In a post-apocalyptic world where Earth's atmosphere has become toxic, a young scientist named Sam Walden (Margaret Qualley) searches for a way to save the planet. She meets a man named Micah (Anthony Mackie) who is racing to catch the last shuttle off the planet, but Sam is torn between leaving with him and staying behind to continue her work. As they journey together, they discover a new queen bee that has hatched in Sam's hive, which is immune to the toxic air. They also grow closer and become romantically involved. However, when they are informed that the shuttle launch is rescheduled to another site, farther away than the original, Sam decides to stay behind and continue her work. The film ends with Sam standing alone on a beach, having decided to stay and try to save the planet, while Micah travels alone to the spaceship. The voiceover of a letter from Sam to Micah reveals that she has discovered that she is immune to the toxic air and that she is waiting for those who have left the planet to return.

You can stream IO on:

Some movies that have similar genres and were produced around the same time as IO include Prospect, Stage V, One and the Same, The Osiris Child, Crossbreed, Solitary.