Bliss (2021)

Bliss is special because it uses a sleek sci-fi premise as a doorway into something more intimate and bruisingly human: a romance that feels like a lifeline when reality itself can’t be trusted. Owen Wilson and Salma Hayek give committed, surprisingly raw performances that keep the film grounded even as it tilts into mind-bending territory, and the result lingers less as a puzzle box than as a mood—tender, unsettling, and strangely hopeful. Beneath the shifting perceptions, it quietly prods at big questions about addiction, escape, and what society chooses not to see, without turning into a lecture. It won’t be for everyone—its haze of uncertainty can be frustrating if you want clear answers—but if you’re open to a thoughtful, emotionally charged sci-fi love story, it’s absolutely worth the plunge.

Bliss is clearly aiming for a trippy, romantic sci-fi head-spinner about reality, addiction, and connection, with Owen Wilson and Salma Hayek going all-in on the emotional chaos. The problem is it often feels less “mind-bending” and more muddled, jumping between ideas without earning them, so the big themes land shallow and the story can come off incoherent rather than intriguing. If you need clear rules, satisfying answers, or a tight plot to stay invested, this can become tiresome fast. That said, if you’re in the mood for a messy, vibe-driven film with committed performances and you don’t mind ambiguity doing most of the heavy lifting, you might find enough here to ride it out.