Which Low-Key 2023 Indie Sci-Fi Film Is Right For You?
Courtesy of IFC Films. An IFC Films release.
Move over prestige TV, and get lost, heartfelt dramedies, because in 2023 actors have found a new kind of pet project: the indie sci-fi flick. Thus far, Nicolas Cage, Jessie Buckley, Lil Rel Howery, Emilia Clarke, and Paul Mescal and Saoirse Ronan have all tried their hand at high-concept, low-budget films in which unnerving scientific developments or just plain unexplainable phenomena make a world that looks like ours feel eerily unrecognizable.
These sorts of movies aren’t entirely new–think Scarlett Johanson’s Under the Skin or Robert Pattison’s High Life–but we’ve never seen so many released within the span of one calendar year. Sci-fi premises unite these movies, but their tones vary, ranging from absurdist satires like Kristoffer Borgli’s Dream Scenario to dramatic love stories (Christos Nikou’s Fingernails, Garth Davis’ Foe) to apocalyptic buddy comedies (Mel Eslyn’s Biosphere). You wouldn’t necessarily think of movies like these as actor showcases, but the 2023 crop is heavily performance-driven, offering stars an opportunity to sink their teeth into meaty roles outside of the usual staid drama.
Maybe it has something to do with superhero movies and fantasy franchises making genre films the norm, or perhaps the surreality of modern life has given writers more inspiration to explore both off-kilter and full-on dystopian. Either way, GQ has assembled a log of 2023’s sci-fi star vehicles and which one you should watch.
Warning: Some moderate spoilers for each of these films beyond this point.
Dream Scenario
Recommended if you like: Absurdist social satire, the Nicolas Cage-aissance
The second feature by ascending Norwegian filmmaker Kristoffer Borgli to hit the States this year, Dream Scenario isn’t necessarily a sci-fi movie for most of its runtime, instead employing a bizarre fantasy tone. In a cinematic riff on “This Man,” Borgli uses the unexplained appearance of Nicolas Cage’s deeply average college professor in thousands of people’s dreams to riff on modern celebrity, virality, and even influencer marketing. The third at of the film is where Dream Scenario really leans into sci-fi, with a cohort of influencers played by Noah Centineo and TikTok star Josh Richardsoni explaining that an unexplained new scientific development has made it possible to enter people’s dreams, and that this remarkable breakthrough is being used to…sell you shit. Dream Scenario isn’t quite as razor-sharp as Borgli’s Sick of Myself, but Cage gives one of the best performances of his career as a man who’s well-intentioned but heartbreakingly unremarkable. Some viewers might be frustrated that Dream Scenario never attempts to explain why its strange events are taking place, but its dry jokes and winning turns from supporting actors like Dylan Gelulua and Michael Cera make this another entry in Cage’s quietly unimpeachable last half-decade of acting.
The Pod Generation
Recommended if you like: The idea of a Black Mirror romcom
It’s easy to see what drew Emilia Clarke to The Pod Generation. With her post-Game of Thrones career still taking shape, the opportunity to work with Cold Souls director Sophie Barthes on a movie that dives into the fictitious future of fertility must've appealed. Clarke and Chiwetel Ejiofor play a couple who opt to use a new artificial womb technology (the titular “pod”), so that Clarke’s Rachel won’t suffer the physical or emotional burdens of pregnancy and can continue to advance her work in the AI industry. Clarke and Ejiofor are game for the film’s humor and absurdism, and they make the most of Clem Price Thomas’ terrific set design, but the scenes between the two often feel stilted. The Pod Generation’s best moments come when Clarke is attending her AI therapy sessions. Both she and Ejiofor show that they could succeed in this sort of weird, timely sci-fi project; they just need a better script.
Fingernails
Recommended if you like: Sad romances that sit at the intersection of Yorgos Lanthimos and Phoebe Bridgers
Outstanding in The Lost Daughter and Women Talking, Jessie Buckley has also built up a robust CV in genre films from socially-conscious horror (Men) to psychological thrillers (I’m Thinking of Ending Things) and now the tender, if imperfect sci-fi drama (Fingernails). Directed by Christos Nikou, whose 2020 amnesia drama Apples is remarkable, Fingernails assembles a stellar cast for a story about a scientific test to determine if your partner is really your soulmate for the low, low cost of a fingernail. The lore of the film’s world is well developed and lived in by Buckley and co-stars Riz Ahmed and Jeremy Allen White, and the love triangle at its core works well because Buckley makes each relationship its own distinct entity. Fingernails doesn’t have the kind of surrealist humor many other entries in this list do, and it’s ultimately a more conventional serious acting showcase than something like Dream Scenario or Linoleum, but Buckley is reliably excellent, and should explore this genre more.
