Written and directed by Mel Eslyn, co-written by star Mark Duplass, who appears alongside Sterling K. Brown. Set in the not-too-distant future, the last two men on earth must adapt and evolve to save humanity.
When you hear a phrase like ‘one of the weirdest films you’ll see this year’, you should always seek out that film and Biosphere is one of them. Sometimes coming out of a film not quite knowing what you just saw is a negative thing but it is certainly not in this case. The joy of Biosphere is how much you’ll be thinking ‘what the f*ck’ because the most surprising thing about it is not its quirks or oddities, it’s how Mark Duplass and Mel Eslyn balance that with a huge sincerity.
There’s a beautiful intensifying nature to this story, because while everything gets more and more strange as time goes on, the relationship between Mark Duplass’ Billy and Sterling K. Brown’s Ray also becomes highly complex. The atmosphere Eslyn creates introduces its weirdness in a way that’s gradual and nicely casual. What that means, is the friendship between Billy and Ray is always in the forefront, it never feels like it’s trying to be shockingly strange, that’s simply part of its charm. Charm is something that Biosphere has in spades, it’s absolutely delightful.
A big part of that is the chemistry between Mark Duplass and Sterling K. Brown, they have a connection that’s incredible. Watching their complicated situation as it ebbs and flows is genuinely moving and it’s unbelievably impressive how they’ve managed to create such a compelling relationship within such an odd package. Duplass and Brown are two actors who will always give great performances and watching them together is even better. They’re funny, endearing, vulnerable, real and open up a lot of genuine discussions about sex, gender, masculinity, survival and evolution.
One of the other interesting things that Biosphere achieves is using discomfort to its advantage. There’s a few moments that may leave you speechless and for some people that will be a fantastic thing and for others it may be divisive. This is a film that’s undoubtedly going to be more appreciated by those who’ve spent a lot of time exploring the obscure side to cinema, with an extra appreciation for creativity and uniqueness.
Another reason it manages to balance that oddity with sincerity, is Eslyn’s directorial style. It is definitively not trying to be eccentric and chaotic, it’s almost reminiscent of The Martian in some ways. It has a strong intimacy but never feels claustrophobic, managing to capture their isolation without feeling limited by it. The only main weakness is the ending, it hits a fairly unsatisfying note, not providing a big, loud resolution to their story. It does also move somewhat slowly but those who can connect with the characters’ charm, won’t find that an issue.
Biosphere is a curiosity, it’s weird yet lovable, strange yet utterly endearing, fun yet tense. It’s certainly unique and for those who enjoy the odd, you’ll find plenty to love with its unique personality. Mark Duplass and Sterling K. Brown are a stellar duo and it’s effortless to watch them work, they’re the heart of the film and their gradually evolving relationship is so perfectly unusual. They have such a wonderful open dialogue to explore a lot of issues connected with masculinity and societal expectation. It’s one that will stick with you and interestingly not for one reason but two, firstly their moving bond and secondly because it leaves you perplexed in the best way. A fascinating feature debut from Mel Eslyn.
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