by Mike Hilty, Contributing Writer
Welcome to Cross-Platform Partners! In honor of a new movie release, I have selected a TV show to watch to pair with the movie. Think of it as a way to get hyped for the new movie, a preview of things to come, a means to tide you over if the movie won’t be released where you live for a little while, or a change of pace if you’ve run out of related movies or sequels.
For April, I picked Devs to pair with Civil War!
Alex Garland is one of the most creative writer/directors working today. His works often portray commentary about a variety of different topics involving science, society, trauma, and humanity. As someone who loves film, I greatly appreciate the swings that Garland takes to make something thought-provoking enough that I think about it long after the credits roll. Everything he’s done has had an impact on me in some way, and I expect Civil War to have a similar impact because of the subject matter hitting very close to home (literally). Even his lone TV show had me going for a long time after the series was over.
Devs is about a technology company with a selective group of individuals who are working on a top-secret initiative for the owner, Forest (Nick Offerman). The group, called Devs, gets new workers all the time, and when Sergei (Karl Glusman) disappears after his first day, his girlfriend, Lily (Sonoya Mizuno), investigates what happens to him. What’s discovered is a project far beyond anything Lily could imagine.
Garland, pulling triple duty as creator/producer, writer, and director, is the perfect person to shepherd a story like this. His keen eye and creative writing style allow Devs to develop methodically in a way that a movie couldn’t. His writing can be hard to understand, but it’s also poignant and often beautiful. In the hands of anyone else, Devs would fall into hokey science fiction tropes. Thankfully, Garland carefully crafts it in a way that makes it truly one of a kind when it comes to the television landscapes. Devs wouldn’t work if it was a movie because there’s so much here to explain that a movie just can’t give it enough time.
The cinematography and visuals are also movie-quality. Garland puts on a masterclass when it comes to directing. Combined with the set design, particularly at the Devs facility, Garland does an amazing job of capturing the atmosphere of this future world, while making it feel unsettling and like we’re being watched. All the scenes in the Devs facility are outstanding. The use of technology helps the audience understand the stakes of the project,, and we don’t get the visual treat without Garland’s careful eye.
Devs is filled with some amazing performances, starting with Offerman. I’m a huge fan of Parks and Recreation, and yes, I did see the episode of The Last of Us where he made us all cry, but I couldn’t see how Offerman could anchor a show until watching Devs. He commands his time and asks some tough questions about life and technology. Offerman is also asked to convey some of the show’s most emotional moments, and he sells them. He’s a Swiss Army knife of performing, doing anything you might need. The other standout performance is Jamie (Jin Ha), Lily’s companion, who helps her solve Sergei’s disappearance. Ha does a great job of making sure Lily gets whatever she needs to help the investigation progress forward. I’m not exactly on board with how his story ends, but I still think he’s a standout for showing how much he cares for Lily.
The story of Devs is dense, because there are a lot of philosophical discussions about humanity and time. There’s a moment when the series shifts from talking about the disappearance of Sergei to the nature of the Devs program that will potentially make or break your opinion of this series. If you’re looking for a mystery about Lily’s lost love, you might be disappointed with where the story goes. However, if you want to see a sci-fi show with heavy themes, then this will be more for you.
Two of Devs’ themes resonated with me a lot. The first is the power of technology, and how people use it to get what they want. Forest is viewed as a messiah figure because of his intellect, but like all humans, he’s flawed. He uses technology for selfish reasons, including as a means of oppression. Kenton (Zach Grenier) is the security specialist at Forest’s company, and he uses technology to help track down Lily. Even Forest’s partner, Katie (Alison Pill), struggles with the power of the technology that the Devs team is developing. She’s a genius who pushes her teachers in school, and Forest takes her under his wing. Through that mentorship, though, Katie takes Forest’s idea and makes it into something neither of them could have imagined.
All of this leads to the theme that got to me the most: how people deal with trauma. Forest has something happen to him that leads to the development of the Devs program. It’s his way of dealing with his trauma, and Devs explores how people deal with theirs in different ways. On one end, Forest is doing everything in his power to be absolved of what’s happened in the past. He goes to great lengths to ensure that he holds himself accountable for what happened. Lily, on the other hand, deals with her trauma in a different way. She strives to take her situation and make sure no one has to deal with it again in the same way she did. It represents two different ideas on how to deal with trauma: embrace it and let it consume you, or deal with it so no one else deals with it the same way. This is the heart of what Devs tackles, and a theme that underscores how brilliant the show is.
Devs is a beautifully written, performed, and directed series that asks a lot of tough questions. I always give big swings more credit for at least attempting something different, and Garland continues to prove that he’s someone who’s always gunning for a home run.
You can read more from Mike Hilty, and follow him on Instagram, Letterboxd, and Serializd