Landscape with Invisible Hand

Grade: A

I have a feeling there’s at least one aspect of Landscape with Invisible Hand that everybody will thoroughly enjoy, even if they don’t like the whole film. It probably won’t be the same thing, but there’s so much substance and so many levels to appreciate it on, that there’s bound to be a certain part that sticks with everyone. Director Cory Finley is the man behind Thoroughbreds – one of the most supremely interesting and memorable movies I’ve seen in the last decade. Landscape with Invisible Hand is even better. Chances are, if you dip out to the restroom or concession stand for a couple minutes, you’ll miss out on an important development. Everything seems to be significant. This is a RICH movie, and one of the best of the year.

I’ll start with the sci-fi element. It’s 2036, and the world is 5 years in from a first contact made by an alien species. They are called the Vuuv, and a character describes them as looking like short, gooey coffee tables. They’ve been monitoring humans on earth since the 1950s, but didn’t come until 2031. We meet the Campbell family: Beth, and her children Adam and Natalie. A lot of homelessness and displacement has been caused by the Vuuvs’ visit, so Adam invites Chloe (a classmate he has a crush on) and her dad and brother to stay with them. Adam and Chloe are able to make a substantial amount of money for the household by live-broadcasting their courtship for the Vuuv to watch. They really do like each other at the beginning, but as the novelty and honeymoon period wear off, it feels less sincere and more like putting on a show. The Vuuv are smart and pick up on this, and sue Adam and Chloe for inauthenticity.

What I’ve told you – which feels like so little – is just one of numerous directions this multifaceted narrative explores – and every branch of the artistic tree is thoughtful, specific, compelling, created with care, and never boring. Asante Blackk (This Is Us) hits all the perfect notes as Adam. I haven’t even gotten into the through-line of him being an artist, but his drawings and paintings notably come into play. Tiffany Haddish as Beth gives us a humble, generous performance that ebbs and flows. She only pulls focus when it’s her turn to shine, but otherwise hangs back, letting others in the scene carry it. As Chloe, 19-year-old Kylie Rogers – who recently played Nathan Lane’s daughter in Beau Is Afraid – has “star” written all over her. She is pretty, has piercing eyes, and is so good here. We can say we knew her when.

As her dad, Josh Hamilton (The Map of Tiny Perfect Things, Eighth Grade, Manchester by the Sea) gets more and more opportunities to make his mark as the film progresses. Just you wait and see. I can’t seem to escape Atlanta actors, and it was a happy surprise to see my friend Joe Knezevich turn up here, as a talking head news anchor. I previously enjoyed him in On a Wing and a Prayer earlier this year.

Landscape with Invisible Hand is a thrill ride that kept me laughing, delighted, guessing, and not knowing what was coming next. It’s endlessly innovative, with fun detours and plot points. I could keep describing them to you, but the best thing I can say is just go see it and let it unfold. It’s wonderful to see a movie like it get made, and even more wonderful to know that something like this can still surprise me.

Grade: A