**This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!**

“What have you done today to earn your place in this crowded world?”

Utopia is a new television series based on the 2013 UK series of the same name. Utopia stars John Cusack, Ashleigh LaThrop, Dan Byrd, Desmin Borges, Sasha Lane, Rainn Wilson and Jessica Rothe. The Amazon Prime Video series premiered on September 25th 2020 with eight episodes (approximately 50 minutes in length).

After a mysterious cult comic book is discovered, a group of devoted fans begin to bid on it. The comic book has predicted diseases in the past and it may be the key to stopping a new virus that is quickly spreading across the country. After many of the bidders wind up dead, the group realizes that the comic book may be based on truth, leading them deeper down the rabbit hole.

Here is the trailer:

Utopia may hit a little too close to home with everything going on in the world right now, but the mysterious puzzle pieces, conspiracy thrills, and dark trippy madness give it a lot of potential. Is Utopia worthy of your next binge-watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Amazon Prime Video

A plot you can quickly lose yourself in.

There are a lot of Wonderland-esque underlines sprinkled throughout this show which worked to its advantage. The puzzle pieces and clues reel you in each episode and there is enough going on to keep you invested without being overly predictable.

Images courtesy of Amazon Prime Video

Familiar faces and characters to root for.

John Cusack is the star of the show, but I was pleasantly surprised to see Happy Death Day’s Jessica Rothe as well. As each character is revealed, we learn more and more and I thought that there was a great dynamic between them all.

Some characters are more jaded than others and this show is not afraid to kill off characters, but it does a good job of balancing the shock value with consistent characters you want to see survive.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Amazon Prime Video

Weird timing.

I can’t ignore the timing of the release of this show and while I am fine separating it from the real events of the world, it does bring up a lot of conspiracy theories and ulterior agendas that may seem unwelcomed during this time. I think that as long as you can separate yourself from that and treat this as a work of fiction (which it is), you can still thoroughly enjoy the watch.

Extreme violence and torture shown.

This is not necessarily a con, but I think that sensitive viewers should consider passing on this one. Amazon Prime Video does a good job of putting up advisories prior to the episodes with extremely disturbing content and you should pay attention to those for sure. Beware the spoon…

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Amazon Prime Video

I’m in!

Sure, there were some cringe-worthy scenes and some outrageous plot twists, but this show answered my call and then some with a fast-paced binge-watch. The show drew me in from the very first episode and held my attention the entire time.

If you enjoy conspiracy thrillers, Alice in Wonderland, and mysterious puzzles, you are in the right place!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Utopia in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

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