Devs

If you have seen any of Garland's works, you pretty immediately know what kind of journey you are in for. With ex-Machina being extremely well thought through as a three-act story and Annihilation being a wile goose chase, this series so far falls in between. Personally, from the first 2 episodes I attained just enough apéritif ahead of the main dish of this story. Creepy mood? Hackers? Meta? Mysterious machine? Even more mysterious Nick Offerman? Sign me up! My advice is let go of the prejudices of our real world and let the story guide you step by step

First, let me start off by saying the story itself is fresh, creative and interesting. Definitely worth giving a shot if you're into the psychological thriller genre. For the most part, casting is on point. Nick Offerman as Forest, the enigmatic CEO of Amaya and Zach Grenier as Kenton, the Ex-CIA officer turned to head of Amaya security are both phenomenal in their roles. Offerman plays the role of his career, while Greniers character is this shows Mike Ehrmantraut. On the opposite end, the main protagonist and heroine, Lily, played by Sonoya Mizuno, is a gigantic casting error. She is by far the only quarrel that I have with the show itself and it's to the point where it becomes annoying because she lacks the qualities that a protagonist should have. Shes extremely monotone and has the same facial expressions regardless of her emotions. All in all, worth a watch. Recommended if you can bare with Mizunos acting.

The whole atmosphere and story is amazing, but I really can't figure out why the lead actor was chosen. She's as interesting as watching the grass grow, and as deep as a sheet of paper.

Describing what Alex Garland's DEVS is about would be spoiling it, which makes it a show that isn't easy to sell or advertise. And indeed, judging from the votes and reviews here on IMDb, it hasn't quite found its audience yet - and that, my friends, is a shame. This show, or rather this mini-series (consisting of 8 episodes), is excellent. Though granted: it's not for everyone. Some have described it as slow, but I'm not sure I agree. Moody perhaps, and there is an almost "ethereal" quality about it (for lack of a better word), but there is so much going on and it's such a thematically rich narrative that I was mesmerized throughout.

Also, there's a lot of understated humor in this compelling tale (if of the darker sort), and it would be a pity if people were turned off by certain reviews because they thought this was some bleak and depressive slog. What is true though is that if you don't find the central themes and ideas around which this show is built fascinating, there's a chance you won't like it (again: finding out what the show is about is part of the fun, so I won't give it away).

But even if DEVS' most satisfying thrills lie more in the concepts presented and less in spectacular action scenes or special effects, its structure is still that of a violent mystery thriller, and the production values are great. Every frame in this show looks gorgeous; the cast - especially Nick Offerman in an unusual turn (whose casting was simply a stroke of genius) and Zach Grenier (in a darkly funny role also playing against type) - is fantastic, and the show's unique, almost transcendent atmosphere is enhanced by a beautiful and haunting musical score by Geoff Barrow, The Insects and Ben Salisbury.

Admittedly, I'm a sci-fi nerd - and one who loved all of writer/director Alex Garland's previous work at that - but as far as I'm concerned, the creative mind behind such films as SUNSHINE, EX MACHINA or ANNIHILATION has once again crafted a beautiful and compelling piece of science fiction that confronts the viewer with fascinating ideas and philosophical questions (btw. if you want to check whether my taste in films generally aligns with yours or not, just click on my name at the beginning of this review and you'll find a list of my fifty favorite films).

DEVS may need a little more time to find its audience, but this mini-series is simply too good to be ignored. I'm positive it won't be for long.

Ponderous. Strange. Tense. Artistic. It's a brilliant piece of filmmaking that won't appeal to everyone. But if you like thoughtful scifi with strong drama and plot twists, this is for you. A bit of Kubrick meets Nolan. I loved the first two episodes and can't wait for more!