Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson , based on child development research. How do we rate?
age 15+
Sexual situations, language in sly post-apocalyptic comedy.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
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Language
a lot
Frequent strong language includes "f--k," "s--t," "motherf---in/motherf----r," "p---y," "t-tty/t-ts," "a--hole," "goddamn," "son of a bitch," "ass," "d--k," "boner," "suck my d--k," "jacked off," "Jesus," "hell," "idiot," "dumbass," "vagina," "freakin'," "poo on you." Character starts to say "f-g" or "f----t" but stops after the "fa" sound.
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
some
Billy discovers that his penis and testicles are transforming into female reproductive organs (scientific discussion of how a genital sac turns into a vagina, but nothing is shown). The two characters eventually decide to (spoiler alert) "make a baby," leading to an awkward sex scene that involves one character hiding under a sheet (with a strategic hole cut out) and the other thrusting on top. The sheet gets pulled away, and the two characters kiss, then wake up cuddling together on the couch. Side view of a character with pants down, nothing sensitive shown. Character's breasts, baby bump become visible through clothes. Sex-related dialogue. Character absently draws a penis on a picture of a donkey. Another penis drawing later on.
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Violence & Scariness
a little
A mysterious, unspecified incident has apparently wiped out most of humanity. Dead fish, dialogue about death. A storm threatens to break through the biosphere, shattering one window and causing the characters stress/panic. Arguing.
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Products & Purchases
very little
Many discussions of Super Mario Bros. video game, mentions of Nintendo.
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Positive Messages
some
The movie addresses the idea of gender fluidity, arguing that nothing is rigid or set in stone. It also examines the tricky question of "Is it right to bring a child into a world that's so messed up?" and finds an optimistic answer. Also shows the value of honest communication.
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Positive Role Models
a little
Billy apparently had some responsibility in destroying the world, but (possible spoiler alert), by the end of the movie, he's become optimistic about rebuilding a future. Ray is a brilliant scientist who was prepared for the worst and has kept himself and his friend alive for years. They talk a lot about video game characters Mario and Luigi; Billy argues that he, like Mario, is the leader and that Ray, like Luigi, is his "secret sauce." But in the end, he realizes that they're both Mario and they're both Luigi: They're a team.
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Diverse Representations
a little
Only two human characters: Ray (Black actor Sterling K. Brown) and Billy (White actor Mark Duplass). Billy experiences a spontaneous gender change, and the characters discuss gender fluidity and its role in nature/evolution, as well as gender identity and how it does and doesn't relate to people's body parts.
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Biosphere is a sly, surprising sci-fi dramedy about two lifelong friends (Sterling K. Brown and Mark Duplass) living in a self-contained biosphere after an unknown incident has apparently wiped out the world. Language is very strong and fairly constant, with many uses of "f--k," "s--t," "motherf----r," "p---y," "t-ts," "a--hole," "goddamn," "son of a bitch," "d--k," and more. There's also some mature sex-related material related to (spoiler alert) a character's spontaneous gender change. The characters have an awkward sex scene, and there's sex-related dialogue. In one tense scene, a storm breaks a window, and the characters experience stress and fear. Fish die, and the characters grapple with the concept of dying -- but they also demonstrate the importance of communication and teamwork between friends. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
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What's the Story?
BIOSPHERE takes place sometime in the not-too-distant future. The world has been destroyed by some unnamed disaster, which possibly caused by former U.S. President Billy (Mark Duplass). Now Billy and his lifelong best friend, scientist Ray (Sterling K. Brown), are the last known survivors, living in a biosphere designed and built by Ray. They spend their days jogging, reading, playing video games, and growing food. The biosphere's delicate ecosystem is based around a fish pond, and when their only female fish dies, things start to look bleak. But one day, in an example of emergency spontaneous evolution, one of the remaining fish's reproductive organs start changing from male to female, providing the fish -- and the men -- a new lease on life. Then Billy starts exhibiting changes of his own.
Is It Any Good?
Our review:
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This extremely quirky, surprisingly funny post-apocalyptic tale slyly addresses issues of gender and procreation without heavy-handedness or judgment -- and with plenty of jovial camaraderie. Written by Duplass and Mel Eslyn and directed by Eslyn (making her feature directing debut after serving as a producer on the Duplass movie The One I Love), Biosphere playfully avoids letting viewers in on exactly what happened, why Billy and Ray are here, and what the small green light in the dark sky actually is. Biosphere is the rare movie that allows viewers to use a little of their own imagination.
The interactions between the two characters are loose and silly, kicking things off with an in-depth discussion of the Super Mario Bros. games. Billy doesn't like the books that Ray has chosen for the biosphere's shelves (they're too intelligent; he prefers "beach reads") and sometimes doesn't understand some of Ray's more eloquent vocabulary. But they also call each other "dude" and have towel fights after a run. So when it comes time to discuss the more important issues at hand (specifically, the changes happening to Billy's body and what to do about them), we're right there with them. The movie's themes are current and progressive, and they could have been handled badly, or in way that made viewers feel squirmy or uncomfortable. But instead Biosphere strikes just the right tone.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Biosphere take on ideas related to sex and gender. What ideas or values are suggested or discussed?
How is teamwork demonstrated? In what ways do the characters help each other out?
What do you suppose happened to the world? Why do you think the movie doesn't reveal it?
Movie Details
- In theaters: July 7, 2023
- On DVD or streaming: September 19, 2023
- Cast: Sterling K. Brown, Mark Duplass
- Director: Mel Eslyn
- Inclusion Information: Female directors, Latino directors, Black actors, Female writers, Latino writers
- Studio: IFC Films
- Genre: Comedy
- Topics: Friendship
- Character Strengths: Communication, Teamwork
- Run time: 106 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: October 14, 2023
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Biosphere
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