Devs

I was really looking forward to it because of Alex Garland, but in the end it’s nothing but pretentious nonsense with terrible casting! In the first episode, DEVS manages to hook you up, and several of the following episodes manage rather successfully to keep the illusion that something will happen and that the series is about something. But bollocks. The “young software engineer Lily Chan” advertised in the HBO text above is probably the least interesting protagonist of a series ever, and the script that pushes her into the role of an exceptional woman who (maybe) is able to alter history on her own is incredibly bizarre and ridiculous, as it has no basis on her real actions. The same applies to almost everything in the series. It looks like something almost divine, but it’s absolutely empty! (03/05/2020)

An elegant explanation of the theory of quantum prediction under Garland’s balanced and imaginative direction. The classic plot about a murderous tech corporation concerns nothing less than everything and offers a new perspective on ideas previously developed in other sci-fi movies. The package presented here has great visuals and chilling music by Salisbury that transforms some sequences into thoroughbred horror. The romantic storyline is a bit dumb (stiff dialog), although that could be explained by the emotional stupidity and blindness of the people involved. The best series so far in 2020. It’s not a V, it’s a U. It’s an in-joke. (01/05/2020)

Devs is one of those shows that absolutely dominates with its visuals and concept, but kind of sidesteps the usual appeal of a series—where the characters are what pull you back in. Here, I kept returning not because I was deeply attached to the characters, but because I couldn’t get the stunning imagery Alex Garland crafted out of my head. I had to keep watching, and after eight episodes, I was left feeling like I’d just witnessed something truly unique. Garland has already proven he’s a master of tech-heavy, mind-bending sci-fi, and Devs is no different. It’s dense, conceptually challenging, and packed with scientific explanations that, as someone who isn’t exactly a physics genius, went way over my head. But honestly, that didn’t matter. The visuals alone were enough to keep me hooked. Every episode opens with some mind-blowingly well-crafted scene, and if you’ve got a love for sci-fi, you’re in for a treat. Devs is, without a doubt, a hidden gem. (05/03/2021)