Biosphere Ending Explained- Writer/Director Mel Eslyn Talks Our Capacity To Change, Male Toxicity, And Mario Brothers

Biosphere starring Mark Duplass(Billy) and Sterling K. Brown(Ray) in what should be award-winning roles, is an unexpected lo-fi delight. The science fiction thinker borrows a page from Jurassic Park, Don’t Look Up, and Duncan Jones’ Moon. It is hilarious and perfectly balances the bleakness of a hopeless situation with the wonder of possibility. It is the kind of film that makes you think and feel in equal measure. I got to sit down with writer/director Mel Eslyn to talk about the ambiguous ending, why this film now, and why no one respects Luigi.

Two lifelong friends in their forties are presumably the last two humans left on Earth living in a Biosphere built by Ray with utter darkness outside. Before the calamity that ended the Earth’s population happened, courtesy of something Billy did while President of The US, Ray had just enough time to design and build a habitat with a small fish pond and a hydroponic garden.

They had been living there a while when the last female fish died. The two have an easy chemistry that is time-tested and earned. Eslyn said, “Every line of dialogue was written with the two of them in mind.” Brown and Duplass are at their best falling into comfortable patterns with each other. Ray is an eternal optimist who always believes there is a way out of any situation. He is concerned by the dead fish but not broken by it.

Billy, who becomes clear, was probably ill-suited for his role as POTUS, is more rigid in his thinking. He’s less creative, probably less intelligent, and definitely less magical. Shortly after the fish dies, a small green light appears outside, edging closer and closer to them. As the light gets closer, one of the make fish changes sex. Simultaneously, Billy also begins changing. His sex organs shift into female reproductive organs, and pretty soon, his entire outlook changes.

The two friends are now faced with something truly impossible. Billy and Ray struggle with what it means to be a “man” in the traditional sense, and it is here that the funniest and most heartwarming moments happen. Every good partnership requires trust, love, and affection. Billy and Ray didn’t realize their relationship would change the way it did. They now have to awkwardly navigate the muddy waters of gender, sexuality, and parenthood. Life always finds a way, and that is the biggest message of Biosphere. It ends as it begins with two guys who genuinely love each other, a dying planet, and a whole lot of existential questions. Here’s what you need to know about the ending of Biosphere.

Mel Eslyn has been running the Duplass Brothers Production Company for a long time and put her director’s dream on hold. Biosphere was the right movie at the right time to explore transformation and hope. Eslyn said there are themes you aren’t even realizing could be examined with it. It’s a deceptively complex movie that never feels overly heavy despite the sometimes deadly serious consequences. Eslyn’s movie breaks “down toxic masculinity but from a female voice.” This unique approach makes the film intensely funny and very relatable. What could be uncomfortable and ugly is tender and amusing. Eslyn, who identifies as queer, liked the chance to explore gender and the human capacity for growth. She explained that Biosphere is about “not great people and how do we allow them to grow and change.”

The Mario brothers and the bowling ball

As the film ends, Ray resurrects the bowling ball trick discussed throughout the film. As children at a birthday party, Ray was amazed by a magic trick. A magician made one appear out of thin air, and Ray has never forgotten it. It is the beacon of hope that fills him even now with impending disaster closing in. Billy, the skeptic, only saw a cheap parlor trick that children were too naive to figure out. It is the fundamental difference between the two that changes like everything else. It is a symbol of their enduring love for each other and a symbol of hope.

Mario and Luigi might be the original Johnny Drama to Vincent Chase. He is the forgotten plumber brother who is always relegated to also-ran status or worse. Billy and Ray playfully argue with one another that Billy is Mario. He was the public face but would be nothing without Billy, who kept the wheels turning, maybe even when he shouldn’t have. By the end, these two are closer than siblings and have acknowledged that both Mario brothers are necessary, even if one is often overlooked.

Biosphere is a brilliant two-hander that showcases everyone’s talents. “Some of the best creative ideas come from restrictions,” Eslyn has said. Having to focus on small casts and sets out of necessity makes everything feel more intimate and, ironically, universal. Eslyn has been called the Luigi to Duplass’ Mario. She is the secret sauce that brings everything together. She explains, “We reflect ourselves in the things we do.” Biosphere is a truly kind-spirited and hopeful movie that convinces you that life isn’t just possible but worth it.

What happens to Billy and Ray at the end of Biosphere?

After making peace with his changing body, Billy and Ray try to become pregnant and are successful. As the green light gets closer and Billy’s pregnancy progresses, they each undergo a metamorphosis. Ray acknowledged his toxic male tendencies, and Billy grew selfless and less cynical. They ultimately both became better people as a result of their time together. Unfortunately, a storm bringing both expectation and devastation destroyed part of their habitat, including their food source. On the one hand, the storm means Earth’s atmosphere is returning, which means it could be habitable again soon, but the storm also puts them in a precarious position. They have very little food, are exposed to the elements, and are vulnerable to another storm.

Overcome by emotion, Ray assures Billy they will adapt and save themselves. A bowling ball is then heard hitting the floor as the film cuts to black. Did a bowling ball appear out of thin air? Did Ray conjure it out of some magical place where best friends can become parents in the most unlikely circumstances? I want to believe that is the case. Fantastical things had already happened, so it’s not wild to think something else extraordinary might also occur that ultimately saves their lives and the life of their unborn child. Arguably, Billy may not have been worth saving before the apocalypse(that he evidently caused). Human’s most remarkable abilities are to love and to change. These two men showed it is never too late to do both.

The thud of the bowling ball hitting the floor means more surprises are in store for Billy and Ray. It means life will find a way. If you are a pessimist, you might hear the sound of the other shoe dropping instead of a bowling ball, but Eslyn intended the story to be about our ability to become better people. Growth takes time and patience.

We never find out what Billy did to destroy the world; quite frankly, it doesn’t matter. What happens next is much more important than what happened in the past. Billy and Ray have become better versions of themselves. As a hilarious character study, it is pitch-perfect and full of unexpected twists and big life questions. Biosphere is about humanity. Love in all its many forms. “It’s about our capacity as humans to change and evolve” How much we are willing to change for the people around us,” Eslyn said. You couldn’t ask for a better message in a world that sometimes feels cold and unfeeling.

Biosphere is in theaters and on VOD everywhere right now.