Earlier on there is a sign posted FIRST CONTACT the title of one of the Star Trek The Next Generation films, it refers to the first contact of Earthlings with Aliens. But,’Landscape’ is more like the eighties science fiction film V which depicts lizard like creatures who look like humans take over the World.
The aliens in Landscape (Vuvv) appear to have gained control of the economic engine on Earth. What appears to be an inventive alien species, create sufficient technology that most jobs traditionally on Earth are gone.
The aliens have the power to rate the value of various activities and control the Earth’s population through that tool. A young teenage artist and his girl friend find that broadcasting their dating life ,the aliens will pay them significantly. The dark side occurs when the romance begins to fail the Vuvv demands all payment back or servitude for their full family for years in the future.
The script does not take the time to explain how the Vuvv took over the economic system, Perhaps it’s just symbolic of the fear that technology will rule over humans in the future. But for the flow of the story it is difficult to accept that control of the folks on Earth was taken control in what apples to be a bloodless revolution.
The direction by Cory Finley lack the tension that should have arisen at some time during the take over, everyone appears to have accepted the new Vuvv rules in a passive manner.
With little tension, pressure, anger or rebellion the characters, without any highs or lows the film just sits on the screen from scene to scene with just enough movement to keep us awake.