Anomaly Film Festival Coverage
Molli and Max in the Future review
The most realistic relationship movie of the year…even if it involves magic, trash dimensions, tentacled sex Gods and dozens of other wild ideas. Zosia Mamet steals the show.
Festival movie reviews will not contain spoilers.
Molli and Max in the Future
Directed by Michael Lukk Litwak
Written by Michael Lukk Litwak
Starring Zosia Mamet, Aristotle Athari, Erin Darke, Okieriete Onaodowan, Arturo Castro, Paloma Garcia-Lee and Matteo Lane
Molli and Max in the Future Review
I could begin this review with a pithy comment like “Molli and Max in the Future is the best romantic comedy featuring a tentacled sex God you’ll see this year!”. It would be more accurate than you’d think. And…to be fair…I did technically begin the review with it. I could also start it by rehashing the start of another Anomaly Film Festival movie, River. We don’t generally cover non-horror films on this site…but Molli and Max in the Future deserves some attention. It’s still a genre film…just…a different genre. This is a sci-fi rom com through and through. Hence that pithy comment.
The romantic comedy aspect shines the brightest. In fact, the science fiction elements mostly play into the comedy. They also offer a unique feel for the film. The more weirdness that it layers on top of itself…the more effective the romantic comedy part of the movie becomes. That may sound counterintuitive…but it’s a part of what makes Molli and Max in the Future special. No matter how purposefully silly things get…it’s Molli (Zosia Mamet) and Max (Aristotle Athari) that we care about. It’s a realistic relationship story. It just happens to be set in a science fiction world.
Their story of their relationship spans several years of time. Yes…like When Harry Met Sally. It would be impossible to ignore the similarities between the two movies. That similarity isn’t a knock against Molli and Max in the Future…it’s a genuine compliment. So many romantic comedies arrive each year that are neither romantic nor funny. The Billy Crystal/Meg Ryan classic has always stood as an example of the genre at its best. Underneath all the layers of creative sci-fi absurdity…Molli and Max in the Future is the genre at its best too.
Let’s break down all three aspects…beginning with sci-fi. Molli and Max in the Future is a wildly imaginative science fiction movie. Sure, most of it is two actors talking in front of a green screen…but the patter about their futuristic world is a delight. We have robot battles and virtual sports. Alternate dimensions and lots of space travel. The screen is filled with fun futuristic ideas. Max is part fish person. Molli can harness magic. If you can imagine it…Molli and Max probably already has it.
As far as romance is concerned, as mentioned this is the most realistic take on a relationship that we’ve seen in ages. The situations Molli and Max find themselves dealing with may be wildly different than we see in our day to day lives…but their friendship/possible romance feels exactly right. Their meeting is a random occurrence (in space, of course). There is an immediate attraction…at least on Molli’s end. They become fast friends until fate separates them. A five-year time jump brings them together again. They are at very different places in their lives. Another time jump finds them able to commit to a friendship that will change their lives. Most of the story takes place following their third connection.
There is a definite will they/won’t they part of the story. What makes it all work are the fantastic performances from Mamet and Athari. You instantly care about these people. They’re funny and likable and nothing comes easy for them. It’s obvious from the jump that the best thing they have going for them is each other. But will the time ever come when they’re both ready for that kind of relationship at the same time? The fact that we care about that answer amidst the flashing lights, beeps and boops of a sci-fi future is a testament to the two leads. They have great chemistry. Mamet is ridiculously likable as Molli. So effortlessly funny.
Speaking of funny…Molli and Max in the Future is a hilarious movie. On both a micro and macro level. In its small moments…the patter between characters…it is consistently laugh out loud funny. Its bigger ideas set a fun tone and give the characters an ever-surprising world to live in. Not every swing connects…but when you take as many imaginative swings as Molli and Max in the Future…enough land to deliver a win. It even finds the time to layer in some biting commentary on corporations, politics, and reality television (among other things).
No matter which part of the movie appeals to you…it always comes back to Molli and Max. Two characters who you will care far more about than a standard rom com. And this is anything but a standard rom com. That’s just a bonus on top of the most realistic, and funniest, romantic comedy in years.
Scare Value
Molli and Max in the Future has already been called a sci-fi When Harry Met Sally. It’s an accurate label…but it’s also a compliment. When Harry Met Sally has stood the test of time at the pinnacle of romantic comedies. No matter how many crazy concepts Molli and Max in the Future layers onto itself…it nails both the romantic and comedy parts of the story. Excellent lead performances are a must in a movie like this. Mamet and Athari are more than up to the task.
4/5
Molli and Max in the Future Link
In select theaters – Fandango
