The Future (film)


The Future is a 2011 German-American drama film written, directed by, and starring Miranda July. The Future made its world premiere at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, where it was screened in the Premieres section. The film was nominated for the Golden Bear at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival.

Plot

The story involves a couple in their mid-30s, Sophie and Jason —whose relationship is on the rocks—and their plans to adopt an injured cat, Paw Paw. When the couple decides to adopt the stray cat, their perspective on life changes radically, testing their faith in each other and themselves.

Cast

The Future was born as a performance piece July had staged at The Kitchen, among other venues, in 2007.

Reception

The Future received generally positive reviews, holding a 71% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes; the consensus states "A dark and whimsical exploration of human existence that challenges viewers as much as it rewards them." On Metacritic, which uses an average of critics' reviews, the film has a 67/100, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Film critic Richard Brody says that it "captures the stasis, the loneliness, the waste of an unrealized life spent in head-down pursuit" and calls it a major work of art.
The film did not perform well at the box office, grossing only $568,290 domestically based on a $1 million budget.