Landscape with Invisible Hand (2023)
The Story
Years into a benevolent alien occupation, mankind is still adjusting to its new overlords. Their technology initially held promise for global prosperity, but rendered most human jobs – and steady income – obsolete. When two teenagers discover the aliens are fascinated with human love and will pay for access to it, they decide to livestream their romance to make extra cash for their families.
The Deets
Rating: R
Concerns: Brief Violent Content, Language
Runtime: 1h 45m
Genre: Sci-fi, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (US Theaters): Limited
Main Cast
Asante Blackk as Adam Campbell
Kylie Rogers as Chloe Marsh
Tiffany Haddish as Beth Campbell
William Jackson Harper as Mr. Campbell
Brooklynn MacKinzie as Natalie Campbell
Production & Crew
Distributor: MGM
Production Co: Studio Concierge, Plan B Entertainment, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Annapurna Pictures
Director(s): Cory Finley
Producer(s): Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner
Writer(s): Cory Finley (screenplay), M.T. Anderson (book)
Cinematography:
Music: Michael Abels
Editor: Louise Ford
Hair/Makeup Lead: Edward Morrison (hair), Antoinette Black (hair), LaToya Henderson (makeup)
Costumes: Tanja Caldwell
What the Critics have said
On the one hand, this impressively scoped science-fiction/satire blend with some old-school visual craft signals Finley’s natural aptitude for shepherding big Hollywood productions…. On the other hand, it makes one desperately miss Finley’s biting wit and X-Acto-sharp point of view on complicated and deeply imperfect characters.
‘Landscape with Invisible Hand’ Review: A Good-Looking Yet Shallow Sci-Fi About Life Under Alien Rule
In Variety By Tomris Laffly On 1/25/2023
Finley excels at making a science fiction premise feel slight and mundane; the calmness of the invasion feels eerily plausible.
‘Landscape With Invisible Hand’ Review: Tiffany Haddish in a Sci-Fi Comedy That Lacks Bite
In The Hollywood Reporter By Jourdain Searles On 2/2/2023 2:52PM
Despite the film’s pointed lack of violence, there’s something both righteous and a little disquieting about how unafraid its characters have become of the unfeeling but hyper-advanced alien race who could theoretically vaporize the entire planet at the push of a button.
‘Landscape with Invisible Hand’ Review: Aliens Disrupt the Economy in a Dull Satire of Life Under Capitalism
In IndieWire By David Ehrlich On 1/25/2023
With the exception of Sorry to Bother You, it’s hard to think of another movie that so thoroughly explores the perniciousness of late-stage capitalism with such verve and humor. It’ll leave you questioning the very fabric upon which our modern world is built.
‘Landscape With Invisible Hand’ Is a Wry Critique of Late Stage Capitalism
In KQED By Rae Alexandra On 8/11/2023
This isn’t just an alien movie, it’s a political statement, in the vein of Neill Blomkamp or Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival, or John Carpenter’s They Live.
‘Landscape With Invisible Hand’ Sundance Review: Aliens Are Humanity’s Economic Overlords In Cory Finley Pic
In Deadline By Valerie Complex On 1/24/2023
Messy as the movie can get in its back half, it’s saved by some great performances — Blackk feels like a star in the making, and Haddish is as charming as ever — and a heartwarming finale that makes the best of terrible situation.
Landscape With Invisible Hand imagines an alien invasion as a financial disaster
In The Verge By Andrew Webster On 1/26/2023
In adapting Anderson’s novel, Finley has decided to give us what feels more like a hugely truncated TV series, stopping and starting with such abandon that it’s wearying to keep up.
Landscape with Invisible Hand review – baffling sci-fi satire misses its mark
In The Guardian By Benjamin Lee On 1/24/2023
Finley’s take on this world is almost so unusual and unexpected that it’s hard not to admire it simply based on its audacity alone.
‘Landscape with Invisible Hand’ Review: Cory Finley’s Ambitious Sci-Fi Tale Is a Mixed Bag That Mostly Works
In Collider By Ross Bonaime On 2/3/2023
Holding his own, Finley effectively uses science-fiction to not only speculatively gaze into the future but also look back on humanity’s dark and toxic heritage. … The film effectively uses humour to ground itself in a light-heartedness that has the vibe of its teen fiction source and yet bridges the teenage and adult genres.
SUNDANCE 2023: THE UNCOMFORTABLE REFLECTION IN SCI-FI ‘LANDSCAPE WITH INVISIBLE HANDS’
In Pop Matters By Paul Risker On 2/20/2023
The film jumps wildly through different related storylines, each exploring new social contexts and constructs, never lingering for too long before moving to the next thing. It results in a film that’s a bit muddled by the end, but constantly surprising and entertaining.
Landscape With Invisible Hand Shows the World After an Alien Invasion
In Gizmodo By Germain Lussier On 1/27/2023