This Sci-Fi Movie With 27% On RT Could Have Been The Perfect Matrix Replacement If It Wasn't For 1 Problem

This Sci-Fi Movie With 27% On RT Could Have Been The Perfect Matrix Replacement If It Wasn’t For 1 Problem

This article contains discussion of drug use and drug addiction.

Bliss would have been the perfect Matrix replacement, if not for one problem. The film follows Greg, down on his luck after losing his job and filing for divorce, who meets Isabel, and convinces him that the broken world around them is nothing more than a computer simulation. Bliss would have been the perfect replacement for The Matrix if it weren’t for its convoluted plot that contributed to Owen Willson’s shockingly bad Rotten Tomatoes score. That said, while it may not have been rated kindly by critics, there are some rather impressive elements to note in Bliss.

Mike Cahill’s sci-fi provides some rather striking visuals that lend themselves to the director’s extremely ambitious vision. Bliss frequently provides thought-provoking social commentary on the consequences of drug addiction and challenges viewers to consider its deeper meaning. According to Bliss‘ Salma Hayek (Isabel), the movie is more of an experience that becomes entirely contingent upon how a person comes to perceive it. The star performances can be captivating, particularly Owen Wilson’s, as the actor breaks away from the same techniques he uses in every film. However, Bliss attempts to cover too much groundwhich sacrifices its clarity, resulting in a disjointed and cluttered narrative.

Bliss’ Premise Makes It The Perfect Sci-Fi Movie To Follow The Matrix… Almost

There Are Some Prominent Parallels Between The Two Movies

The first matrix movie features one moment in which a man speaks of how the Matrix formulates his reality, and how his lucid moments result in dangerous consequences. Bliss uses the premise of the 1999 classic with crystals that transport the characters into a different world. On the surface, these crystals seem to provide Greg with telekinetic powers. Inspired by The Matrix and its red and blue pill concept, Bliss explores an illusional reality that hides the truth beyond our subjective senses. The fundamental question is how individuals conceptualize happiness or suffering, and how these perceptions shape each other’s experience.

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Bliss takes a far more introspective approach than The Matrix and considers the psychological effects of questioning true reality. The 1999 cult classic focuses on the battle between humans and machines and ultimately argues in favor of destroying the illusion. Whereas Bliss heavily concentrates on the individuals struggling to differentiate these worlds, places that Isabel recommends are better used than feared. This allows the movie to provide a deeper, more intricate approach to the concept. Bliss showcases numerous lucid moments, but by the end of its nearly two-hour run, the film raises far more questions than it seeks to answer.

Bliss’ Narrative Is Too Complicated To Be A Proper Matrix Replacement

There Are Too Many Elements At Play In Bliss

Close up shot of Owen Wilson in Bliss — Amazon MGM Studios

Bliss must be admired for its strong concept that is well set-up but loses itself throughout the film. Isabel summarizes, “Most people say, ‘ignorance is bliss,’ but I say you have to experience the good to appreciate the bad,” yet the link between these two worlds is clumsy. It attempts to navigate the analogy of drug addiction with the human experience and incorporates seemingly redundant and overly futuristic components. The director believes that “the movie (…) works best if there’s a bistability of interpretations,” (via Gizmodo) but it is this ambiguity that causes Bliss to fall short.

The crystals are a precursor to Greg and Isabel’s romantic connection, who are suggested to be true soulmates between worlds.

Along with this, the romantic storytelling in Bliss is detrimental to its narrative. The crystals are a precursor to Greg and Isabel’s romantic connection, who are suggested to be true soulmates between worlds. However, Greg and Isabel’s relationship is depthless as the film simply asserts their romantic ties, without providing any tangible evidence to back it up. Greg returns to his perceived reality at the end of the film and the couple go their separate ways. It’s clear that Bliss aims to be a more intellectual version of The Matrixbut the moral of the film is largely lost in translation.

Source: Gizmodo

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Director: Mike Cahill
Release date: February 5, 2021
Writers: Mike Cahill
Cast: Salma Hayek Pinault, Madeline Zima, Owen Wilson, Nesta Cooper, Joshua Leonard, Jorge Lendeborg Jr.
Runtime: 103 minutes