by Christian Grullon, Contributing Writer
Director Cory Finely brings M.T. Anderson’s Landscape with Invisible Hand to life on the big screen. The movie takes inspiration from the book, where an occupying alien species called the Vuvv leaves most of earth impoverished and unemployed. The Vuvv’s bureaucratic rule has left the humans struggling with their livelihoods, especially two teens, Adam Campbell (Asante Blackk) and Chloe Marsh (Kylie Rogers).
Adam is a gifted artist who is creative, driven, and passionate about his art. However, experiencing the full capability of his gift is tricky, considering the aliens’ bureaucratic rule allows them to monitor humans; it’s as if the aliens have made earth a police state. AI has had earth on its knees, and many people are scrambling to survive. Adam’s mother, Beth (Tiffany Haddish), takes an odd job to keep Adam and his sister Natalie (Brooklynn MacKinzie) safe and secure.
To earn some money, Chloe lures Adam to have their love story showcased on a quasi-social media show. On the show, the aliens will pay them for showcasing their affection for one another. The more views they get, the higher the pay. The Vuvvs are interested in human mating contact, so everything is good, right?
The catch is that Adam and Chloe have to be in love, and if they’re not, things won’t work in their favor. As the film goes on, Adam and Chloe’s relationship grows stale to the point where they don’t speak to each other for some time. Blackk and Rodgers solidify their performances with their emotions and tap into their characters’ struggles — Adam with his home life and art, and Chloe with her dysfunctional family.
Landscape with Invisible Hand is a thought-provoking film that touches on the impacts of colonialism, exploitation, classism, and teenage love. Whoever had input with the aliens did great with the visual effects and production design. The aliens look part blob, part slub, and communicate through clicks and a translator.
Every actor has their moment to shine, especially Haddish, who gives some nuance to her character. While the movie’s pacing is sometimes lacking, the film more than makes up for it with the actors’ performances and ultimate message. Even though Landscape with Invisible Hand is a sci-fi film, it adds some humor without taking away from what the film is.
A glaring issue with the film is some of its dialogue; the lines sometimes feel blank and disengaging. In one scene, Adam argues with Chloe’s brother Hunter (Michael Gandolfini) about class. Hunter says, “People like you have been dominating people like us for years.” Adam does hit back by reminding him about U.S. History. Also, Hunter storms off, and the dialogue doesn’t go anywhere. Why have an argument scene without a gut-wrenching line? How come there wasn’t any resolve with Adam and Hunter? Hunter is a jerk the whole movie, assuming the worst in Adam because he lives in a house while Hunter is homeless. Hunter never shows any gratitude towards Adam for letting Chloe stay at their home.
Despite the blank dialogue, the movie makes a good story and gives a futuristic view of an Earth occupied by aliens. The setup for Landscape with Invisible Hand is good enough, and reveals humanity’s resiliency despite the harsh circumstances that surround them.
Rating: High Side of Liked It
Landscape with Invisible Hand is currently playing in theaters
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