Kevin Christie (John Cusack) himself, the man behind the not only Jessica’s early days of medical experiments, but also a plan to sterilize three generations of people in order to stop overpopulation.Īlthough Christie was revealed to be Mr. ![]() drama “Utopia,” Gillian Flynn wanted to end on “one of those old-fashioned cliffhangers” in which the audience would be wondering, “How can our hero possibly get out of this?” she tells Variety.Īnd she succeeded whether you think the hero of the story is Jessica Hyde (Sasha Lane), a young woman who was raised in a secretive facility, treated as a lab rat, and became the central character in a comic book also called “Utopia” one of the nerds (as Flynn affectionally calls them), a rag-tag group of fans of the comic who first met online and then got pulled into the very real conspiracy hidden with the book’s pages or even Dr. The fan fervour is one thing, but Utopia’s unadulterated mayhem isn’t replicable – attempting to do so is a lost cause, especially without the genius composer Cristobal Tapia de Veer.SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched “ Utopia,” streaming now on Amazon Prime Video.įor the first season of her Amazon Prime Video adaptation of Dennis Kelly’s original U.K. Yet the man behind Mindhunter and Fight Club may have also struggled to outdo Channel 4’s cult series. Collaborating with HBO a year after the UK version was cancelled, he reportedly even cast most of the main roles before leaving over budget concerns. Credit: Prime VideoĪt one point, Seven filmmaker David Fincher was all over this adaptation. ![]() The new cast features many of the same characters ‘Utopia’ fans will recognise. The comic book violence is tossed aside too, which makes the whole experience feel like Flynn has decided to play it safe. Adeel Akhtar, Alexandra Roach and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett made a wonderful trio, but replacements Desmin Borges, Ashleigh LaThrop and Dan Byrd never come close to replicating their chemistry. Stakes are lowered with throwaway lines which try to make these characters feel more relatable – creator Dennis Kelly added black comedy, sure, but his actors were really talented. One of the worst components, though, is the dodgy humour that Flynn fills the script with. Influenza stemming from bats, experimental virology, protests and shady government dealings are all part of the story – mistaking it for the teatime news or your favourite conspiracy podcast would be understandable. Released in the midst of a global health crisis, Utopia is as timely as they come. ‘Utopia’ arrives on Amazon Prime Video this Friday (September 25). Christopher Denham is also much less likeable than Neil Maskell as Arby, who exists here as an amalgamation of murderous doll Chucky and A Clockwork Orange’s Alex DeLarge. Sadly, the character’s ethereal presence has been lost in translation, even if her killer instincts remain. Things take a Labyrinth-like turn when characters off the page start appearing in physical form, including Jessica Hyde, played by American Honey’s Sasha Lane who steps into Fiona O’Shaughnessy’s shoes. The first episode – directed by Black Mirror’s Toby Haynes – introduces Ian, Becky, Wilson, Grant and (US newcomer) Samantha as they meet up at a convention to check out the hallowed graphic novel Utopia. ![]() ![]() Getting Gone Girl scribe Gillian Flynn in as showrunner is a good start – can she deliver the goods?įeaturing genuine A-lister John Cusack as the self-proclaimed “extraordinarily dedicated scientist” Kevin Christie, Flynn’s remake reaches for the stars with its higher budget. A limited audience, despite the glowing reviews, meant the story was agonisingly cut short – and loyal fans have been clamouring for a return ever since. Broadcast on Channel 4, the original series was a cat-and-mouse conspiracy thriller which won acclaim over the course of two seasons. US remakes of British TV shows are often cannon fodder for critics (see The Inbetweeners, Spaced, Broadchurch), but Amazon Prime Video’s Utopia reckons it can break the trend.
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