Just a few weeks after the grand finale of “Constellation” includes Apple TV+ “Dark Matter” a new sci-fi series is in the running. Over the years, the streaming service has become perhaps the best destination for fans of the genre, but can the new show join the VOD provider's ranks of great science fiction stories? We have already been able to watch all nine episodes and will give you an answer in our series review.
A little information in advance: We watched the series in the original English language. Unfortunately, we can't tell you anything about the German dubbing below.
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What if…?
The focus of “Dark Matter” is Jason Desson, who teaches physics as a professor and is happily married to his wife Daniella, with whom he has a son. He seems content with the life they have built together in Chicago and is clearly enjoying the role of family man and husband. But after visiting a bar with a long-time friend, Jason's life turns into a nightmare.
A mysterious man threatens him with a gun, injects him with an unknown substance and disappears again. When our protagonist comes to, many things seem different than he remembered them. As it later turns out, Jason has ended up in an alternate reality, an alternate version of what his life could have been. Will he be able to return to his world and take his life back?
If the plot sounds familiar to you, it might be because you stumbled across the show's template. This is based on the novel “The Runner of the Ages” written by Blake Crouch. If you don't know the novel, whose plot is stretched out with some somewhat unnecessary filler elements: Don't worry, we won't tell you how the story ends. This is one of the series' greatest strengths.
However, in our opinion the story needed some time to really get going. To be honest, the Sony Pictures Television production only fully captivated us from episode 3 onwards. Before that, the plot was a bit too predictable in some aspects, but the great production, the exciting mysteries and the strong cast kept us watching again and again of “Dark Matter”.
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Do you regret your decisions?
The question that always looms over everything is “Do you regret your decisions?” Surely each of us has experienced moments that we looked back on much later and asked ourselves “What could have been if I had decided differently back then?” Sometimes it's these moments that stay with us for a long time and that may make us regret not having done something different in the end.
This gives the multiverse drama “Dark Matter” a particularly emotional touch and at least we were able to empathize better and better with Jason’s emotional world as the story progressed. While there are many scientific concepts explored throughout the sci-fi series, what sets it apart is its heart. It's about people, their decisions and the dilemmas that can arise from them, and that's really gripping.
However, that doesn't mean that the world or worlds into which the Apple TV+ show takes us are not also captivating. Jason travels through different realities, some in the merciless grip of the forces of nature, others devoid of hope. These play their part in ensuring that we as viewers stayed tuned. The makers of the sci-fi series repeatedly skilfully play with the viewers' ignorance and often throw out just enough breadcrumbs so that we can put together new theories for ourselves as to how our main character's odyssey can continue.
So everything is great with “Dark Matter”? Well, almost. Up to this point we were full of praise for the exciting story, but a few things bothered us in the end. Apart from the little things we've mentioned so far, we occasionally had the impression that the series wasn't always able to fully live up to its potential. This multiverse offers endless possibilities, but some ideas are only treated superficially.
We have nothing to complain about when it comes to the acting in the new Apple TV+ show. Those responsible have brought together an excellent cast who harmonize wonderfully with each other and have convincing chemistry in their scenes together. However, one in particular outshines his co-stars: lead actor Joel Edgerton.
Joel Edgerton at his best
Many people probably know the Hollywood star from roles in the drama “Warrior”, the Bible film “Exodus: Gods and Kings” or the thriller “Zero Dark Thirty”. He also played a supporting role in the “Star Wars” episodes II and III, playing the role of Owen Lars, whom he most recently portrayed in “Obi-Wan Kenobi”. However, Edgerton hasn't acted as well and nuanced as he did in “Dark Matter” for a long time and he's great fun to watch.
Since he plays the central characters of the series with both Jasons, Joel Edgerton is of course particularly in focus and he masters this challenge with flying colors. It's a very fine game that he shows here and that always made us wonder whether there might be a similar darkness lurking in “our” Jason as in his counterpart from the parallel dimension. In short: Edgerton shines in this gripping sci-fi series!
But the other actors, as already briefly mentioned, also know how to convince. Jennifer Connelly (“Hulk”) plays Jason’s wife Daniella, equally mysterious and multifaceted, and Alice Braga (“I Am Legend”) is an interesting ex-partner of the evil Jason. There are also other strong mimes with Jimmi Simpson (“Westworld”) and Dayo Okeniyi (“Rise”). If you like great acting, you'll get your money's worth here.
Furthermore, we can't say much against “Dark Matter” in terms of craftsmanship. A few alternative realities are not necessarily all that visually exciting and the quality of the CGI also varies a bit, but the good camera work and the extremely successful editing more than make up for this. The overall positive audiovisual impression is rounded off by the wonderfully atmospheric soundtrack, which wonderfully accompanies the events surrounding Jason.
“Dark Matter” premieres exclusively on Apple TV+ on May 8, 2024.