Bliss
A recently divorced, unemployed man joins a street-dwelling woman in questioning whether their polluted world is real or simulated.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- dreamy
- melancholic
- disorienting
- thought provoking movie night
- indie science fiction night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film ambitious in its mind-bending science-fiction ideas but undermined by confusing exposition, sentimental writing, and underdeveloped themes.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Isabel interprets the polluted world as a computer simulation, and Greg gradually tests whether her belief has evidence.
Greg and Isabel fall in love as Greg must decide whether Isabel's worldview is delusional or perceptive.
Greg's divorce and job loss leave him vulnerable to Isabel's radical account of reality.
The broken world surrounding Greg and Isabel is set against the possibility that another, better reality exists beyond it.
Films like Bliss, and why
The Matrix
Shared reality-questioning science fiction, romantic bond, and emotionally unstable protagonists confronting a possibly artificial world.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Shared dual-reality premise, intimate romance, and speculative ideas about perception and personal agency.
The Truman Show
Shared surreal science fiction drama, unstable reality, and characters struggling to distinguish psychological experience from external truth.
The Adjustment Bureau
Shared emotionally charged speculative romance built around competing interpretations of reality and technology.
Movie Details
- Director
- Mike Cahill
- Release Date
- 2021-02-05
- Runtime
- 104 min
- Rating
- 5.5 / 10 (683)
Cast
- Owen Wilson
- Salma Hayek Pinault
- Nesta Cooper
- Jorge Lendeborg Jr.
- Ronny Chieng
- Steve Zissis
- Joshua Leonard
- Madeline Zima
- Bill Nye
- Slavoj Žižek
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Bliss about?
- A recently divorced, unemployed man joins a street-dwelling woman in questioning whether their polluted world is real or simulated.
- What is Bliss like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Bliss as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Bliss violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Bliss.
- What did critics think of Bliss?
- Critics broadly found the film ambitious in its mind-bending science-fiction ideas but undermined by confusing exposition, sentimental writing, and underdeveloped themes.
- Which films are like Bliss?
- Films with a similar feel include The Matrix, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Truman Show, and The Adjustment Bureau.
- How long is Bliss?
- Bliss runs 104 minutes.
- Where can I watch Bliss?
- In United States, Bliss streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
