The Squirrel is a unique science fiction film depicting a world where the humans have scrubbed away all grime and friction. In the process, nature and other living creatures have also been eradicated. They’ve been replaced by pet robots programmed to be docile, while sex has also been replaced by a clinical operation of ”restoring the equilibrium of hormonal imbalance”.
Writer-director Markus Lehmusruusu pokes fun at humanity and our tendency of avoiding unpredictability, while simultaneously gently smiling at our obsession with control. When the protagonist (Miro Lopperi) encounters a living squirrel, he is overjoyed – and promptly shoves the creature into a terrarium complete with a squirrel wheel.
Lehmusruusu has created a fascinating world by combining a streamlined future with a recognizable parallel reality. The film varies between a biting satire, a portrait of an authoritarian dystopia and a timid romance, and in the end, not really bothering much with the squirrel at all. Despite its title, The Squirrel is a nature documentary about the human condition.
Kaisu Tervonen