Deep into the wondrously bizarre and mind-bending restricted collection “Devs,” Character A tells Character B that in only a few minutes, Character B goes to do one thing insane and probably life-ending.
Character B scoffs at this insanity. Why would he do THAT?
A second later, Character B is doing precisely what Character A predicted — and it makes good sense.
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Sorry to be so cryptic, however I don’t even wish to even trace at spoiling any of the richly satisfying if generally bat-bleep loopy twists and turns on this eight-part collection from the fertile thoughts of writer-director Alex Garland of “Annihilation” and “Ex Machina” fame.
“Devs” is an “FX on Hulu” collection, which suggests it’s an FX collection however you’ll be able to see it solely you probably have Hulu. The first two episodes will debut Thursday on Hulu, with one episode per week coming after that.
This is the sort of collection that may both hook you from the get-go, or have you ever clicking on that “X” icon and bailing out early on. It’s an eclectic mixture of sci-fi and thoughts video games and love tales and homicide thriller, with visible references to all the things from Jesus Christ on the cross to Marilyn Monroe having intercourse with Arthur Miller, dialogue concerning the Fibonacci Sequence and whether or not or not the universe is deterministic and soundtrack choices starting from “Guinevere” by Crosby, Stills & Nash to “Come Out,” a 1966 efficiency piece by Steve Reich.
It’s a deep dive into the twilight zone and at occasions I needed to work laborious to maintain a grip on sure plot machinations — however Garland has a eager sense of timing with regards to offering the solutions to nagging questions simply as we’re getting near the purpose of frustration.
By the time the finale wraps up, no main mysteries stay. We may not love each rationalization, each decision, nevertheless it’s a complete lot higher than remaining at nighttime.
“Devs” stars Sonoya Mizuno (who did that mesmerizingly weird dance quantity with Oscar Isaac in “Ex Machina”) in a delicate and exquisite efficiency as Lilly Chan, a younger software program engineer with Amaya, a strong and influential tech firm within the San Francisco space. (The cinematography all through is spectacular, with breathtaking photographs of some of the photogenic cities in film and TV historical past.)
Amaya is situated on the outskirts of the town, in a lush and majestic redwood forest. But even for those who’re miles away, you’ll be able to see the big and creepy statue of just a little woman rising above the treetops. (It’s sort of like a type of Bob’s Big Boy statues, solely about 100 occasions larger.) That unnerving statue is the primary signal there’s one thing uncommon and foreboding about Amaya.
Lilly is in love together with her co-worker Sergei (Karl Glusman), a Russian tech whiz who will get promoted to a coveted job within the mysterious Devs division of Amaya, the place the very best of the very best work day and evening on … one thing. Something large, one thing life-changing, one thing involving the power to actually see the previous and possibly even catch a glimpse of the unchangeable future.
“I wouldn’t say even the Devs team knows what the Devs team does,” says Amaya’s founder.
Sergei goes lacking after his first day at Devs. Amaya’s chief of safety, Kenton (Zach Grenier), exhibits Lily video proof of what occurred to Sergei — however she isn’t shopping for it. Something’s not proper. (Grenier’s fantastic work because the quietly menacing Kenton is paying homage to Jonathan Banks because the cop turned hitman Mike in “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul.”)
This units off a spider’s net of plot developments, as Lily enlists the assistance of her ex-boyfriend Jamie (Jin Ha), a pc safety professional who’s nonetheless in love together with her, to search out out what actually occurred to Sergei and to uncover…