What if science suddenly stopped making sense and reality, as we know it, could not be trusted?
Get ready for an alien invasion story unlike anything you’ve ever seen, and I mean that quite literally! Adapted from a seminal science fiction novel by Chinese author Liu Cixin, The Three-Body Problem, 3 Body Problem is an ambitious tale about mankind’s fight for survival against impending alien invasion… through science.
The cast features Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange) and Eiza Gonzalez (Alita: Battle Angel) in what might be their most affecting performances yet. If you’re in the mood for some intense storytelling with intricate plotlines and cerebral concepts, this one’s for you.
The story spans decades and begins in Cultural Revolution China before stretching to the present day when scientists around the world begin turning up dead in mysterious fashion. In England, a group of tight-knit scientist friends is mourning their Oxford professor who commits suicide. Their paths inadvertently cross with an intelligence operative suspecting something otherworldly at play. These scientists begin experiencing inexplicable phenomena that challenge their hard science notion. Soon, they discover an extraterrestrial threat looking to destroy humanity is behind it all.
3 Body Problem is hardcore sci-fi. It doesn’t shy away from heavy themes like existentialism, environmentalism, faith vs science, and ethics in humanity. It’s quite a doozy that definitely isn’t made for a lazy Friday night, but if you enjoy something like Arrival, Ex Machina, or Annihilation – this is right up your alley.
The show is well done in nearly all aspects. Conceived by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, a.k.a. the duo who gave us HBO’s Game of Thrones, the show’s epic scale is conveyed beautifully on screen. The writing captures the novel’s lofty ideas and turns them into intriguing suspense as each layer of the mystery is peeled back. Crucially, amid all the sci-fi mumbo jumbo, it never forgets about the emotional center of the story. After all the chaotic interplanetary battle of wits, the show wants you to ponder: is mankind really worth fighting for?
You can find out through all eight episodes of 3 Body Problem on Netflix.
Watch the trailer for 3 Body Problem here
