A rom-com in space?–don’t knock it ’til you’ve watched it. While a “When Harry Met Sally” knock-off set in a future galaxy may be too bold a move for some, writer/director Michael Lukk Litwak‘s feature debut mostly makes the concept work. Sure, he’s guilty of recycling an old favorite, setting it against a chroma-key, and doing so on the cheap. But why fault him for that? With its lo-fi sensibility and winning charm, “Molli And Max In The Future” remixes a genre classic that also offers a mild antidote for what ails current American cinema. And what’s the cure? Litwak takes the “green screen galore” template of the MCU (and so much other fare) and infuses it with heart and amateur spirit. This debut refuses to be just another extravagantly crafted, commercially calculated CGI-laden mega movie that amounts to a dead-eyed spectacle.
And given how charming this film is, one wishes Litwak had a Marvel budget for it. As the MCU continues to buckle under the glut of its overwrought and emotionally underdeveloped products, it’s nice to see a low-budget independent film carry its weight in a similar filmmaking model (and doing so with less star power and runtime than “Everything Everywhere All At Once“). But how does the rom-com, a dead genre now relegated to the back catalog of streaming platforms, fare in a sci-fi backdrop? Answer: it may be time to dust off the genre and return it to the big screen in full force. “Molli and Max” endears with a familiar plot, a brisk runtime, and shaggy VFX. And while it’s far from perfect, Litwak breathes enough DIY glamour into the film to make him someone to keep an eye on.
Molli (Zosia Mamet) and Max (Aristotle Athiras) first collide after Molli, scouring an asteroid field for a magic crystal to fuel her space witch aspirations, accidentally runs into Max with her spaceship. Max may be unscathed, but his cruiser isn’t, so he asks Molli for a ride back to the city-planet Megapolis. And so begins their meet-cute, complete with immediate chemistry. A brisk montage shows the pair become fast friends as they chat, eat takeout, and visit other planets, like Max’s home Oceanus (he’s half fish-person), before their inevitable split. Finally, Molli’s dream has come true: Mobius (Okieriete Onoadowan), a powerful demi-god, wants her space magic to help in an inter-dimensional crusade. And so she’s off, leaving Max behind to pursue his ambitions as a robot fighting league pro.
Of course, the two cross paths again years later, and Molli and Max rekindle their friendship as they transition out of their former lives. How come? Well, despite becoming a level-7 space witch, Molly realizes Mobius’ crusade is pretty much a sex cult, with its tentacular leader using every trick in the narcissist’s handbook to justify both his polyamory and superiority complex. And despite success in the mecha-fighting league and the fame and Glorp Soda sponsorships it brings, Max realizes his dream has left him in a prison of stratified ambition. There’s always another level to reach and more people to please. Add in a one-sided relationship with MAR14/”Maria” (Erin Drake, channeling the witty verve of a screwball heroine), a sentient robot Max built to help him climb up the fighting ladder, and he’s ready for something new.
And so begins a classic “will they/won’t they” trope, where opposites attract and annoy each other until they realize what they want’s been in front of them all along. As Molli and Max navigate the future’s dead-end jobs and dismal online dating scene, it’s clear that the two will inevitably sync up. But Litwak offsets his derivative plot with enough quirkiness to keep things fresh. That falters in the swollen second act’s galactic election sub-plot, complete with a Trump/Thanos stand-in Turboschmuck (Michael Chernus) who wants to rule and destroy the universe at once. But other kooky bits like Max’s Dad working “at the rock ‘n roll factory” or a black hole caused by excessive cheese consumption land much better. Litwak keeps things lighthearted but leans into the story’s ennui and jaded characters when it counts. It doesn’t all work, but the levity of everything will win most viewers over.
And Mamet and Athiras’ chemistry gives Litwak’s script some extra oomph. Mamet bullseyes every zing Litwak gives her, while Athiras complements Molli’s over-assertive chatterbox energy with a dry, contained wit. Deep down, Max always knows that he and Molli love each other, but Athiras plays the slow burn with coy and knowing patience; Billy Crystal would be proud. And certain scenes, like one with a “PUBox” that lets the pair catch up with their clones dating each other in a parallel universe to see where it leads, spice up the rom-com’s inherent rhythm of tension and possibility with giddy panache. While consistently funny, “Molli and Max” is often laugh-out-loud, and both leads help send an already sharp script over the top when it counts most.
Add a puckish approach to VFX from Litwak and his DP Zach Stoltzfus, and this film gives Marvel’s penchant for green screens a crafty makeover. “Molli and Max” builds its galaxy with glee, relying on miniature sets, prosthetics, and animation besides its chroma-key format. It all makes for a spirited combo. But the rough ingenuity on display will make viewers reminisce about earlier sci-fi films and their craft-driven creativity. As the film’s visuals crib from things like “Tron,” “Alita: Battle Angel,” and Ridley Scott‘s “Blade Runner,” Litwak reminds his audience of when sci-fi used to have a lived-in, tactile presence onscreen. Much of this film remains two actors in front of a chroma-key, with aspect ratio jokes slid in for kicks. But Litwak subverts the Marvel movie model with a healthy dose of pluck. No budget? No problem. “Molli and Max” feels livelier than most blockbusters out now.
It also helps Molli and Max act like real adults in all their contradictions. As the pair orbits each other before their paths finally align, it’s easy to forget how refreshing it is to watch flawed human characters again in a CGI-heavy format instead of sexless, borderline adolescent heroes that exist merely to use superpowers and advanced technology to fend off another conflict that might be the end of the world. To be fair, “Molli And Max” is as sexless as a rom-com gets. But Litwak’s premise at least leaks the vexing gray areas of adult relationships into his film’s purview instead of shunning them away as many dramas do nowadays. It may be surface-level subversion, but it’s a wholesome and humane gesture all the same. And in this day and age of movies where scrappy films like this are an increasing rarity, it’s a radical one, too. [C+/B-]