Foe
Recommended if you like: Attractive leads exchanging pained glances
Based on a novel by the author of I’m Thinking of Ending Things, Foe recalls the 2013 Black Mirror episode “Be Right Back,” in which a young woman finds herself living with a technological replica of her partner. Here, the leads are played by Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal, a phenomenal pair of young actors who do their best with a script that loses much of the subtlety of Iain Reid’s novel. Foe asks some interesting questions and doesn’t quite answer them, but its locked-room tension makes it a worthwhile watch, particularly for fans of the always-excellent Ronan.
Biosphere
Recommended if you like: Dudes hanging out, a low-stakes apocalypse
Mel Eslyn’s feature debut is small in physical scale—it features two actors (the ever-charming Mark Duplass and Sterling K. Brown) on a single set. But it poses the kinds of questions and conundrums $100 million sci-fi films today are afraid to. Following Duplass’ U.S. president (a cross between his character in The League and George W. Bush) and Brown’s enthusiastic government scientist in the wake of an unexplained apocalypse, the movie explores male friendship, human evolution, and hope in the face of a horrifying reality. It’s also the funniest entry in this mini-canon aside from Dream Scenario, with countless side-splitting lines that flesh out this odd couple relationship (on top of everything else, the two leads are childhood friends, meaning there is plenty of backstory to play on). Make no mistake, this is a really weird movie, and the meticulous set design and assured acting and directing can’t always paper over the stranger tonal moments, but Biosphere is an indie sci-fi flick that works on multiple levels, and, in particular, serves as a standout showcase for Brown, whose comedic chops remain underrated when compared to his powerhouse dramatic acting (which he does get to do here, too).
Linoleum
Recommended if you like: A bittersweet underdog story, public access science shows
Everything about Linoleum works. The casting of Jim Gaffigan as a struggling Bill Nye-type children’s television host? Inspired. The Charlie Kaufman-ian tone of Colin West’s direction and writing? Enjoyably odd, but never derivative. And the subtle sci-fi bent—it is a movie about rocket science, after all—is used to moving emotional effect. Gaffigan has had a handful of memorable supporting turns in an acting career largely overshadowed by his stand-up comedy, but his dual performance in Linoleum is near-objectively the best work he’s ever done. He nails the tone of the show-within-a-movie scenes, and imbues both Cameron Edwin and Kent Armstrong with incredible distinction rivaling Nicolas Cage in Adaptation. In many ways, Linoleum is the platonic ideal for these genre experiments, allowing its lead actor to show the breadth of their talent, while bringing a joyful zaniness that comes from great science fiction.
The Mill
Recommended if you like: Severance, but with Lil Rel Howery instead of Adam Scott
Kudos to Howery for broadening his filmography beyond the comedy roles he does so well. While his best dramatic work came in the underseen Chicago drama We Grown Now, The Mill is a streaming sci-fi film worth a watch despite some obvious flaws. There’s a rich history of anti-capitalist science fiction, and The Mill belongs in that cohort, as Howery’s corporate employee finds himself imprisoned and facing the Sisyphian task of pushing the titular mill or facing grave consequences. The Mill feels like one of those movies made mid-pandemic, with few actors and limited locations, making it a showcase for Howery. He has some impressive moments, capturing the physical and mental drudgery of corporate life, but the film too often feels like an overlong Black Mirror episode, particularly with the flashbacks coming from his first-person perspective. Howery is a compelling screen presence, but for the time being, he’d be better served in a project like Biosphere or Dream Scenario that could better incorporate his comedic sensibility and burgeoning dramatic chops.
Robots
Recommended if you like: Movies that are not very good
The worst entry in 2023’s Sci-Fi Romance Cinematic Universe, Robots bungles a story inspired by legendary writer Robert Sheckley in service of a movie that is neither funny enough as a romcom nor thought-provoking enough as an exploration of future technology to warrant much discussion. The acting chops of Shailene Woodley and the witty humor of Jack Whitehall are underserved by a convoluted plot and interminable dialogue. 2023 has certainly given us worse movies, but Robots squandering both a talented cast and storied source material makes it one of the more frustrating releases of the year.
Originally Appeared on GQ
