dimwit Billy (a disheveled and unkempt Mark Duplass, representing the hopelessness of the character) and his right-hand man scientist Ray (Sterling K. Brown, playing up curiosity and discovery amongst unexplainable events) have hunkered down inside the titular biosphere that the latter built in case of such apocalyptic emergencies. For food, they eat fish taken from a small pool while ensuring that there are enough females for breeding, thus more to consume.
That is, until the last female dies. However, Billy and Ray soon find themselves in the middle of something bigger centered on evolution and change. Again, that’s all anyone should know before coming into Biosphere, as a great deal of the laughter and engagement comes from the surprise and shock of what’s unexpectedly happening, anchored by hilariously game performances from Mark Duplass and Sterling K. Brown, who have winning chemistry together riffing on one another and ping-ponging humorous exchanges back and forth.
There are also serviceable attempts at characterization, with Billy and Ray getting into a philosophical conversation about the Nintendo icons Mario and Luigi and the dynamics of hero and sidekick. Early on, it is implied that Billy was a bit careless and inept as president and possibly even responsible for the current state of the world, whereas Ray lurked in the background as the more intelligent one who should have been running the country. As lifelong friends since childhood, whenever they are not playfully joking with each other about hobbies, their intelligence, or playing classic Nintendo games together, Billy and Ray are given much to talk about and even more to unpack, getting into serious conversations about their work, problematic upbringings, and whether or not certain major life-changing choices should be made.
Meanwhile, Ray consistently brings up an incident from his childhood involving a magician that seemingly performed actual magic, which is something that Billy refuses to acknowledge, quickly shutting down any instance of conversation about that day. Nevertheless, considering what’s beginning to happen to at least one of these characters, it’s evident that an open mind is necessary.
When accounting for US President #45, there are no issues with buying into Billy as America’s leader, even if the character is a familiar Mark Duplass type with little variation. No one should put anything past who Americans would vote for at this point. Instead, Biosphere suffers because it gets a little too comfortable falling into that routine (which is interesting since the very nature of routines and whether or not they are pointless becomes a topic of discussion here), with large chunks of the running time devoted to conversations that don’t expand much. More importantly, they regularly kill the momentum that the story’s general weirdness brings on. The third act also falls into an overused trope that struggles to say or do much with gender, although it delicately walks a line between homophobia without becoming homophobic itself.
At times, Biosphere feels like it’s holding back on getting even weirder in favor of falling back into Duplass screenwriting familiarity, which is the wrong choice here, although it is strange enough with compelling performances. There are missed opportunities here to create a truly radical experience.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
