Interstellar Intrigue: 3 Body Problem Series Review

What drew me in to check this series out was its absurd title. It got me curious right away, and I eagerly sought to learn just why the film was titled in such a way. What kept me all through the series 3 Body Problem, however, was far more than discovering the inspiration behind the title.

Realising that this film was going to be themed around some physics-related concept, I became even more interested in what would unfold with time watching it, as sci-fi is one of my favourite genres. Surely, it wasn't going to be a film for nerds in physics, but it had that element to draw me in.

For a very long time, I couldn't wrap my head around what the film was about. I didn't get "the problem," and neither did I get the"body." And as the film shuffled between two timelines distant from each other—the past and present—it didn't help the situation. However, it made the film very intriguing and engrossing—so much so that I wished that it never ended.

An alien civilization on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth. Meanwhile, on Earth, different camps start forming, planning to either welcome the superior beings and help them take over a world seen as corrupt, or to fight against the invasion. _Source

The opening scene didn't exactly add up to me initially. The murder of a Chinese physicist didn't exactly seem related to the "alien invasion" the film sounded like, other than the term "physicist." But it was an important insight into how everything started—how that singular event sparked the connection between humans and an alien species light years away.

The most spectacular thing about the film, for me, is the story writing. Point blank, it is absolutely brilliant. And not only was it very well written, it was consistent all through the eight episodes of the film. The buildup from episode to episode is something to deeply appreciate the film's writer's creativity in developing the story and characters so well.

Something that we are used to seeing in sci-fi films is the idea that genius scientists, especially physicists, have to look like Albert Einstein, old and with grey hair. The appearance of some of the world's greatest minds alive, a group of friends, was that of healthy and regular-looking thirty-year-olds. It was a refreshing and more contemporary thing to watch, as it signifies how the generations of this age do and achieve things way earlier than their ancestors did decades and centuries ago.

Although the series may come off as a film for people interested in physics and the like, it proves itself to be the kind that just about anyone can enjoy without being experienced or involved in the field of physics. It's strong story-telling, efficient character development, and adequate cinematography efforts, like every other good film, are mostly what make the series truly enjoyable.

The series goes back and forth between the past and present, overlaying them on top of themselves and taking its viewer through a journey filled with different kinds of energy. In the film, you'll find some of the characters taken through different worlds, posed with different problems and puzzles to solve. Carefully driven, the story takes us on a journey of creative ingenuity.

To think that 3 Body Problem is a Netflix adaptation of a book of the same name makes me wonder how more intricate the story may have been in the actual novel, which is the first part of a trilogy.

As much as the film focuses on the complexity of the alien invasion, it does well to delve into the personal lives of some of the main characters, giving it more depth and fullness. And the characters, too, were unique in their own ways and played crucial roles in the development of the film.

The series does really well to provide comfortable and natural dialogue between the characters. The characters, being strong in their own rights, connected well with one another whenever they had to.

The soundtrack plays a really important role as well. The theme song is actually very catchy. An original score that I think was crafted specifically to capture the film's essence. To describe it, it's mostly ominous and rhythmic.

The visual storytelling, too, is yet another enjoyable part of the series. As it is with alien-related films, it is common to have futuristic concepts and technology introduced. That's what we have in the film, but it wasn't anything distracting from the film's core, the story.

A truth that the film sheds light on is the fact that we are evolving fast. In many years to come, the feats we would achieve will likely be deemed impossible, or perhaps not even dreamed of yet.

3 Body Problem checks all the boxes for me. And as a graduate of mechatronics engineering and lover of physics, it is a series that I will definitely come back to enjoy all over again.

To deeply appreciate the efforts in this film, there's even a podcast that dives into the technicalities, perspectives, societal reflections, and more about the film.

Will there be a sequel? Well, considering that 3 Body Problem is a part of a trilogy, I expect an adaptation of the other two installments, especially with its success in the first week of release. Until then, or any announcement, we might as well enjoy this one. And I give it a 9/10.