Warning: this Apple TV+ review Black matter contains minor spoilers.
Multiverse. So hot right now. A jaded person might believe that this is what Apple TV+ was created for Black matter, to take advantage of a current craze. But that wouldn’t be giving the series, based on Blake Crouch’s novel of the same name, its due. You see, Black matter is a multiverse tale with enough thought – and enough clever plotting – to feel like something new in a world where endless multiverse stories seem to be becoming obsolete.
It’s probably best that you don’t read this review (thanks for clicking, though) because you’re getting into it. Black matter completely blind will make at least the first episode, where the concept of the series is set up in an incredible way, but for those who already know the basic concept or have read the book or don’t care, keep going.
Black matter is the story of Jason Dessen (Joel Edgerton), an unassuming community college professor from Boston who is suddenly kidnapped and wakes up in a different world where his wife, Daniela (Jennifer Connelly), and son Charlie (Oakes Fegley) are not there. Instead, he discovers that he is the inventor of a box that can transport people to an infinite amount of other worlds and he from this new world has swapped places with him. Desperate to return to his family in his world, he is joined by his girlfriend in this world, Amanda (Alice Braga), and the pair begin traveling worlds in search of his home universe.
Anyone reading this very basic plot description wouldn’t be wrong to think that this sounds like a plethora of other shows about people struggling to get home through some sort of sci-fi McGuffin. Both Quantum leap And Cursors immediately come to mind but these are far from the only ones to have used this trope. However, Black matter avoids playing out like a tired story by basing the story not in science fiction but in character. Jason’s mental state affects the world they embark on, meaning the entire series plays like a giant metaphor for human connection and emotion. It also doesn’t just focus on our “hero” Jason, but also returns to the “villain” version, unpacking his struggles and his realization that life can’t be perfect.
By shifting the real focus of the series to characters and metaphor, Black matter presents a multiversal quest for home in a way that feels fresh. It’s really complicated and not everything goes the way you think, especially as Jason’s quest spirals more and more out of control and Jason’s “evil” life does the same thing. Everything seems very complicated in this multiverse, but that’s because it’s a reflection of human life, not science fiction thinking. This is a gripping story about humanity with a thin layer of science fiction on top.
However, it’s not just this aspect that drives the nine-episode series forward. Crouch, who himself adapted the book for television, perfectly paces the plot twists and universe-altering moments, so that just when the series seems on the verge of becoming redundant, a new dynamic kicks in. There’s a mic drop moment of jaw-dropping proportions as the show comes to its conclusion that was so perfectly executed that made me pause the show in shock.
It doesn’t mean that Black matter is a perfect series. Much like its characters, who often seem to want two contradictory things at once, the series can feel both too long and too short. Despite its solid build and presence of emotional punches and twists, a single nine-episode season seems like exactly the wrong length for this story. The series feels like it would make for a fantastic, heartbreaking two-hour movie or, on the exact opposite end of the spectrum, a multi-season series similar to the aforementioned. Quantum leap and end each season on cliffhangers for every shocking moment. The series just feels like we’re either getting too much or too little, despite its overall quality.
What you definitely can’t enjoy too much is both Edgerton and Connelly, especially the latter. In a high-concept sci-fi series, the two men base the story to make it work. The episodes are packed with powerful emotional moments and Jason confronting the multiple realities of his wife and son, they’re all incredible gut punches. Connelly is particularly deep, playing the same character but different several times. His performance alone is worth the detour.
Apple TV+ has had some success and Black matter could easily be next. The question really is whether anyone will find it. In a streaming universe filled with content, this can be a tough sell, especially since going in blind is the best way to get access. However, for those who find it, they will get something truly unique, a rare find in what feels like a universe with slightly different content.
Black matter is streaming now.
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