The novel coronavirus (nCoV) outbreak has had a devastating impact on humankind since the onset of 2020. But if we looked at follow- ing timeline of similar outbreaks from 2000 onwards, we would learn that the threat of such out- breaks has been a constant one: West Nile Virus (1999-2002), Anthrax (2001), SARS-CoV (2003), Mumps (2006), E.coli and Salmonella (2006), H1N1 Virus (2009), Whooping Cough (2012), MERS-CoV (2012), Ebola (2014), and Zika Virus (2016). It’s quite obvious that the threat is very real. But what if we had a comic book which accurately predicted these deadly pandemics well in advance? Well, welcome to the world of Utopia—the new Amazon series centred around a group of comic fans who meet online and bond over their obsession of a comic book series named ‘Utopia’ known to predict deadly pandemics. The series is created by Gillian Flynn, the famed author of Gone Girl. Flynn also serves as show- runner and executive producer. Utopia is inspired by the 2013 British series of the same name.
The best part about Utopia is that while watching it one gets sucked into the comic book world where it is set. It’s a very visceral experience that might make anyone who is not a comic book fan feel very uneasy at first. When typically a comic book story unfolds in an audiovisual medium the experience is quite relatable to gaming. It’s a sudden death kind of an environment where anything can happen at any moment. So, there are lots of twists and turns with a very high body count. Also, the characters are quite twisted and diabolical, even the supposedly good ones aren’t to be trusted one bit.
Given the twists and turns and the bleak subject matter, it’s difficult not to be reminded of David Fincher’s 1997 thriller film The Game while watching Utopia. And so it’s no surprise that Fincher was initially supposed to direct Utopia for HBO before things fell apart and the project got acquired by Amazon. Fortunately for Amazon, they were able to get the second-best person to helm Utopia, Flynn, who also adapted her 2012 novel for Fincher. Now, Flynn is no Fincher when it comes to exercising mastery over audiovisual medium but what works to her great advantage is that the long-form narrative is essentially a writer’s medium. And working with a trio of directors, Toby Haynes (4 episodes), Susanna Fogel (3 episodes), and J.D. Dillard (1 episode), Flynn has been able to deliver a solid series. However, there is no denying that had Fincher even directed only a couple of these episodes, the series would have got a certain lift.
Utopia is far from being a perfect series (too many convenient coincidences, forced twists and turns, and inconsistent character arcs), but it does have its moments. While the comic fans’ quest for ‘Utopia’ with the hope of saving the world appears a little juvenile initially, it seems to work well within the series’ meta- world—the comic within a comic structure.
The borderline whacky performances of John Cusack, Rainn Wilson, Christopher Denham, and Desmin Borges greatly help bring Utopia’s world to life. Essaying the complex part of the cunning and scheming Dr Kevin Christie, Cusack brings so much weight to the series with his stellar screen presence. Christopher Denham as Arby is a fine addition to the league of psychopathic killers we have seen over the years. Wilson as Dr Michael Stearns and Borges as Wilson Wilson present to us the other side of crazy. Despite its shortcomings, Utopia is ideally suited to the pandemic times we live in, especially if you have a thing for conspiracy theories.
