Biosphere (2022)

Biosphere is an engaging, thought-provoking, and witty movie about two men, Billy (Mark Duplass) and Ray (Sterling K Brown), the last surviving people on Earth. They live in a self-sustaining biosphere where they need to work out a way to survive. The film explores survival, loneliness, gender, and the human condition.

Duplass and Brown are the only two actors in the movie, but the acting and the plot make the story engaging and kept my interest throughout. Tonally, it’s a mix of comedy and drama that works well, given the story’s context. Brown and Duplass are excellent. Their well-developed and relatable characters make us care about what happens to them. Their dialogue is witty and engaging.

Mel Eslyn’s direction is solid, and she makes good use of the limited space available in the biosphere. The pacing is also well done and never feels slow or boring. I wasn’t too keen on the soundtrack, but it added to the mood, although I found it a bit distracting sometimes. Given the small space he was working in, Nathan Miller’s cinematography is impressive. The biosphere looks realistic and believable and conveys the fragility of life.

Some of the themes didn’t get the attention they maybe deserved, but the central one (which I won’t spoil) is powerfully handled and, for some, may be quite confronting. If we consider the biosphere as a microcosm of the world and the characters’ struggles as representative of the struggles of humanity as a whole, Biosphere has a lot to say that is timely and relevant.

I recommend Biosphere if you enjoy a mix of comedy and drama. But it is the exploration of the human condition that makes it worth seeing.

(In cinemas in Australia – check your local movie guide for show times.)