Director: Mel Eslyn
Starring: Sterling K. Brown, and Mark Duplass
Movie Length: 1 hour 47 minutes
The title of this review refers to a recent film by the star of this one. Sterling K. Brown recently starred in a movie entitled, Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. The versatile actor has many projects on the horizon. His next major role is in Biosphere, co-starring Mark Duplass.
Biosphere is the next film from executive producing brothers Mark and Jay Duplass. It is best described as a post-apocalyptic buddy comedy. Mark Duplass wears multiple hats in this production as he also co-wrote the film with Mel Eslyn. This is Eslyn’s directorial debut of a feature-length film.
The film is set in a very plausible, not-so-distant future. Ray (Brown) and Billy (Duplass) are the last two men on Earth. The depth of their friendship and where it took them before they found themselves in the titular biosphere is deftly teased throughout the film. They are best friends who know each other well. One is a bit rash and impulsive, making him more than qualified to be the last ever President of the United States. The other is a strategist who conceived and built the geodesic shelter which saved them.
While the series of events leading to the end of all life on Earth is unclear, it is obvious Billy played a part in it as the last POTUS. It has been a few years since it happened. The world outside the dome is pitch black. The pair have fallen into routine domesticity with chores, exercise, and downtime. The idle time is filled with board and video games. There are plenty of pop culture debates between the two. Who was more important, Mario or Luigi?
Even though Billy complains occasionally about the books and games Ray stocked inside their shelter. Ray has thought of everything the pair needs to survive in the dome. There is even an aquaponic garden to provide them with fresh vegetables and the occasional animal protein when one of the Tilapia fishes die.
The film opens with one such death, leaving Billy and Ray with two fish. Both of the remaining fish are male. From this point onward the film pulls no punches on humor and angst as the men contemplate the inevitability of their deaths. Life, after all, finds a way. Right?
Who’s your Apocalypse Buddy?
Both Brown and Duplass have excellent chemistry. It is their fluid conversation that keeps the audience engaged. In discussing the making of the film, both men expressed their mutual admiration for each other. Duplass said, “Sterling is my brother.” Moments later Brown stated the same sentiments of Duplass. Both are from the South, have spouses in the industry, and have two kids each. The movie was filmed in 2021 as studios started to reopen to in-person productions. The cast and crew of this project were ecstatic to work together in person. Thanks to Covid protocols, they were also sealed off while making the film.
World-building is an essential part of any film regardless of genre. When I asked Eslyn about the one created for this movie, she astutely surmised science fiction fans may enter the film with some preconceived ideas about what to expect. They may have concerns about both the science and fiction used here. Rest assured, Eslyn and Duplass did their homework. This reviewer can confirm via their own experiences with aquaponics. The fictional leap taken is both glorious and timely for our very real world. There are guaranteed to be some great debates about this movie.
Despite all the great dialog, humor, and suspense, the ending of the film may leave some audience members wanting more. Many questions are left unanswered. Perhaps this is intentional. Maybe the door is left open for a sequel. I highly recommend watching this movie with a friend, preferably one who you think is willing to spend the rest of their life with you, sealed off in a geodesic dome.
My rating – B+.
Biosphere starring Sterling K. Brown and Mark Duplass opens on July 7th, 2023.
