Story:
Professor of Physics Jason Dessen is walking home from a friend’s party when he is suddenly carried away into a different realm. His path to reconnecting with his actual self is fraught with unexpected difficulties.
Review:
Dark Matter has a storyline so intricate that it becomes difficult to follow the series even for little periods if your attention strays. This series, which revolves around the ideas of quantum physics and Schrödinger’s Cat theory, is an intense and dynamic ride that never lets up. However, that very intensity also works to keep viewers from connecting with the show. Many could be put off by this science fiction thriller because it doesn’t take a break from the steady injection of physics ideas. The show is geared for a certain demographic, especially people who are interested in quantum physics and multiverse theory. Others may find it uninteresting and overpowering.
Dark Matter series is based on the bestselling book by Blake Crouch, who also created the series, and focuses on Jason Dessen (Joel Edgerton), a psychology professor at Lakemont University. Jason lives a happy life with his wife Daniela (Jennifer Connelly) and son Charlie. Although he once had the chance to prove himself in the teaching field, he has no regrets about his career path. When Jason attends a party thrown by his friend Ryan (Jimmi Simpson) to celebrate Ryan’s Pavia Prize, he doesn’t realize that his life is about to change dramatically. When he returns home, Jason is kidnapped by his alternate reality. In this world, Jason is in love with Amanda (Alice Braga) and works for Velocity, an airline run by Leighton Vance (Dayo Okeniyi). Desperate to return to his true self, Jason embarks on a challenging journey through various realms, each more dreamlike than the last.
Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Connelly give believable performances that elevate this series’ fascinating experience, which is enhanced by its outstanding production quality. Nonetheless, its length is its primary shortcoming. Episodes are fifty minutes long on average, but because of plodding plot development and repetitious aspects, they seem considerably longer. Viewers are tired and impatient for the series to end as it plays out like one long four-hour movie. Just as the plot starts to come together, interest starts to wane due to the many allusions to quantum physics, which complicate the narrative without increasing reader engagement. The show’s somber tone is maintained throughout the first three episodes, but later episodes offer some respite.
Joel Edgerton makes an excellent impression as Jason, deftly highlighting the differences between the two incarnations of the character. As Daniela, Jennifer Connelly excels, convincingly capturing the essence of an artist’s wife. But the people in the parallel universe are the real stars of the show. While Dayo Okeniyi gives an exceptional performance as Velocity’s CEO Leighton Vance, Alice Braga captivates as Amanda. Though ‘Dark Matter‘ has some intriguing moments, it feels excessively luxuriant in the end. Too much has been extended over nine episodes that may have been reduced to five or six. The show assumes that viewers understand the notions of quantum physics and the multiverse. It fails to acknowledge that sometimes the most basic things have the most attraction.
