Here at Must TV we’re starting to wonder if Amazon’s famous algorithms have been replaced by a clairvoyant. That’s because of the (suspiciously) timely release of their reboot of 2013 cult British favourite, Utopia, a show about a chaos-causing virus, spread by bats, not unlike the 2002 SARS breakout.
And chuck in some conspiracy theories that the strain was man-made in a lab. What was once a far-off conspiracy thriller, has become our reality. But then, at least our reality doesn’t have an evil overlord called Mr Rabbit… For fans of the original (and boy, were there a lot), you’ll be pleased to know that new writer Gillian Flynn, of Gone Girl and Sharp Objects, hasn’t veered too far from the familiar. It’s still an intense, intricate, and nerdy show centred around a comic book. But remember, this is an American remake, and an Amazon one at that. Subtlety has gone out the window, and money has come in. As a result, it at times feels a bit like a teen drama, and the violence can get a bit… well, comic book.
Chris Harvey in The Telegraph says that Utopia “demands to be binged,” and comments that “some of the change-ups warp the plot in new and wonderful ways.” The Independent’s Ed Cumming wasn’t as sold on the deviations, saying “this is big budget but low stakes: a very American utopia.” Mike Hale in The New York Times says: “if it isn’t engaging, neither is it boring,” commenting, “the cast is uniformly good, supplying more feeling, dimension and humor than the scripts indicate.”
If you’re not too sick of viruses and conspiracies, maybe you should get lost down Utopia’s rabbit hole.
First shown September 2020. You can watch the trailer by pressing play on the show image, or by clicking here.
