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Utopia (2020)

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews

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56

USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 47 Ratings

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5.7

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5.7	Your Score
5.7	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 47 Ratings

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Utopia (2020)

Series Details & Credits

Prime Video | Release Date: September 25, 2020

Summary: Becky (Ashleigh LaThrop), Ian (Dan Byrd), Samantha (Jessica Rothe), Wilson Wilson (Desmin Borges) and Grant (Javon "Wanna" Walton) are fans of the Utopia comic and discover secret messages within its pages that predict major world events. They then find the comic protagonist, Jessica Hyde (Sasha Lane), is real and together they seek to saveBecky (Ashleigh LaThrop), Ian (Dan Byrd), Samantha (Jessica Rothe), Wilson Wilson (Desmin Borges) and Grant (Javon "Wanna" Walton) are fans of the Utopia comic and discover secret messages within its pages that predict major world events. They then find the comic protagonist, Jessica Hyde (Sasha Lane), is real and together they seek to save the world in this thriller written by Gillian Flynn and based on the British show of the same name.… Expand

Genre(s): Drama, Action & Adventure, Suspense

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Metascore

56

Positive:

8

Mixed:

9

Negative:

2

Critic Reviews

91

The Playlist Andrew Crump

Oct 5, 2020

Season 1 Review: “Utopia” thinks big to erect its overarching structure, but thinks small to give that structure its support. And it’s loaded with great work from its cast, particularly Lane, a talented actress with a gift for slipping in and out of genres and easily fitting into each. Read full review

80

Paste Magazine

Amy Glynn

Sep 23, 2020

Season 1 Review: This show zeroes in on the current social… well, current: panic, terror, distrust, feeling controlled, feeling like no one is in control; the kind of moment when it’s all too easy to believe the most unhinged conspiracists are probably onto something and where everything feels unequivocally as though it’s falling apart for good. It does it stylishly. Generously. Lavishly. Read full review

80

Vanity Fair

Sonia Saraiya

Sep 29, 2020

Season 1 Review: Like all conspiracy theories, Utopia’s central narrative ends up being a bit too grandiose and hokey to be entirely believed—which is sort of a relief, given how psychologically enveloping the conspiracy is for the first few episodes. But maybe that’s why I found it unnervingly compelling, too. Read full review

50

Variety

Caroline Framke

Sep 25, 2020

Season 1 Review: The result could be a fascinating mashup of sensibilities, but instead, the series flattens and settles into a more basic middle ground. Accidentally relevant topics or no, “Utopia” ends up feeling like a decently entertaining version of stories that have been told before. Read full review

50

Rolling Stone

David Fear

Sep 28, 2020

Season 1 Review: Even with its end-of-the-world urgency, this Utopia still feels sluggish, muddled, unfinished. It’s as if someone went to great pains to restore a classic car, added their own custom interior, and then forgot to fill up the tank with gas. Read full review

50

IndieWire Ben Travers

Sep 25, 2020

Season 1 Review: For how well “Utopia” mines modern society’s greatest fears, it’s mainly cultivating them for ambiance, not commentary. ... Ultimately, it’s just another spooky story in need of refinement. Read full review

30

The Hollywood Reporter

Inkoo Kang

Sep 15, 2020

Season 1 Review: Flynn is unafraid of rapidly adding more and more branches to the Utopia mythology, which occasionally shocks but seldom intrigues. After seven episodes, the heroes remain underwritten archetypes, the villains are unconvincingly all-powerful yet constantly screwing up and there are more traumatized but precocious children (Javon Walton, Farrah Mackenzie) than there should be in a fight against the end of the world. Read full review

SEE ALL 19 REVIEWS

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5.7

User Reviews

10

Belsonbur

Sep 26, 2020

This show is surprisingly good. It has a lot of depth I think people are missing. Yes, it's very violent and shocking but with reason. If you can get passed the first few episodes the violence calms down and the story starts to fall into place. The motivations are quite compelling and theThis show is surprisingly good. It has a lot of depth I think people are missing. Yes, it's very violent and shocking but with reason. If you can get passed the first few episodes the violence calms down and the story starts to fall into place. The motivations are quite compelling and the characters have a lot of room for growth. It is not a perfect show by any means but it stands on it's own, separate from the original. I've seen the original and they are two very different shows. They're both good in my opinion. Definitely give it a chance. It'd be a shame if it doesn't get a second season.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

