Parents' Guide to

Osmosis

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Smart, fun sci-fi tale about futuristic dating app.

TV Netflix Drama 2019
Osmosis Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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Is It Any Good?

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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.

TV Details

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