Osmosis
By Joyce Slaton,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Smart, fun sci-fi tale about futuristic dating app.

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Osmosis
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What's the Story?
In a five-minutes-from-now world, brother-sister team Esther (Agathe Bonitzer) and Paul Vanhove (Hugo Becker) have created OSMOSIS, a next-level dating app that uses an implant to find and connect soulmates. Newly in beta testing, Osmosis has already helped Paul find his wife Joséphine (Philypa Phoenix), and may, Esther hopes, revive the siblings' comatose mother (Aurélia Petit). But when the system and its users behave in ways Esther and Paul don't expect, what started out dreamy may prove to be something of a nightmare.
Is It Any Good?
With sharply thought-out ideas and a distinct feminine gaze that's rare in science fiction, this futuristic take on love versus tech has more appeal than similar-looking series. Osmosis' characters inhabit a world where the sun has seemingly been overtaken by a blah blue filter, spend most of their time having conversations at bare tables, and dress only in the blandest of beiges and blacks. But this show's sparky underpinnings animate the visual dullness, and give viewers plenty to chew on. Most sci-fi is produced by and aimed at men, but creator Audrey Fouché injects concerns into her drama that speak to what both women and men worry about right now, and presumably still will in the future.
Because what the Osmosis technology promises is nothing more or less than true love. As Esther points out to the (no doubt doomed) beta group trying out the system, "Human thoughts and emotions travel by electrical signals and chemical reactions." True! A gadget that could decode these signals and reactions doesn't sound too far-fetched, nor does Osmosis' promise to find a match for each users' unique brainwaves. And any viewer who's lost a loved one to brain damage or dementia can see the built-in appeal of something that might bring them back. But if all Osmosis did was help each user find a happy relationship, this would be a really boring show. And it's not.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about some of the themes featured in Osmosis. What is this show saying about the way our society uses technology, including social media? Do you think the show's dark, satirical style helps make these points? Or does it detract from them?
Are viewers meant to understand right away what type of world our characters live in? Why, or why not? Can you name other shows that attempt to deliver twists the viewer doesn't expect?
What might this series be trying to say about the nature of love? Is this a show about technology, or something much more human, like relationships?
TV Details
- Premiere date: March 29, 2019
- Cast: Lena Lapres, Hugo Becker, Haviland Stillwell
- Network: Netflix
- Genre: Drama
- TV rating: TV-MA
- Last updated: February 18, 2023
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