The upcoming Plan B Entertainment and Annapurna Pictures film, Landscape With Invisible Hand, which is based on the 2017 novel of the same name by M.T. Anderson, centers on a teenage romance that happens to take place in a future where aliens have taken over Earth and are really interested in seeing human romantic love unfold in real time. The story could be nothing but grimness, but the film—as today’s trailer reveals—appears more quirky than War of the Worlds.
The trailer does a great job of setting up the film’s premise—these kids are making money by broadcasting their relationship for anyone to see! (Sound familiar?) What’s more interesting to me, at least, is the dynamics between the humans and the aliens who can only experience love by watching humans emote it. The look of the aliens themselves, with facial features that could be compared to more than one NSFW attribute, are also a unique take on portraying extraterrestrial life onscreen.
Here’s the film’s official synopsis:
Years into a benevolent alien occupation of Earth, the human race is still adjusting to the new world order and its quirky coffee table-sized overlords called the Vuvv. Their flashy advanced technology initially held promise for global prosperity, but rendered most human jobs—and steady income—obsolete. When 17-year-old artist Adam Campbell (Asante Blackk) and new girlfriend Chloe Marsh (Kylie Rogers) discover the Vuvv are particularly fascinated with human love and will pay for access to it, they decide to livestream their budding romance to make extra cash for themselves and their families. Life is good, for a while, until the flame of their teenage love fizzles out and they’re forced to make very different, absurdly life-altering sacrifices for their families.
Landscape With Invisible Hand is directed and written by Cory Finley, produced by Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, and executive produced by Brad Pitt, Gabby Shepard, David Kern, M.T. Anderson, Megan Ellison and Tiffany Haddish (who also stars in the film).
Thanks to MGM, who picked up distribution rights after the film premiered at festivals, Landscape With Invisible Hand premieres in theaters on August 18, 2023. You can also check out the peculiar alien overlords in the movie’s poster, shared below:
