Mike Cahill, who has already directed mind-bending movies including Another World and I Origins, will be directing the 2021 psychological thriller Bliss. The narrative centres on a man who had a bad marriage, was dismissed from his work, and then encountered a mysterious woman who tried to convince him that his reality was only a computer simulation. Salma Hayek and Owen Wilson play the two main characters in the ensemble. If seen from one angle, the movie is intriguing and presents a lot of issues. Here is an explanation of the plot and resolution of the 2021 film Bliss.
The Story of the Film Bliss
Everyone’s main concern is which world was reality. This movie, in my opinion, makes a lot more sense if you see it as a symbolic portrayal of one man’s struggle with drug addiction and eventual recovery.
The drawback of seeing Bliss as a science fiction movie
Quite too many plot flaws. Comparing it to movies like The Matrix, Inception, or The Thirteenth Floor is simple. The utopian world and a virtual one created by Dr. Isabel are both mentioned in the film Bliss as alternate realities. To fully experience Utopia after leaving the BrainBox, one can immerse their brains in a world from the early 21st century while inside the BrainBox. One potential side effect of the BrainBox is the potential loss of memories of one’s lives in Utopia in favour of adopting the persona and memories from the world within the BrainBox, which is essentially what happened to Greg.
If Kendo is merely another participant in the BrainBox project, why does he have those yellow and blue pills all to himself?
When Isabel is in the BrainBox, why does her personality change?
How is it possible for projections from the BrainBox to emerge in Utopia?
Why do partygoers acting agitated at Isabel’s congrats suddenly?
If Emily isn’t real, what is she doing in Utopia?
How could Greg capture an image of Isabel from a situation that hasn’t even happened?
Let’s attempt to follow the story while keeping in mind that the movie is metaphorical science fiction rather than literal.
What happened to Greg, and who is he?
Greg is a person who is severely addicted to drugs. His addiction looks to have destroyed his marriage in the past, which is why he is no longer living with his wife. He is presently residing in a motel. Arthur, his son, is unable to pardon Greg for the suffering he has caused the family. Yet, Emily, his daughter, still adores him and wishes for the day when he would find sobriety.
Greg’s substance misuse causes him to frequently nod off and draw pictures of a mansion he is daydreaming about, making it impossible for him to stay on to even a menial employment. Greg loses his job and finds himself homeless on the streets.
The Unreliable Narrator| Greg
There is a scene where Greg is snorting off-screen while the camera pans away from him in his office. After then, there is a sense of peace as background noises decrease, and this is when we first notice his wallet flickering. Since Greg, a heroin addict, is narrating the movie from his point of view, it’s possible that nothing we see is actually happening.
Destroying the Boss
When Greg is let go, he stands up and accidentally kills his boss, Bjorn. Bjorn is knocked over by the force of him standing up, crashing with his head on the table and passing away. Very unrealistic? Definitely, as it is likely not real. Greg can only think of this. Bjorn appears to be alive later in the movie, and when Greg approaches him, he contacts security. Isabel explains that Bjorn was rebooted as the cause. Yes, just like the Matrix Deja Vu scene. But if we choose to stick with the metaphor, Bjorn never passed away, and in his words, Greg is an unemployed drug addict whom he previously dismissed and who might be dangerous, so he contacts security.
So, if Isabel isn’t Greg’s wife, who is she?
Isabel is a metaphor for addiction; she stands in for seduction. She declares, “You’re my soul mate.” Greg’s escape from the hard realities of his existence is Isabel, who also symbolises a more serious degree of addiction. To put it simply, Isabel is a drug addict who is homeless and may or may not be a streetwalker. Greg pulls away from his daughter as he starts spending time with Isabel. Isabel gives Greg a strong impression that his world is unreal, which helps him let go of all guilt for being unemployed and distant.
What are those crystals in yellow?
Drugs are plainly shown by the yellow crystals. After Greg is on drugs, he starts to imagine having superpowers and being able to command everyone. If you ignore the sci-fi aspect of the film, all of this is just Greg high on some new drug.
What are the blue crystals, then?
The blue crystals, which are even stronger medications, signify Greg’s continued drug usage. Greg initially wakes up in Utopia after ingesting the blue crystals. Even though he has no memory of his time in Utopia, everything makes sense to him. Greg immediately acknowledges that it is his eternal joy and that he never wants to go. His handy retreat to a made-up life in which Greg is well-off, happily married to Isabel, and a marginally successful inventor is this so-called “real world.”
Why Greg’s idea of Utopia might be the only one?
Greg created the Thought Visualizer in this fake utopia because he is constantly at a loss for the appropriate words to express his emotions. He continues saying, “I have so many thoughts I wish you could see,” to his daughter.
Consider Isabel’s absurd explanation of how a society marred by poverty and pollution came to be this utopian paradise.
Environmental issues have all been resolved by synthetic biology. All.
Mountains of new money were brought in via asteroid mining. And the man who owned the asteroid mining corporation suddenly started handing out all this free money. Sure.
All the time-consuming work was started by the robots.
Isabel’s experiment contains a fictional version of Greg’s terrible existence.
Does it seem too wonderful to be true? That’s most likely true, too.
In my opinion, Greg is lying to himself and the entire Utopia story is a convenient fabrication.
How is the universe of BrainBox influencing Utopia?
Utopia does not exist; it only exists in Greg’s head, to put it simply. The truth is that he’s lying down somewhere and severely dizzy. The only thing keeping Greg on a hinge is his love for Emily. He remembers Emily luring him back to reality by appearing in a ghostly guise.
Greg’s superpowers in Utopia| how is that possible?
Again, none of that is happening; all he is doing is combining medicines, which are having a negative impact on his brain. The supply runs out eventually, and they have to go get more.
Does Isabel really end Kendo’s life?
It’s difficult to say. Isabel may be viewed as a metaphor for temptation, and Kendo could be viewed as the provider persona. Because it’s difficult to get away with murder and carjacking, I deem it improbable that these truly occurred. The murder, in my opinion, serves as a metaphor for how challenging it is to obtain the blue crystals. Greg might, however, have gotten caught up in a police chase and managed to get away. Maybe it wasn’t a murder, but rather more of a drug bust where the police are chasing suppliers rather than addicts. This experience has woken Greg awake. He suddenly realises how beautiful the truth he’s been ignoring is, and he decides to accept it.
Which reality is genuine in the movie “Bliss”?
The conclusion of the film Bliss demonstrates Greg’s capacity to let go of Isabel, the source of his temptation to indulge in drug use, and to accept life. Greg admits to having a drug problem, signs up for treatment, and affirms that his daughter is real. This is the first step in the right direction for his recovery, and as time goes on, he cleans up and gets back together with Emily.
Emily is the only aspect of Greg’s life that is true, despite the fact that we are repeatedly told in the movie that she doesn’t exist. Because of her love for him, she manages to gradually turn him around and help him overcome his addiction. Greg ultimately fulfils his vow to meet his daughter in the closing scene.
What did you think of the Bliss movie’s conclusion? Please leave a remark below.
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