| Lapsis | |
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 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Noah Hutton |
| Written by | Noah Hutton |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Mike Gomes |
| Edited by | Noah Hutton |
| Music by | Noah Hutton |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Film Movement |
Release dates |
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Running time | 108 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Lapsis is a 2020 Americandystopianscience fiction film written, directed, edited, and scored by Noah Hutton. It stars Dean Imperial as a delivery man who turns to quantum cabling, a strange new corner of thegig economy. The film also stars Madeline Wise, Babe Howard, Dora Madison,Ivory Aquino,Frank Wood,James McDaniel, andArliss Howard.
The film had its world premiere atSouth by Southwest on March 16, 2020, and was screened at theBucheon International Fantastic Film Festival on July 11, 2020, where it won the Jury's Choice Award. It was released in the United States on February 12, 2021, byFilm Movement.[1] It received positive reviews from critics, while Hutton was nominated forBest First Screenplay at the36th Independent Spirit Awards.
In a parallel present, delivery man Ray Tincelli is struggling to support himself and his ailing younger brother. After a series oftwo-bit hustles and unsuccessful swindles, Ray takes a job in a strange new realm of the gig economy: trekking deep into the forest, pulling cable over miles of terrain to connect large, metal cubes that link together the new quantum trading market. As he is pulled deeper into the zone, he encounters growing hostility and the threat of robot cablers, and must choose to either help his fellow workers or to get rich and get out.
The production metSAG-AFTRA's diversity incentive by casting two transgender actors, Aquino and Mohseni, playingcisgender characters in major supporting roles.[2]Principal photography lasted 26 days, with 75% of the film taking place in the forest.[3]
Lapsis had its world premiere at theSXSW Film Festival on March 16, 2020,[4] and was then screened at several film festivals around the world. In August 2020,Film Movement acquired North American distribution rights to the film.[5] It was released invirtual cinemas andon demand and digital platforms in the United States on February 12, 2021.[6]Signature Entertainment released the film on digital platforms in the United Kingdom on July 5, 2021.[7]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 95% of 58 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The website's consensus reads: "Lapsis binds economic anxiety to an unsettling sci-fi story set in the not-too-distant future, with smartly inventive results."[8]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 74 out of 100, based on 5 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[9]
Dennis Harvey ofVariety described the film as "a clever indiepolitical satire of gig-worker economics" and commented, "As the performers maintain a relative poker face, the film's satire is largely a matter of tone and implication. Not the least contributor in that regard is Hutton's own original score, by turns antic and otherworldly."[10]
Jeannette Catsoulis ofThe New York Times stated, "The narrative eventually loses steam, but the movie's politics remain as low-key as its acting and as basic as its special effects.Lapsis isn't a polemic, it's a caricature, and all the more likable for having its claws sheathed in velvet."[11]
Robert Abele of theLos Angeles Times opined, "Lapsis is its own cleverly deadpan curio, with Hutton somehow creating a playground in which Imperial's naturalisticGandolfini-esque appeal, outspoken critiques of capitalism, and eccentrically menacing toy-like robots can all coexist without too much imagination strain."[12]
Kate Erbland ofIndieWire gave the film a grade of "B+" and remarked, "Hutton might not entirely stick the landing, but the pleasures ofLapsis extend beyond tidy conclusions and easy answers. Imperial, Wise, and the rest of a game cast never wink at what's happening around them, finding humor and revelations in equal measure."[13]
John DeFore ofThe Hollywood Reporter wrote, "Payment is precarious in a system that's obviously inspired by today's real gig-work arena, allowing Hutton to champion the underclass without seeming strident. Modest but engaging, the film avoids the sterile, placeless vibe that sometimes characterizes speculative tales like this."[14]
Matt Zoller Seitz ofRogerEbert.com gave the film 3 out of 4 stars and noted, "Lapsis has done such an outstanding job of cultivating aKafka-eque orBrazil-like sense of grinding yet hilarious despair that it feels weird and false when we're not in that headspace any longer."[15]
Phil Hoad ofThe Guardian gave the film 3 out of 5 stars and called it a "sensitive but flawed sci-fi comic dystopia." Hoad also stated, "Lapsis is admirably fired-up film-making, and certainly original, but – like many revolutions – gets bogged down as it fusses over the details."[16]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 36th Independent Spirit Awards | Best First Screenplay | Noah Hutton | Nominated | [3] |
| 2022 | 28thChlotrudis Awards | Best Production Design | Alexander Linde | Nominated | [17] |
