Screenwriter's Series: Alex Garland
The Screenwriters Series will examine the filmography of a screenwriter with the hope of finding out what helped them break into the industry or continue to find success. "Story By" credits will not be used: only films with official WGA Screenplay credit per IMDb will be used. This includes screenplays with multiple writers that may or may not have collaborated.
THIS MONTH'S SCREENWRITER: Alex Garland
MOVIE: Devs (2020)
Starring:
Sonoya Mizuno as Lily
Nick Offerman as Forest
Jin Ha as Jamie
Cailee Spaeny as Lyndon
Stephen McKinley Henderson as Stewart
Alison Pill as Katie
Zack Grenier as Kenton
Karl Glusman as Sergei
Jefferson Hall as Pete
Director: Alex Garland
Plot:
Computer engineer Lily and her coder boyfriend Sergei both work for the prestigious giant tech company Amaya. After Sergei's predictive algorithm impresses Forest, who runs the mysterious and selective DEVS, it earns him an invitation to join their fold. While there, he discovers DEVS has created a groundbreaking technology that will change the world. Shortly after, Sergei goes missing and a few days later is found dead of an apparent suicide. With the help of her ex-boyfriend Jamie, Lily begins to look into his suicide which leads her to investigate DEVS, only to discover secrets not just about DEVS, but her boyfriend Sergei as well.
The Script:
My Review:
Much like his film writing, Alex Garland's first venture into TV is ambitious and very smart. He muses on determinism and free will as well as the impact of death on one's humanity. These themes are wrapped around a sci-fi thriller that keeps you invested in the 8 episode series. Also, once it is revealed what they are working on, it does what smart sci-fi is supposed to do and challenges you. There is a small part of me that feels like this was meant to be a movie but when he couldn't get financing he turned it into a TV series. There is at least one episode that feels more like filler.
As expected, this show looks great and the visuals and score are intoxicating. Along for the ride is cinematographer Rob Hardy and composers Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury, who all worked on Garland's last two films. Their joint collaboration continues to yield impressive results. Everything inside the DEVS complex looks amazing and it's hard to tell where the visual effects begin and end. The haunting score perfectly meshes with the show's tone as do the song choices that pop up throughout the episodes.
Sonoya Mizuno is captivating in the lead. It's rare for a show like this to feature any POC in the lead let alone having an Asian lead. She is a complex character, able to play the emotional aspect after losing Sergei but also capable of manipulation. There is a lot going on below the surface and her search for answers takes her down quite the rabbit hole. Equally impressive is Nick Offerman, playing a character very far removed from Ron Swanson. He is able to capture the sadness behind Forest as well as his quiet and intimidating menace. You can't trust him and you never know what side he is actually on.
Even with the episode that felt like filler, I was along for the ride. I think at this point if I wasn't on board with Garland's writing and directorial style I wouldn't have lasted through this series. Like Garland's previous films, especially Ex Machina and Annihilation, it's not for everyone and there will be some that will find the show a pretentious bore.
Critical reception:
80% on Rotten Tomatoes
As of this writing and due how new the show is, there are no awards or nominations for this show yet.
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