Common Sense Media Review
By Jenny Nixon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Moody, sometimes violent sci-fi about alternate realities.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Dark Matter
What's the Story?
DARK MATTER is the story of Dr. Jason Dessen, a physics professor living a comfortable -- if somewhat boring -- life in Chicago with his art gallerist wife Daniela and teenage son Charlie. Things liven up when he gets a call from friend and former colleague Ryan (Jimmi Simpson, Westworld), who has just won a prestigious scientific award. After grabbing celebratory drinks with Ryan at a local pub, Jason is abducted by a masked stranger who asks cryptic questions like "Are you happy with your life?" before injecting him with an unknown substance. He awakens to find himself in a parallel reality where he heads up a secretive neurotech company, is unmarried and childless, and soon realizes the mysterious kidnapper who forced him out of his old life and into this new one, is none other than the alternate-universe version of…himself.
Is It Any Good?
This is a moody, well-acted science fiction story that's more about emotion, regret, and relationships than it is the science of it all. The writing is a bit dry, but Dark Matter's cast is top-notch -- and the fairly brisk pace means viewers and characters are caught up on what's happening without too much meandering. Chicago looks extra cool here, with CGI-enhanced cityscapes and shadowy corners of dread. What remains is to let the show dig into the good stuff: journeying through the myriad of other wild and unfamiliar lives that "could have been" as Jason fights to return to the family he left behind -- a wife and son who are unwittingly living alongside the creepy "Jason2."
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the popularity of TV shows and movies focused on the concept of alternate realities. Can you think of some examples?
Dark Matter explores the idea of regret and curiosity over "the path not taken" in life. If you had a chance to get a "do-over" and change certain decisions made in your past, would you take it? Why or why not?
TV Details
- Premiere date : May 8, 2024
- Cast : Joel Edgerton , Jennifer Connelly , Jimmi Simpson , Dayo Okeniyi , Alice Braga
- Network : Apple TV
- Genre : Science Fiction
- TV rating :
- Last updated : May 9, 2024
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