Jump to the good stuff: The Story | Some Thoughts | The Final Verdict
The Story:
Liquid Sky is a sci-fi movie about Margaret (Anne Carlisle), a bisexual model being watched by a UFO that is parked on the roof of the penthouse apartment she shares with her girlfriend, Adrian (Paula E. Sheppard).
Adrian is a musician and drug dealer. She’s not at all loving towards Margaret, choosing to boss her around. And because of Adrian’s profession, strange men often come into their apartment, and some of them have their way with Margaret.
Since the aliens are looking for a substance similar to heroin that is produced in the brain during orgasm, this is an ideal location for them. Each time a man orgasms, they mysteriously plant a crystal shard in their skulls, killing them. Since the crystal shard just appears, Margaret never sees the aliens.
The first time it happens, Margaret is confused, then slowly begins to think that something is being nice to her. And since she doesn’t know about the UFO on her roof, she’s not sure who or what is doing it. But when it happens again, she becomes torn and begins to warn people about having sex with her.
And that’s the basic story for Liquid Sky.
Some Thoughts:
With its bright colors, edgy characters, and outrageous plot, Liquid Sky will either pull you in or turn you off. This is the type of movie you should watch knowing very little, so I’m going to discuss it without giving away any central elements.
becomes torn and beings to warn people thaEverything about Liquid Sky works. The soundtrack, script, and visuals come together for an entertaining and bizarre experience. Even the bad acting enhances the film, making the delivery of outrageous lines seem reasonable.
The film has a large cast of character, a scientist studying the aliens, drug addicts, photographers, and other models. Other than the scientist, the other characters are a bit unsavory. And Margaret wanders around them as if in a haze.
There are two defining monologues in Liquid Sky. The first is delivered by Adrian in poetic form. She punches herself to keep time as she gives a eulogy to a dead man. The monologue defines who she is and her world view.
The other monologue comes near the end of the film and is delivered by Maragaret. It’s about where she comes from, the expectations placed upon her, and her view of society. It does a great job defining Margaret while giving reason to the final scene.
The Final Verdict:
Liquid Sky is so full of unrelatable characters that it has to rely on story and visuals to draw the viewer in. And although it’s very much a product of its time, its themes of sexual identity and gender roles make it relevant today. It’s imaginative, daring, groundbreaking, and a fine example of independent filmmaking from the 1980s.
