It's good to read what Esmail's intent was, but therein lies the problem with telling people how to view one's work: he says we need to feel and experience it, but I was relatively detached to the goings-on because I couldn't relate to much of the emotional responses shown within the film. If I knew the **** was hitting the fan to that global degree, I wouldn't be dancing to records or getting high and flirting by the pool, I'd be a nervous wreck having panic attacks--but that's not this film. True dreamscapes, I think, are more surreal than this....but also tend to be less accessible, though (see: David Lynch films).
+1 to this exactly. I watched this past weekend and was just "Meh". Lots of broad stereotypes in the characters - which I believe were hoping for visceral reactions based on which "tribe" we might see ourselves as.. based on nothing more than wardrobe. And could not get past the heavy handed music score instructing me this was a very serious, dramatic film.
If the goal / point of the film was to root for the animals over the humans... then maybe the film did achieve a small success with me.