Cancelations are the worst thing that can happen to a TV fan. You get invested, you’re on the edge of your seat, then suddenly you wake up to news that your favorite show is no more.
That’s my experience when it comes to Utopia, a criminally underrated thriller series that originally aired in the UK on Channel 4. Now, it’s got a second wind on Prime Video in the US and Australia. Unfortunately, UK viewers have once again been scorned, as it’s not available on any of the best streaming services there.
While I can’t lend everyone in the UK my boxset, I can urge that US and Australia viewers sit down and watch this right now, though I will warn you that you won’t get anything done because it’s truly gripping stuff.
Utopia did, regrettably, get a bad remake on Prime Video so to clarify, this is the original 2013-2014 British series you’re looking for which is infinitely better.
Utopia‘s cancelation shouldn’t stop you from watching it because I firmly believe it holds up, even if we’re never really going to find out how it ends. Read on to find out why.
Why you should watch Utopia
There’s so much to love about Utopia that it’s hard to know where to begin. If you’re the kind of fan who loves dark, gripping thrillers, then it’s got everything you need. Mystery, conspiracies, black comedy, some shocking scenes, it’s all rolled into this two-season run.
Utopia follows a community of comic book fans who believe that the graphic novel calledThe Utopia Experiments predicted several disastrous epidemics, such as mad cow disease. Rumors circulate that there’s an unpublished sequel and they’re keen to get their hands on it.
When one comic book fan does get the manuscript, he invites four of his friends from an online forum to meet in real life, only for them to start being hunted down by a shadowy organization called ‘The Network’ that want the manuscript as well as a mysterious woman named Jessica Hyde.
From there, it goes off the rails in the best possible way. There’s some shocking twists and turns, outstanding performances, and a horrible yellow color palette, which makes everything look so bleak and nasty. Visually it’s outstanding and the sound design is even better, somehow.
Utopia has a fantastic composer, Cristobal Tapia de Veer, who recently worked on the Paramount+ horror movie Smile and HBO hit The White Lotus. I can promise you he’s excellent at bringing creepiness and mystery to the table. The soundtrack is so unsettling to listen to, yet oddly fun to have on in the background while you work.
There’s a great cast here too including Fiona O’Shaughnessy, Alexandra Roach, Adeel Akhtar, Paul Higgins and Paul Ready, and there’s really not a lot of faults to find in this series. Even the critics agree, as the show has a flawless 100% Rotten Tomatoes score.
So, if you’re in the mood for a great thriller I highly recommend Utopia. I miss streaming it very much but I’ll always have my boxset to enjoy.
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