Parts Per Billion (2014)

In the midst of a manmade biological disaster and a terrible fate, three couples try to find meaning in their lives.

Director:

Brian Horiuchi

Writer:

Brian Horiuchi

Stars:

Frank Langella, Gena Rowlands, Rosario Dawson

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Frank Langella	...	Andy
Gena Rowlands	...	Esther
Rosario Dawson	...	Mia
Josh Hartnett	...	Len
Teresa Palmer	...	Anna
Penn Badgley	...	Erik
Alexis Bledel	...	Sarah
Hill Harper	...	Rick
Stephen Sowan	...	Jabe
Jon Prescott	...	Jay
Reis Ciaramitaro	...	Terran
Valerie Hurt	...	Tracy
Matt Lockwood	...	Jon
Conor Leslie	...	Des
Sonya A. Avakian	...	Carol Goto (as Sonya Avakian)

Storyline

The interwoven stories of three couples which are forced to make life altering decisions in the face of a disastrous war. Inspired and sometimes blinded by their love, Len, Mia, Andy, Esther, Anna and Erik are as flawed and beautiful as any of the billions who are facing this human-made biological disaster.

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Plot Keywords:

proposing marriage on bended knee | reference to the white house | sealing a door | sex scene | reference to muhammad | 

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Taglines:

Will Love Survive?

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and brief sexuality

Did You Know?

Goofs

The recipient of Sachs' check changes from "Ben Sachs" to "Ben Miller" in successive shots.

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Connections

References On the Beach (1959)

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Soundtracks

Detroit Blues
Written by Mark Kilian
Performed by Mark Kilian & the Catz

User Reviews

Amazingly depressing...and I am not exaggerating about this!

"Parts Per Billion" is a film written and directed by Brian Horiuchi. It's very well made—with some really nice acting. However, it's also one of the most depressing films you could ever watch and I don't think most folks would want to see a film quite like this—especially since it seems very obvious where all this is headed.

When the film begins, you learn that some sort of biological weapon was unleashed in the Middle East. Soon, folks in that part of the world start dropping dead and it seems like the weapon will spare no one in the immediate area. However, when the effects start spreading globally, it seems like perhaps no one will be left alive. However, this film is not so much about this directly but how a few individuals react to all this. Some fight desperately to survive, some ignore the inevitable and some can't stand to face life in this post-apocalyptic world and are ready to just give up. Naturally, these scenarios are depressing and the film keeps cutting back from one story to the next.

The film stars a few famous folks—with some really nice performances by veteran actors Frank Langella and Gena Rowlands as well as Josh Hartnett and Rosario Dawson (among others). The direction is also good, though in a few scenes I was annoyed by a modern filming technique which I think is way overused—the unsteady cam (it can make you nauseous if you see too much of this on the big screen). But the combination of the music, writing, acting and director's touch is quite good.

I am going to make this review rather short. Suffice to say if you like Robin Cook stories about pandemics, then you'll probably enjoy "Parts Per Billion" (well, enjoy might not be the right word for this). However, it's a lot more depressing than most of Cook's doom and gloom scenarios—much! Well made but so thoroughly unpleasant I am not sure who would really want to see this one. My advice is see it if you want, but if you are suffering from depression or are worried that this one might make it tough for you to sleep, I suggest you try something else. Well done but awful to watch at times.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 January 2015 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Parts Per Billion

Filming Locations:

Detroit, Michigan, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,300,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Benaroya Pictures, Miscellaneous Entertainment, PalmStar Media

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1