The busy madness in “Utopia” is practically its own brand. And like how style can function in filmmaking, the surprises are flashy enough to cover up that this story isn’t saying much about what it's representing, that each time it goes deeper into its conspiracy, it’s saying little about modern times except “Yeah, but what if?”. Even more than with its editing or cinematography, its twisty nature becomes a memorable style itself. It’s a matter more of whether they’re effective, and at the beginning, they feel more desperate than overtly clever. Michael Stearns, enters the picture thinking that he can help cure a virus that has put entire schools of dying children into quarantine.įrom the very beginning, "Utopia" tries to create momentum from its twists. By no coincidence, the conspiracies enflame when Rainn Wilson's virologist character, Dr.
#Utopia book gillian flynn series
When he asks everyone, "What have you done today to earn your place in this crowded world?", you believe he's genuinely interested in the answer.Ī massive show like this relies on its plotting, and "Utopia" splits the difference: it’s so meticulous and also so obvious when it does force some information, or leans into a coincidence to keep the story going. But true to Christie’s question that he asks the people he lords over-everyone here has a clear purpose, and once the stakes of the series move beyond securing a comic book, “Utopia” gets a special kick in watching these pieces converge. You’re not entirely sure you believe his endgame, but you do believe how his paternal approach would be so powerful across many lives, without registering as overtly sinister. His story-which I can’t get into-does bring out the bigger problems of “Utopia,” in that it’s so sprawling that it’s hard to keep track of who knows what when, but Cusack provides a unique depiction of power. Kevin Christie, who runs his shady biochemical business like a big family. Playing a role practically suited for his more gentle, whispery presence that some storytellers can render monotone, Cusack is compelling as the mega-rich innovator Dr.
“Utopia” has another standout: a worthwhile role from John Cusack, giving one of his best performances in a long while. She becomes both the heavy and the emotional center for the story, as the comic book fans are more like a team of sidekicks as they seek to understand the comic and its creator. Lane is a true force in the series, impulsive and unflinching when it comes to getting what she wants, while cloaking her own emotional turmoil in a ruthless nihilism. She helps guide the story toward its more fascinating idea of the conspiracy depicted in the comic, and the real backstory behind its mysterious creator. Almost in a way that parodies shows that hem and haw before killing off someone major, “Utopia” does it practically to save space, and moves on.Īnd then, from out of the story of “Dystopia” pops Jessica Hyde ( Sasha Lane) in real life, looking for answers with the forced help of the nerds. It’s in part because of this obsession with the comic book that we don’t share, even if the characters are daffy enough to be amusing in pursuing it, screaming their heads off. Especially with its abrasive violence early on, "Utopia" is unable to create a rich edginess when showing its ruthless side instead it comes off as forceful. Our conspiracy nerds are now targets, and the series puts them on the run as a new virus starts to infect schoolchildren in America.ĭespite so much going on, the first couple episodes in the series are bizarrely glacial. The first episode of "Utopia" in particular racks up a big body count, seemingly out of nowhere. No one has even read this comic book yet, found in a random man's home, and yet people will kill for it. Things quickly becomes violent when Arby ( Christopher Denham) and Rod (Michael B. First, it all goes down at a comic convention outside Chicago, in which people like Ian ( Dan Byrd), Wilson ( Desmin Borges), Samantha ( Jessica Rothe), and Becky (Ashleigh LaThrop) try to coordinate their bids to get it together. In episode one, "Utopia" appears, and a hunt begins. Rabbit, “Dystopia” was treated as a type of decoder for previous pandemics, garnering not just cosplay fans but those who who connected the imagery to different epidemics in real-life, and obsessed about the next installment. “Utopia” starts with the comic book that gives it its name-a meticulously illustrated comic book meant to follow up the previous “Dystopia.” The story of a girl named Jessica Hyde and a figure named Mr.
0 kommentar(er)
