Films like “Biosphere” are some of the most difficult to review, mainly because of the purposeful vagueness and care it takes to avoid revealing anything that could be considered a spoiler. There is a whopper of a twist in this offbeat and creative indie film from director and co-writer Mel Eslyn, and the shocking surprise is also critical to the plot of the film. Knowing as little as possible before embarking on this journey will yield a bigger payoff as a viewer.
It’s the not-too-distant future, and former U.S. President Billy (Mark Duplass) and his lifelong best friend, scientist, and former political adviser Ray (Sterling K. Brown) are the last two men on Earth. They have been living in a self-contained biosphere dome for years, but we never learn why or how they ended up here (except that Billy’s policies caused some sort of catastrophic event that culminated in the end of the world). The men spend their time reading, playing video games, jogging, and harvesting food that they grow in a small pond, which their entire ecosystem (and lives) depend. When their last remaining female fish dies, they know they’ll be next. But after a surprise spontaneous evolution occurs and one of the male fish suddenly develops female reproductive organs, they realize the meaning of “adapt or die.”
The script is wildly creative and smart, which is no surprise considering Duplass co-wrote the screenplay with Eslyn. He writes in a way that is interesting and different, even if he doesn’t find 100 percent success with his story here. The open-ended storytelling is frustrating, but that’s just a hallmark of his writing style. Don’t go into this film expecting answers or resolution.
Brown and Duplass play off each other well, and it’s a breeze to believe they have been buddies since childhood. In such a small scale story about relationships (with a singular setting and only two characters), these highly likable actors are not only well suited for their roles, but they carry the film with ease.
The film touches on themes like mortality, gender fluidity, politics, and biology. There are frank discussions about sex and sexual identity which are all tied into the survival instincts of creatures great and small. The story goes to places you’d never expect, and it will make you squirm. It will cause a great level of discomfort no matter how progressive you think you are.
“Biosphere” is a post-apocalyptic buddy movie that has a lot going for it. It’s funny, it’s horrific, and it’s filled with plenty of jaw-dropping, “WTF!?” moments. This boundary-pushing film is guaranteed to get you talking — a lot.
