Molli and Max — opposites attract in a scifi romcom bound to be a new classic

Molli and Max is a meeting of opposites melds opposing forces like nothing I’ve seen before. In genre, tone, character, color scale, and technology, it epitomizes the heart of true romance: finding a home in the absurd, sometimes impossible challenges of life. In doing so, it makes itself a fantastic recommendation for audiences. I would not consider myself a fan of romance films, and my wife doesn’t generally enjoy science fiction, but together we found a new favorite in Molli and Max. Its ability to collect its disparate elements and make them complimentary shows that writer/director Michael Litwak has a brave voice and command of genre that I am more than excited to explore in the future.

Molli and Max sets itself in a farflung, space fantasy future. Flying cars and space witches are so commonplace as to be mundane, and it’s in that mundanity that we find our two leads. Molli is a rare human with magical potential, struggling to find her place in the world. Max is an aspiring mech pilot, hiding his ethnicity as half fish person, centuries after a nearly successful genocide of his people. Over many years, planets and failed relationships, their encounters bring them together, split them apart, and force them to find a clarity that isn’t present in their daily lives. I can’t say enough about how much I adore Zosia Mamet and Aristotle Athari’s performances. Far from the typically vapid, vaguely but not really hot stars that make their way into Hollywood romances, they bring a humanity and vulnerability to their roles while somehow managing to be consistently hilarious. Whether in the absurd moments of space magic or the simple time spent getting to know one another, you never doubt that these characters are real people, thrust into the chaos of what, to them, is modern life.

The real magic of Molli and Max is that it never spins out of control, even as it gets weirder with every scene. This has all the ludicrous ideas of pulp fantasy or Guardians of the Galaxy, leaning hard into the ultra-tech of something like Rick and Morty, but with none of the pathetic, navel-gazing cynicism. Instead it uses these elements as a springboard, channeling by way of metaphor the feelings we’ve all had over the last few years: the loss, confusion, and purposelessness that makes us need to find love, and work to make it last.

Despite these disparate elements, Molli and Max fells remarkably cohesive. I was privileged to speak with Michael Litwak about how the film came together, and what drove it to succeed. He grew up in Los Angeles, falling in love with action films in his early years and Woody Allen’s character driven romcoms in his teenage years. Following an education at NYU, he spent years trying to get projects off the ground before COVID hit, shutting down much of the film industry. Like a few other films I’ve covered recently, these limitations forced some harsh creative decisions. Locked down, he rediscovered When Harry Met Sally, and set about trying to capture the feeling of living in a time of political, biological, and religious turmoil. Thus was Molli and Max conceived: a modern exploration of absurdity, envisioned as a science fantasy story both for thematic purposes and so that it could be shot on a small green screen/projected set.

While the planetary backdrops and deep space nebulae look wonderful, the film also features an impressive array of practical effects. Sarah Plata and Samson Smith’s makeup work created some spectacular aliens, and contribute to many of the best jokes. The many futuristic props lend weight and authenticity to the setting, but most impressive are probably the stop motion battle-mechs that contribute substantially to the story, and the miniatures that made up many of the sets. Violet Overn’s work as production designer deserves immense praise, somehow making a world of fish people, space witches, and quantum realms feel natural placed next to one another. I’m underselling all of these people, who took on many roles in a movie with a relatively tiny crew. Only about a dozen individuals were on set at a time, a necessary concession for a low budget pandemic-era production. Michael worked with Director of Photography Zach Stoltzfus to create the digital effects which form the movie’s backbone, quite literally. Those backdrops and effects are full of detail that you could easily miss; combined with careful plotting that plants many seeds for the future, they make the film valuable to rewatch. Violet’s work on the film’s color scheme helped to build much of the theming and emotions that it relies on. Characters and feelings are often color-coded, bringing contrasts together to form a more deliberative whole.

Written in 2020, Michael spent 18 months in preproduction, raising funds and building effects before the team began shooting. Principle photography was completed in July of 2022, and the team delivered insane efforts up until just before its premier at South by Southwest in November of 2023. Following a theater run in February of 2024, the film is now available on Amazon Prime, Google Play, Apple TV, and Youtube. It also has a Bluray release with behind the scenes features and outtakes.

Heartfelt, absurd, hilarious, and hand-made by a small crew, I truly believe the only thing keeping Molli and Max from world-wide acclaim is that not enough of you have heard of it yet. Cult or otherwise, this has all the makings of a classic, and I urge you to give it a try for yourselves. You can follow the movie on its Instagram page or Michael’s Personal website. Molli and Max will continue to find its audience. Nothing this rare and fun could go ignored for long.

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