Rapid technological advancement has long been a rich subject for TV writers. One underappreciated series that takes full advantage of humanity’s unease over the future of tech is “Devs,” an FX on Hulu show that’s just as absorbing as the best “Black Mirror” episodes. In fact, “Devs” could be described as a mixture between “Black Mirror” and Rami Malek’s psychological techno-thriller series “Mr. Robot.” But what’s it about, exactly?
This gripping series stars Sonoya Mizuno, Nick Offerman, Jin Ha, Zach Grenier, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Cailee Spaeny, and Alison Pill. Mizuno plays Lily Chan, a tech worker who investigates a secret project at Amaya, the quantum computing company she works for. She believes the project is behind the death of her boyfriend, who died on his first day working for the company’s Devs team. Amaya’s CEO is played by Offerman, who brings his unique flavor to proceedings.
“Devs” earned a Certified Fresh score of 82% on Rotten Tomatoes and it was nominated for Emmys in the cinematography, sound editing, sound mixing, and special effects categories — it looks and sounds fantastic. “The tone is paramount — listen on headphones if possible,” The Wall Street Journal said in its review, adding, “And the visuals are arresting.” Elsewhere, the Independent said, “Its ambition, design and cinematography are beyond almost anything else attempted for the small screen.”
Devs was created by Alex Garland
All eight episodes of “Devs” were written and directed by London-born filmmaker Alex Garland. If you’re into science fiction, then you’ll no doubt recognize the name: After breaking out by penning the script for Danny Boyle’s “28 Days Later,” Garland wrote and directed the films “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation,” and he also provided the script for Boyle’s criminally underrated film “Sunshine.” He’s proven himself in the genre several times over on the big screen, though you could argue that “Devs” is actually Garland’s crowning sci-fi achievement.
One of Garland’s traits is crafting a story that actively engages the audience and forces them to ponder on what they would do in the situations he presents. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter about “Devs,” the Oscar-nominee said that the miniseries “has an enormous amount of space in the audience and the viewer’s willingness to step forward into the narrative as opposed to just having it fed to them.” If you’re willing to work for it, then “Devs” is a very rewarding experience, especially for fans of shows like “Black Mirror” and “Mr. Robot.”
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