10

Macross21

Sep 5, 2022

One of the bst series I have ever seen. I have no idea why they canceled it.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

8

gmonster320

Nov 27, 2020

Shockingly violent, the death toll mounts in episode 1 and beyond. No one is safe in this world. Think of it as "Game Of Thrones" for comic book nerds. Visually, the series is very appealing. There's always something cool to look at. Having said all that, the pace of the show is a bit slow.Shockingly violent, the death toll mounts in episode 1 and beyond. No one is safe in this world. Think of it as "Game Of Thrones" for comic book nerds. Visually, the series is very appealing. There's always something cool to look at. Having said all that, the pace of the show is a bit slow. "Utopia" only has eight episodes but could have benefited from some more trimming. It seems like a lot of time passes without much going on. You'll notice there is a disclaimer at the beginning of each episode. It says that the show is a work of fiction and 'not based on actual, related or current events". Despite being in the works for years, this series happened to arrive during the pandemic. I'm not sure if that's really good timing or the worst timing ever. It is impossible not to draw parallels between "Utopia" and current events. Let's just hope the QAnon and anti-vaxxer folks dont use this show to bolster their agenda. Lord knows they already believe stuff far crazier than this. The door is left wide open for a season 2. Are you game or have you seen enough of "Utopia"? I personally think I'm good stopping here. There are plenty enough dreadful things happening now in the real world. Watching a shows about them too is a bit much. Maybe I'll feel different at a later date.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

4

nevillejohn

Oct 7, 2020

almost unwatchable if you've seen the UK original. feels like a watered down, more comedic version with worse casting, writing, and music

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

4

Falling_Man

Sep 27, 2020

Even if this didn't have the original UK Channel 4 series to compare to, it would still come across as a middle of the road series aiming to be dark and edgy, but failing to actually pack a punch. While the timing is unfortunate, I don't hold it against it, this iteration of the show was inEven if this didn't have the original UK Channel 4 series to compare to, it would still come across as a middle of the road series aiming to be dark and edgy, but failing to actually pack a punch. While the timing is unfortunate, I don't hold it against it, this iteration of the show was in gestation since 2014 long before the pandemic. But along side the state of the world we're in, a lot can change. It was originally supposed to be directed by David Fincher. And it probably needed somebody of his calibre who could really deliver a sense of style, originality, and tight craftsmanship.

While this hits many of the beats of the original UK series, it doesn't at all capture its essence. The original had a stark sense of style. The cinematography could only be described as a cross between David Fincher and Wes Anderson. It had sickly vibrant colour grading, and its eerie score by Cristobal Tapia Vermeer was almost a defining feature. This version looks like any standard show, sounds like any standard show, and only so often tries to be creative.

While the actors in this are likable enough, they all just seem like watered down versions of their originals, especially Jessica Hyde and Arby. I honestly had high hopes for it, and spent six years anticipating this series all the way through its bumpy ride full of twists and turns. In the end, just kind of landed with an unremarkable thud.… Expand

3 of 4 users found this helpful31

4

Akira_

Sep 26, 2020

This show is in itself barely tolerable and compared to the masterpiece original a disaster engineered by inept clueless clowns. The beautiful and original cinematography of the original? Replaced by bland random generic images. The intriguing score of the original? Gone. The show is dullThis show is in itself barely tolerable and compared to the masterpiece original a disaster engineered by inept clueless clowns. The beautiful and original cinematography of the original? Replaced by bland random generic images. The intriguing score of the original? Gone. The show is dull and generic and crawls along in a boring way. It has clumsy exposition, wooden dialogue and a mythology that doesn't make any sense anymore. But most importantly, none of the characters make any sense. I'm okay with them being changed and "americanized". But they are boring and one-dimensional. They lack the depth and uniqueness of the original and are just unimaginative fillers to convey plot. The relationship between Jessica and the group is absurd. Arby is a joke. Did no one with minimal writing experience check this script before it went into production? The production value is great in this show, but it is all wasted. It would have worked if the Fincher deal had worked out, but the showrunner has no talent for this kind of show. She has no idea what she wants to say or how to say it. The show features a very interesting and unique mythology but it doesn't deliver. What a wasted opportunity.… Expand

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

0

MyDad

Jan 24, 2021

Stop killing rabbits. I'll up this rating if the rabbits start eating people.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

SEE ALL 21 REVIEWS

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Seasons & Episodes

56

Series Overview
Season 1

56
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: September 25, 2020
- No episode information is currently available for this season