Dark Matter (2024) Review – Watch on CocoFlix

A Familiar Yet Gripping Dive into the What-If

Surely the best way to describe the story of “Dark Matter,” is as a deeply personal and outwardly crazy dystopian thriller. Through the eyes of its protagonist Jason Dessen (played by the always under appreciated and talented Joel Edgerton), we are shown a world that is as crazy as the world we live in, and at times maybe even a little closer. Jason's world is turned upside down when, in the most ridiculous and irrational way possible, he is abducted from his home and thrust into another dimension whose details are as confusing to him as they are to us. There is certainly a feeling of been there done that when describing the Dissen’s situation, mostly because everybody has seen a story or two about men being thrust into another dimension and having to fight to get back home to their families, which all audiences know by now tends to feel a little clichéd. So, the lengths this series goes to create a mind bending level of personal depth regarding Jason, and the even more mind bending level of personal threat Jason has yet to face (having to set aside his own personal principles), are what have empowered creatives to call this series a success.

Director Blake Crouch's adaptation of his own work conveys an intricate scope of speculative theories, while using the protagonist's suffering as a means of claustrophobia. This series is more than about jumping different dimensions. It is more so about understanding the limits of one's identity in multiple dimensions, and the subsequent iterations of itself that will never be. It poses the question: how does one's identity change under the context of multiple reality self-imposed constraints, and what boundaries will someone cross to get back their self-chosen identity? Viewers who are more interested in the resolution of grand cosmic paradoxes will find this series lacking. This show puts a strong emphasis on the idea of self-determination of reality in a more literal sense. The premise behind the series' structure makes it an easy to watch show; it delivers a series of thrills in the traditional format we have come to expect from the genre of time-travel where the reality traversals are limited.

Stellar Performances Ground the Impossible

There are a lot of great things about Dark Matter, and two of them are Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Connelly. Edgerton has to play multiple versions of Jason, and he conveys all the hopelessness and misdirected anger that threatens to swallow one of them, right alongside the ambition of the other Jason. It’s hard to tell how Edgerton manages to switch so easily between carrying a baby and killing someone, but he does, and he manages to do it without losing credibility. As Jason’s wife, Daniela, Connelly has an equally difficult task. She has to suffer through her husband’s changes, and the changes of the world around her. The connection between Jason and Daniela is visible, and is by far the most important part when it comes to their struggle to reconnect. Because of Edgerton and Connelly, Dark Matter never falls into its potential to be a tedious family drama about "endless, repetitve family details". Edgerton and Connelly bring heart to both Jason and Daniela, even when things get a little convenient and some of the family members start to feel a little flat.

Alice Braga offers an impressive performance and brings yet another dimension to the developing drama. The character represents Jason's difficulty with ethically challenging Jason’s reality. The cast's ability to demonstrate emotional range in a mind-bending world of sci-fi is impressive, and demonstrates their acting talent. The writing and the pace of the show (which was described as "tad thin" by some critics) at times during the season wasn't the strongest, but the creativity and storytelling in the series helps maintain interest.

Pacing, Peril, and Points of Contention

Although Dark Matter has its minor stumbles, it still achieves a lot with its ambitious premise. The domestic drama elements, while acting was great, can often slow the pacing; however, for viewers looking for a pure sci-fi thrill, this will not be an issue. The core premise of this series can sometimes fall into the same traps as other alternate reality genre stories, but having a lot of experience with those types of stories also makes viewers able to predict some of the twists in this show (as many of the audience ratings have shown). The balance of this show's high concept sci-fi and characterized -- yet unpredictable -- protagonists wasn't consistently achieved, leading some audience members to feel that the pacing was slow.

Some audience feedback cited poor editing and jarring cuts. Many felt the narrative had some good flow to it. While I enjoyed the production quality, sometimes the narrative relies on characters making poor decisions to move the plot along. This can be frustrating to the audience. The threat of 'himself' keeps the audience on the edge of their seat because of the overall intensity of the drama. The show is good at setting a mood that is dark and foreboding. This mood helps keep the audience engaged even when the storyline meanders. Dark Matter is best described as a character-driven sci-fi series. It doesn't set a new bar for the genre, but it creates a mood and atmosphere that is entertaining and damn good. While the story is predictable, performances help elevate the material.