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Devs (2020)

2020 · Drama,Mystery,Sci-Fi · sci-fi-speculative

Devs poster

Devs is a cerebral, visually sumptuous sci-fi miniseries written and directed by Alex Garland, set inside a secretive quantum computing division of a Silicon Valley tech giant. Its central mystery — what happened to a young engineer on his first day in the lab — is a vehicle for dense philosophical inquiry into determinism, free will, and the nature of consciousness. The show moves at a deliberate, almost meditative pace, with an ethereal atmosphere reinforced by stunning cinematography and a haunting electronic score. Nick Offerman's against-type dramatic turn as the company's messianic CEO is widely cited as a career highlight. This is prestige sci-fi for viewers who want ideas more than action.

From the reviewers

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.
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
The cinematography was amazing, every frame a painting. Casting is on point and the actors are believable in their roles.
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.
From the first few seconds the haunting music grabbed me. Throughout I thought the sound design was mesmerizing and really added a lot to the mix. The DEVS installation itself is a wonderful artistic creation with its square fractal design. The whole thing beautifully photographed.

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