Brave New World

Are better left alone. I don't understand why they don't make something new and give it its own name. This is so loosely based on the book, I feel the people behind it read the wiki plot summary and that's it. And even that summary was mostly ignored. Most of what made Brave New World so significant as a work of fiction was lost here.

As a sci fi show it isn't even half bad. If it would stand on its own, I would give it a 7 or 8. But as an adaptation of Brave New World, it's a 3 and that is generous.

Good production, good acting, great conceptual themes. Pacing is excellent. Sound tracking is excellent. Very binge-able. It's set in the brave new world setting, but its it's own story. Don't expect a re-make of the book.

The dialogue, the acting, the camera work, the visual effects, the soundtrack, the sets and costumes, the seamless editing. As a film student, I'm blown away. One of the most engaging series I've ever seen. I was absolutely shocked when I saw the negative reviews. Did we watch the same show? Then I realized: unlike me, these people have read the book. They expected the series to follow the book, and got upset when they realized it didn't. I, on the other hand, had no expectations, I just knew it was gonna be a sci-fi story. And I enjoyed every minute of it. It makes me really sad to see people ruin its rating with 1-star reviews because they can't accept adaptations doing their own thing.

You'll notice a lot of the negative reviews come from people who didn't make it past the pilot episode. The pilot isn't reflective of the series as a whole and if you find your way to the end of the next episode, you'll be hooked. Having read the book, don't expect a like for like adaption but the series is still rewarding with some great acting talent, intriguing characters/plot and some lovely visuals. Well worth a watch.

Fans of the book can happily skip this. It might be loosely based on Aldous Huxley's groundbreaking book but it never manages to have the same impact as it. Making a 9 episode series out of a book that has a little bit over 300 pages, while avoiding the most thought-provoking parts of it, also didn't help.

There are things to like: good actors, the sets are gorgeous and the first three/four episodes are interesting enough.

There are also things to dislike: the writing is not always on point, the subject matter is watered down and after a promising beginning it becomes a soap set in a dystopian future. Especially episodes 6, 7 and 8 are just filler with an abundance of (modest) sex scenes and character development that feels forced.