Series Review: "Biohackers" (2020-21).

"Find out what you are made of" in Biohackers. This German techno-thriller television series created by Christian Ditter. From THC chips to genetic enhancements, welcome to the world of Biohacking. When "Mia" begins her medical degree, she seems like any other student. But when she gains the trust of the brilliant Professor Lorenz, it becomes apparent that she’s hiding a secret so big it could change the fate of humanity. From the director of Girlboss comes a thriller that will make you question the makeup of life itself.

By May 2019, Luna Wedler, Jessica Schwarz, Caro Cult, Benno Fürmann, and Thomas Kretschmann were cast in a German techno-thriller series with Ditter as creator, showrunner and co-director. At the same time, principal photography commenced and wrapped in September. Filming took place in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg; Munich, Bavaria; and at the Bavaria Studios, Bavariafilmplatz 7, Geiselgasteig, Grünwald, Bavaria, Germany. The series originally scheduled for a 30th April 2020 release date. However, Netflix decided to postpone the launch due to the public's focus on the COVID pandemic, as some scenes from the show could be misconstrued as references to the pandemic. 20th August 2020 was selected as the new release date. A week after its release, the series was renewed for a second season, which was released on 9th July 2021.

The series stars Wedler, Schwarz, Cult, Fürmann, and Kretschmann. It was one of those dramas with characters and performances where Everyone. Spoke. Very. Fast. In. The. Hope. Of. Appearing. Intelligent. When. What. They. Really. Were. Was. Lethally. stupid. Beneath the high concepts lie the rawest, most basic of human emotions. Wedler, warily composed one minute, vacantly confused the next.

A series that does what all the very best sci-fi stories do: tackle big existential questions and intimate everyday emotions in tandem, all while asking 'what if?'. While the show is a vision of malevolent tech genius and power turned up to a preposterous degree, the sentiment is relevant. Humanity can go as far as technological advance can take it, for better or worse. Lorenz's scientific and philosophical theories keep us glued to the screen and entertained; the show's futuristic and mysterious aesthetic keeps us hooked. The show is a near-perfect companion piece to Devs, being a parable about the power of reason and imagination, and how the line into madness is easily crossed. Essential, if not easy, viewing. The show successfully allocates all of its storytelling devices to communicate the deeper questions of humanity and its place in the universe. The show deserves credit for throwing Big Themes up in the air and seeing where they land. But, and I'm misquoting the Marx Brothers here, deep down, the show feels strangely superficial. The mysteries of the show don't unspool so much as eke out in a torturously slow drip. And the show's aesthetic details feel so detached from the story that they're often insufferable. It's interesting but wordy and perhaps better suited to film than TV considering the verbiage and slow pace.

Simon says Biohackers receives: