In the heart of Biosphere (now streaming on Hulu) is a magnetic bromance between two lifelong friends who are the last men on Earth after an apocalyptic event. Mel Eslyn directs a fun but thoughtful sci-fi buddy comedy that knows no limits. The film opens the door to evolved conversations about gender, sexuality, and toxic masculinity after the duo are challenged by a mind-blowing situation that changes everything they know about the world and their relationship. With tensions rising and their dynamic changing, will their friendship prevail as they quarantine together in a small geodesic dome with limited resources?
BIOSPHERE: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
The essence: Biosphere centers on two close friends, Billy (Mark Duplass) and Ray (Sterling K. Brown), who are the last men on Earth. They live together in a small dome with limited resources. Ray, a scientist, built the compound during the lead-up to an apocalyptic event, which occurred during Billy’s controversial presidency. Despite their great differences and unfavorable circumstances, the two are inseparable. They do daily jogging and Super Mario tournaments and never run out of jokes.
Early in the film, Ray discovers that the last female fish, which is key to feeding his biosphere, has died, and when Billy finds out, he prepares for the worst. The scientist further examines the fish tank and finds oddities in another fish. He concludes that sea creatures are engaging in a form of accelerated evolution in which the male fish adapts to its new environment to survive; This also gives way to the survival of Billy and Ray, but not without posing some new challenges.
What movies will it remind you of?: Biosphere It’s a buddy comedy meets indie drama meets apocalyptic drama, and there’s nothing like it. However, it might remind you of the calm mood of funny peoplethe youth of HumpDay and Due dateand the limitlessness of Stranger: The Al Yankovic Story.
Performance worth seeing: The film has a compact cast with only two actors, and both give once-in-a-lifetime performances. Duplass navigates a stunning body transformation and emotional journey unlike anything seen before, and Sterling delivers a raw, captivating performance and a major left turn from her time on the NBC drama. We are.
Memorable dialogue: We’ll leave this to your imagination:
“I literally couldn’t move.”
“That could work. I could just get on and move on.” there. You’d probably have to move a little to let me in, right?
In all seriousness, Billy and Ray have some heart-to-heart conversations, one of which is worth talking about toxic masculinity after Ray says a homophobic slur at Billy during a heated argument. Ray tells his close friend, “You know what family I come from, Billy. “A man was a man with a very narrow and rigid definition of what that meant, with no room for variation.” The moment is a sobering and heartfelt detour from the intense emotions of earlier scenes.
Sex and skin: Sex? Yes. Sexy? Maybe not. Fur? Not really.
Our opinion: Biosphere It’s unlike anything you’ve seen before and offers a huge twist worth talking about, so it’s best to go in knowing little about the premise. The movie is absurd and sweet, and a little sexy. Eslyn and Duplass’ script is sharp and leaves room for important conversations, while also taking a comedic approach and utilizing Duplass and Sterling to the best of their ability.
The two actors make room for a will-they-or-won’t-they relationship that is deeply sincere and will leave viewers bug-eyed and heart-racing, but also heartbroken when things turn sour. Without their electric chemistry and natural performances, the comedy-drama would have fallen by the wayside and become something it clearly is not. The two characters feel like real people and don’t always handle their challenges with grace, which is a joy in our age of polite entertainment. Together, Duplass and Sterling make everything about the film special.
Biosphere is a confident, if sometimes flawed, exploration of gender and sexuality that is navigated in a harmless and accessible way. Viewers don’t need to handle the film with care, but they should watch it with an open mind. At first glance, the film should be a claustrophobic bore with its small cast and single setting, but instead, it’s an explosive, fanfiction-style fever dream that demands to be seen.
Our call: STREAM IT! You’d be a fool not to. Biosphere It’s mumblecore on crack and will take you on a whirlwind of emotions during its short 106 minute running time. Come for the cast, but stay for the remarkable performances, absurd story, and touching bromance.
