Dinosaurs are the least terrifying thing in the sci-fi thriller 65

65The sci-fi film, starring Adam Driver in the role of an astronaut stuck on prehistoric Earth was finally released on Netflix and quickly became one of the most streamed movies on the platform. A lot’s been written about 65 since its theatrical release this past March, from the influence Ridley Scott’s Alien had on the film to how much writer-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods wanted to break the Jurassic Park franchise’s monopoly on scary action dinosaurs.

Fear of being attacked by a swarm of giant carnivorous animals while trying escape a looming meteor impact is driving forces behind 65’s story, something else about the film has stuck with me ever since I first caught it in theaters — something even more terrifying than man-eating dinosaurs. Apparently, according to this movie, capitalism and medical debt are inevitable, no matter where in the universe you’re born, or when.

[Ed. note: Spoilers ahead for 65.]

Photo: Patti Perret/Sony Pictures

As most people, I watched the movie. 65Adam Driver fighting dinosaurs in Earth’s past was my only expectation. At the very least, that’s what I expected going off the trailer. Little did I know that the film throws a curveball at the audience right at the start: Yes, Adam Driver’s character Mills is stranded on a prehistoric Earth, and yes, he does fight dinosaurs. However, he doesn’t time travel, and he isn’t even human. He’s an alien from a proto-human planet, Somaris, who took a shipping job to earn enough money to get treatment for his daughter, who has a life-threatening ailment.

This detail appears to be intended as an introduction to Mills, a relatable character with a personal stake to escape Earth, apart from his survival. This detail unintentionally brought up an issue that I couldn’t shake for the duration of the movie. Since when? PrometheusWhat movie has left me so baffled with questions, where implied answers just lead to more questions.

Why are the Somarisians similar to humans? Did Mills’ encounter on Earth somehow inadvertently seed human life on the planet, or did humanity arise independent of him? Why do all intelligent beings in the universe look like humans? Why does this highly advanced alien species that’s entirely divorced from human history even have the concept of shipping contractors, money, a salary, or commoditized medical treatment?

Photo: Patti Perret/Sony Pictures

If you’re anywhere close to as terminally online as I am, you may at some point have come across the concept of “capitalist realism.” Coined by the late political theorist Mark Fisher in his 2009 book Does Capitalist Realism Have an Alternative?The term is used to refer to the dominant notion that capitalism represents the only political and economic system viable for organizing society.

Fisher says that this notion has become so commonplace, it is impossible to imagine any alternative. Fisher cites several films, such as 2006’s Children of Men and 2008’s WALL-EThis perspective is reinforced by a variety of media, each in its own way. It doesn’t matter whether it is intentional or accidental. 65Another movie that supports capitalist realists. It’s set in a universe where predatory capitalism — the kind that turns lifesaving medical care into a purchasable product — is not only the organizing principle of civilization, it predates the history of human civilization entirely.

Photo: Patti Perret/Sony Pictures

We’re currently living through what many scholars, historians, and economists would describe as a second Gilded Age, an echo of a period in American history defined by economic inequality and monopolistic power increasing exponentially, in tandem with populist uprisings and technological innovation. No matter what the intention, 65’s opening feels like a reflection of a cultural moment where people feel increasingly incapable of imagining a world — You can also find out more about the following: world — that’s untouched by the power of capital and debt.

Ultimately, however, 65It is not concerned with larger themes and questions that are raised in its first minutes. It’s way more concerned with Mills’ personal journey of survival and retribution, which largely consists of traveling across vast stretches of jungle terrain and shooting dinosaurs with his fancy sci-fi beam rifle. But honestly, can anyone blame this film? It’s easier to imagine winning a fight against a dinosaur than it is to imagine the end of capitalism.

65Netflix now offers the film.