Landscape with Invisible Hand is a 2023 American science fiction film written and directed by Cory Finley, based on the 2017 novel of the same name by M. T. Anderson. The film stars Asante Blackk, Kylie Rogers, and Tiffany Haddish.
Landscape with Invisible Hand premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2023, and was released in the United States by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer seven months later, on August 18. The film received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics.
Synopsis[]
In a near-future in which an alien species known as the Vuvv has taken over Earth, an aspiring teenage artist and his girlfriend hatch a scheme to make money by broadcasting their dating life to the fascinated aliens in the wake of the Vuvv's labor-saving technology. But the two teens slowly come to hate each other, and cannot break up without bankrupting their families.
Cast[]
- Asante Blackk as Adam Campbell
- Tiffany Haddish as Beth Campbell
- Kylie Rogers as Chloe Marsh
- Brooklynn MacKinzie as Natalie Campbell
- Josh Hamilton as Mr. Marsh
- Michael Gandolfini as Hunter Marsh
- Christian Adam as Zach
- John Newberg as Mr. Stanley
- William Jackson Harper as Mr. Campbell
Production[]
On November 14, 2017, it was announced that Plan B Entertainment had optioned the film adaptation rights to M. T. Anderson's then-recently published novel Landscape with Invisible Hand. Annapurna Pictures was set to co-produce the film under Plan B's three-year overall deal with the company. There were no further developments on the project until December 18, 2020, when it was announced that Plan B had signed a second-look film deal with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), who were set to produce the film as well as distribute it through United Artists Releasing, and Cory Finley was attached to adapt the screenplay and direct the film.
On January 4, 2021, Tiffany Haddish was cast in a main role. On June 28, 2021, Asante Blackk was cast in the lead role. Kylie Rogers joined the main cast on September 20, 2021. In February 2022, it was reported that Clifton Collins Jr., Michael Gandolfini, Josh Hamilton and Brooklynn MacKinzie were added to the cast.
Principal photography began on February 1, 2022, in Atlanta, and wrapped there on March 27, 2022.
Release[]
Landscape with Invisible Hand had its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2023. During the post-screening discussion, an audience member criticized the studio-backed film's appearance at the independent film festival, leading Haddish to defend the producers and Sundance's programmers.
The film was then released theatrically by MGM on August 18, seven months after its Sundance premiere.
Reception[]
Landscape with Invisible Hand garnered mildly positive reception from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, 72% of 86 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.3/10. The website's consensus reads: "Ambitious and unpredictable, Landscape with Invisible Hand struggles to get some of its ideas across, but remains a bold blend of sci-fi and social commentary." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 53 out of 100, based on 23 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.
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