The Story:
The ‘Snowpiercer‘ series on Netflix is based on Bong Joon-ho’s theatrical adaptation of Le Transperceneige. It takes place in a world where everything’s frozen because humans attempted to reverse global warming. Everything’s wiped out by the freeze save for the Snowpiercer, a train carrying the last survivors of the Earth. Humans are segregated in the cars: the train’s tail-end section carry the lower class who live in the poorest conditions, while the front of the train houses the elite who have access to fine food, education, and entertainment. With social injustice comes class warfare.
The Snowpiercer series adaptation starts off seven years since the train started its engines during the Extinction Event. We witness life in the Snowpiercer eight years before everything in the movie happened. In addition, the show focuses not only on rebellion and social injustice, but also on a murder investigation. The murder gives the ‘Tailers’ an opportunity to have eyes and ears on crucial parts of the train, because one of the tail-end inhabitants happens to be a former police detective and is now being recruited for his services.
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Watch if you are:
A fan of the 2013 Bong Joon-ho film, and are a fan of sci-fi and dystopian fiction in general. However, a caveat: this series adaptation is a shadow of the Chris Evans starrer. For now, that is. Snowpiercer was already green-lit for a second season even before its first season was dropped, so hopefully the series gives us more meat to chew on in the future.
What I think:
I was really excited when I learned the series is rolling out on Netflix because the film is also streaming on Netflix. It’s easy to compare and follow up the film with a binge session of the series. And because of this the ten-episoder has really big shoes to fill. Every episode stretches the story of a perpetually moving train, and some storylines aren’t compelling enough to feel invested on. The season picks up on its last few episodes, though. There’s a plot twist or two to keep you curious. It is also saved by a solid cast with Jennifer Connelly as Head of Hospitality and Daveed Diggs as Andre Layton, a Tailie that leads the resistance.
While Snowpiercer has lost some of its steam by veering further from its source material, it still has good moments of popcorn entertainment. It starts off occasionally bumpy, but it picks up some speed at the tail-end of the season’s ride.
My Rating:
Episodes 101 and 102 of Snowpiercer will be available on May 25 and then weekly from June 1, only on Netflix.
