Spaceship Earth (film)
Spaceship Earth is a 2020 American documentary film directed by Matt Wolf about the 1991 experiment that saw eight individuals spend two years quarantined inside of a self-engineered replica of Earth's ecosystem, dubbed Biosphere 2. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2020, and was released in the United States on May 8, 2020, by Neon. Premise. Using archived footage and present-day interviews, the film follows the large dome that featured a replica of earth's ecosystem called Biosphere 2, constructed in the Arizona desert. Trying to see if it  is possible to establish human existence on other planets, eight "biospherians" go to live inside the vivarium, where they face ecological issues and accusations of cult-mentalities. Reception. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of based on reviews, with an average rating of . The site's critics consensus reads: ""Spaceship Earth" achieves liftoff as an engaging behind-the-scenes record of an audacious experiment -- and settles into orbit as poignant proof of the power of a shared dream." Metacritic assigned the film an average weighted score of 73 out of 100, based on 26  critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". John DeFore of "The Hollywood Reporter" wrote: "Using both present-tense interviews and footage from the time, Wolf shows how things nearly fell apart. But he also captures the seriousness of purpose behind what some saw as a giant publicity stunt — and convinces us that this was a one-of-a-kind way to learn some of the things humanity will need to know as this world changes and others are considered for habitation."