Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Biosphere’ on VOD, A Sci-Fi Laughfest About the Last Two Men on Earth Starring Mark Duplass and Sterling K. Brown

At the heart of Biosphere is a magnetic bromance between two lifelong friends who are the last men on Earth following an apocalyptic event. Mel Eslyn directs a laugh-out-loud, yet thoughtful sci-fi buddy comedy that knows no bounds. The movie opens the door to evolved conversations surrounding gender, sexuality, and toxic masculinity after the duo is challenged by a mindblowing 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 Gist: 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 enclosure during the lead-up to an apocalyptic event, which occurred during Billy’s controversial presidency. Despite their vast differences and the unfavorable circumstance, the two are inseparable. They engage in daily jogs and Super Mario tournaments, and never run out of banter.

Early in the movie, Ray discovers that the last female fish, which is key to powering their biosphere, has died, and when Billy finds out, he prepares for the worst. The scientist further examines the fish tank and finds oddities on another fish. He comes to the conclusion that the sea creatures are engaging in a form of accelerated evolution which sees the male fish adapting to its new environment in order to survive – this also gives way to Billy and Ray’s survival, but not without posing a few new challenges. 

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Biosphere is a buddy comedy meets indie drama, meets apocalyptic drama, and there’s nothing quite like it. Though, it might remind you of the quiet humor of Funny People, the boyishness of HumpDay and Due Date, and the limitlessness of Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.

Performance Worth Watching: The movie has a tight cast with only two actors, and they both deliver performances of a lifetime. Duplass navigates a surprising body transformation and emotional journey like nothing seen before, and Sterling delivers a performance that is raw and captivating, and a major left-turn from his time spent on the NBC drama This Is Us.

Memorable Dialogue: We’ll leave this to your imagination: 

“I could just literally not move.”

“That might work. I could just get on top and get on in there. You’d probably have to move a little to let me in, right?”

In all seriousness, Billy and Ray have a few heartfelt conversations, one being a worthwhile talk about toxic masculinity after Ray says a homophobic slur to Billy during a heated argument. Ray tells his close friend, “You know the family I came from, Billy. A man was a man with a very narrow, rigid definition of what that meant, with no room to vary.” The moment is a sobering and sincere detour from the high-strung emotions in previous scenes.

Sex and Skin: Sex? Yes. Sexy? Maybe not. Skin? Not really. 

Our Take: Biosphere is like nothing you’ve ever seen before and delivers a massive twist worth talking about, so it’s best to go into it knowing little about the premise. The movie is absurd and sweet, and just a bit sexy. Eslyn and Duplass’s script is sharp and makes room for important conversations, while also adopting a comedy-first 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’s deeply sincere and will leave viewers googly-eyed and doodling hearts, but also heartbroken when things go array. Without their electric chemistry and natural portrayals, the dramedy would’ve fallen to the wayside and been made to be something that it clearly isn’t. The two characters feel like real people and they don’t always handle their challenges with grace, which is a delight in our age of polite entertainment. Together, Duplass and Sterling make everything about the movie feel special.

Biosphere is a confident, yet sometimes flawed, exploration of gender and sexuality that’s navigated in an inoffensive and accessible manner. Viewers don’t need to handle the movie with care, but they will need to go into it with an open mind. At its surface, the movie should be a claustrophobic bore with its small cast and single set, but instead, it is an explosive, fanfiction-esque fever dream that demands to be seen.

Our Call: STREAM IT! You’d be a fool not to. Biosphere is mumblecore on crack and will take you on a whirlwind of emotions over its tight 106-minute runtime. Come for the cast, but stay for the noteworthy performances, absurd storyline, and heartwarming bromance.