Experience the Mind-Bending Sci-Fi Thriller ‘Constellation’ on a Major Streaming Platform

Apple TV+ will soon be launching another sci-fi series, “Constellation”. We were able to watch the first three episodes of the psychological thriller in advance and we'll tell you how much we liked them in our series preview.

With “For All Mankind” or “Foundation”, Apple TV+ was able to win the hearts of numerous sci-fi fans worldwide. With “Constellation”, another genre offshoot is now in the starting blocks, which promises to be a dark journey. In the psychological thriller we accompany Noomi Rapace (“Prometheus – Dark Signs”) as astronaut Jo as she falls into madness.

We were able to watch the first three episodes of the series in advance and we will tell you below in our first impression whether you should accompany Jo on this trip.

Reality is a conspiracy

Jo is part of a team carrying out research on board the International Space Station (ISS). However, one day everything goes wrong: something hits the ISS, an astronaut dies and Jo voluntarily stays behind to save the rest of her colleagues. Alone in space, she increasingly begins to doubt her perception. She thinks she hears noises or sees things more and more often. But is this all really happening?

Some time later, with great effort, Jo also manages to return to Earth safely. She is happy to finally be able to be with her daughter Alice (Rosie Coleman) again, but Jo soon notices more hallucinations. Furthermore, it seems as if some of her memories no longer match those of her family – but how can this be and what could be the reason for this?

Of course we won't tell you that here, but we had fun putting the various pieces of the puzzle together during the first three “Constellation” episodes. At least we were able to develop one or two possible explanations. However, the story is a bit predictable at times and loses a bit of its appeal. This is particularly unfortunate in the case of a psychological thriller.

In addition, the pacing, i.e. the narrative pace of the sci-fi series, is very leisurely, especially at the beginning. In a sense, you can expect a “slow burn” here, which later becomes noticeably more exciting and gripping. However, this occasionally very calm narrative style may not necessarily be for everyone.

A cast in top form

The fact that “Constellation” still manages to captivate is largely thanks to leading actress Noomi Rapace, who is simply in a fantastic mood. She always manages to credibly convey the returning astronaut's increasing desperation and paranoia. When Jo begins to doubt whether Alice is really her daughter because she smells different than usual, the actress conveys this fear very convincingly.

Alice actress Rosie Coleman also deserves special praise at this point, whose dynamic with Rapace is great to watch. While Jo no longer knows what to believe after her return, Alice understandably takes this too. Coleman conveys the increasing fear and helplessness as she doesn't know how to deal with her mother's breakdowns brilliantly.

In general, there is nothing wrong with the acting in “Constellation” because the entire cast is in a great mood. This includes, for example, Jonathan Banks (“Better Caul Saul”), with whom director Michelle Maclaren (“The X-Files – The Sinister Cases of the FBI”) already worked together on the hit series “Breaking Bad”. In Apple's new sci-fi series, Banks plays an aging astronaut named Henry.

The cast of “Constellation” is rounded off by other well-known faces such as MCU actor James D’Arcy (“Agent Carter”) and Barbara Sukowa (“Daliland”). Overall, those responsible for the latest Apple TV+ production have put together a great cast.

Open questions

In addition, there is little to criticize about the series in terms of craftsmanship. The makers rely on lots of close-ups and clever cuts as well as camera pans to let us feel Jo's increasing desperation. The cold aesthetics, both on board the International Space Station and on Earth, further help to convincingly convey to us her loneliness and her feeling of being lost in a place she knows.

Furthermore, all sorts of questions remain unanswered about the great mystery that “Constellation” creates. Thinking with Jo about what is actually going on here and where her hallucinations could come from is always exciting.

Of course, after three episodes, many questions remain unanswered, but we'd rather not discuss why that is so at this point.

The musical background is also very well done, as it always manages to underline the characters' situation in a positively ominous way. Unfortunately, we can't tell you anything about the German dubbing yet, as we saw the first three episodes in the original English language.

“Constellation” premieres on Apple TV+ on February 21, 2024.