Biosphere (2023) is the latest addition to the surprisingly long list of films under the umbrella “it’s hard to talk about this movie because any plot point is a spoiler”. Putting it plainly, Biosphere follows the last two men on Earth, living within their own biosphere, as they change and adapt for the future of humanity. With commentary on the current state of the world amongst other much discussed topics, in which revealing these themselves would be a spoiler, the film takes a huge risk midway through the film to bring this commentary to the foreground. In taking this risk, it seems to unfortunately fail, becoming a to-the-point, very on-the-nose take on a certain area of discussion today.

Starring Sterling K. Brown and Mark Duplass, Biosphere follows the two men in a not too distant future, as they try to survive and continue mankind as the last two men on Earth. With a cast quite literally comprising solely of these two men, they bring out the best in each other, beautifully complementing each other’s comedic styles, while still providing dramatic flare in the more serious, end of the world bits and discussions. While dealing with quite heavy topics, the screenplay and performances from Brown and Duplass manage to keep the film feeling like a buddy comedy, as though they really were the last two dudes left on Earth. Comedy is brilliantly used when discussing the more serious and real-world-affecting issues in the film, lightening the mood to reflect realistic reactions to some of the more unique experiences of the end-of-the-world changes our characters experience. Unfortunately this comedy is sometimes used too much, coming off more silly and leaving viewers questioning how seriously the filmmakers take these topics to be.

The screenplay itself leaves a lot up for interpretation, leaving viewers wanting more. While this works in the sense that the topics is discusses are never fully closed or final, certain areas of the plot that remain more elusive to the viewer can end up making them wish they were watching a film with these areas more at the forefront. From a mysterious glowing light, to brilliant scientific developments and references to the world before the end, these smaller aspects almost remain too sidelined, leaving viewers wanting to see more of these points covered.

Without giving too much of the plot away, in its attempt to make a statement about a certain topic the film seems to become, in its second half, much too focussed on ensuring the audience knows exactly what their stance is. Faltering near the end, it seems as though the director and screenwriter do not trust their audience to understand their position on this topic of discourse, opting for a scene of the two main characters blatantly explaining the themes of the film, rather than trusting their audience with a more subtle positioning. Perhaps, for a member of an older generation, having grown up in a much different world, this explanation is useful and aides in guiding them to a new understanding of the world and acceptance. But for a younger viewer already in tune with these more accepting beliefs on the topics being discussed, the third act of the film can come off as quite lack-lustre and overall silly.

In her directorial debut Biosphere, Meg Eslyn does a brilliant job of using the buddy comedy to launch current discussions on climate change, human-change, and acceptance for all into the world of comedy film. Balancing these laughs and silly moments with drama and tension, Sterling K. Brown and Mark Duplass so perfectly complement each others’ performances as the last two men on Earth. But when it comes down to its handling of the themes it is trying to talk to, the film falls flat, seeming to not trust audiences to understand what it is trying to say. People need to understand the stance the film is taking, and many people need to hear it spelled out directly for them, in hopes that they can begin to change their minds to build a more inclusive future for all. But in a film with this much potential, it is a shame it’s final and true message has to be spelled out this blatantly.

Biosphere will be released in select theatres on July 7, 2023.