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Utopia is conspiracy-thriller series that follows a group of fanatics who are obsessed with a cult comic book called “Dystopia.” In this comic, the disturbing images seem to have predicted a future that has already happened. When a sequel manuscript titled “Utopia” is discovered, the fanatics believe that it might very well predict a disturbing future in which the human race is facing extinction. Could it relate to the new virus infecting hundreds of American schoolchildren?
Based on the British series of the same name, Gone Girl’s Gillian Flynn has lovingly adapted the British series for American audiences, and you can tell how much she loves the original because very little has changed, which makes it extremely tricky not to compare the two. However, one of the most apparent changes is the writing; though similar, it has that distinct Gillian Flynn/psychological flair that many of her readers will notice.
The new American actors fit into their roles very well, specifically Desmin Borges who plays Wilson Wilson, a hardcore conspiracist, and Christopher Denham, who plays assassin Arby. While Borges and Denham stood out the most to me, the majority of the cast are excellent in their roles with only John Cusack standing out to me sheerly because I find that he gives the same performance in most of his work.
The violence is something you will undoubtedly hear about and if you’ve seen the British version then you will know that it’s extremely violent. However, if you have not seen the original then you’ll be shocked to hear that the American version has toned the violence down to the point that the British version seems “hyper-violent.” Most of the violent plotlines have been carried over, but some have been respectfully adjusted to suit American audiences, noticeably an event involving Javon ‘Wanna’ Walton’s Grant.
The writers have organically placed humour into their scripts and often use it as a tool to dilute some of the more disturbing scenes. The characters have cleverly craft dialogue, and the actors are brilliant, juggling humour with drama, often simultaneously during extremely stressful scenarios.
The series could not have arrived at a worse time. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Utopia’s pandemic subplot may seem all the more frightening, especially if you’ve been directly affected by COVID. If that’s the case, then I would suggest not watching Utopia. It’s already a disturbing show for other reasons, but it may hit too close to home for some.
Utopia is a great series, but its violence, storyline, and somewhat complicated conspiracy-fuelled plot won’t be for everyone. Many British viewers may be put off watching this remake due to past adaptations — we’re still not over the US version of The Inbetweeners? — but I suggest giving the US version of Utopia a chance. It’s a more than faithful adaptation, and hopefully, it will help fill a void that was created when Channel 4 unjustly canceled it after just two very short seasons.
Utopia will be available to stream on Amazon’s Prime Video from September 25th! For more film news and reviews, follow The Cinema Spot on Twitter (@TheCinemaSpot) and Instagram (@thecinemaspot_).
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