Phil Roberts 
The opening episodes of Constellation deliver an eerie first salvo of a complex and multilayered thriller that will keep you guessing until the end.
CONSTELLATION is the latest sci-fi thriller to take us to the International Space Station and use its dark, foreboding, and nausea-inducing cramped living quarters to add to the tension. But unlike previous entries into the genre like Gravity, the series takes the isolation and drags it to a new level of despair. Led fantastically by the always-reliable Noomi Rapace, the show takes the sci-fi genre and adds a hint of conspiracy theory, Twilight Zone-level twists and turns, and some serious paranoid drama to present something new and fresh. But does Apple TV+’s latest addition to its impressive line-up of challenging space-based thrillers live up to the hype?
Although the series has a bold and ambitious plot, the opening episodes leave us with more questions than answers. The multi-layered and intricately woven narrative delivers a thinking person’s thriller. One that has multiple twists and turns designed to make the viewer question their perception of reality. And it works here.
SPACE QUEST
Although the series is touted as a space thriller, the opening episode throws us a curve ball by opening mid-story with Jo Ericsson (Noomi Rapace) driving through the Arctic woodlands of Sweden with her daughter. Jo is on edge, and her daughter seems increasingly uneasy with every subtle and nuanced look from her mother. In the beginning, the relationship feels distorted and far from a loving paternal relationship. And this only intensifies when the appearance of a police car puts them both on edge. But why? In the blink of an eye, the plot shifts to life aboard the Space Station and reunites us with Jo. The sudden shift is jarring and puts us on the back foot. From that moment on we realize that we are watching different timelines playing out from different ends of the story.
Noomi Rapace is in fine form here and sinks her teeth into the character to deliver a truly safe pair of hands at the wheel. Jo is revealed as an astronaut assigned to the ISS from her native Sweden. But when a routine experiment goes awry leading to a collision with a foreign object and the station is thrust into chaos, the astronauts are forced into an impromptu survival situation. This is where the showrunners establish the station as a character in its own right. Its claustrophobic tunnels quickly turn into the perfect prison for the astronauts – and the result is chilling.
INTO THE VOID
With the station in disarray, Jo is forced to undertake a spacewalk to ascertain the extent of the damage. But things take a turn for the worse when she discovers what collided with the station. A desiccated corpse. Reeling from her shocking encounter, Jo quickly discovers that the station is crippled and in desperate need of repair. This leads to a race against time to repair the damage before the unthinkable happens.
While Jo is fighting for her life in space, her daughter, Alice (Rosie Coleman), and husband, Magnus (James D’Arcy), await news of her fate. Scientist Henry Caldera (Jonathan Banks) analyzes the data from the station-based experiment and determines a breakthrough happened amongst the chaos and pleads with the astronauts to prioritize bringing the experiment back to Earth. It is here where the story truly begins.
MULTILAYERED REALITY?
What follows is a story on multiple fronts. Jo and her astronaut companions race to fix the station and retrieve Caldera’s experiment, while her family comes to terms with her impending demise. However, things get weird when the story jumps back and forth between timelines and potential realities – with surreal transitions that challenge the viewer. It’s a jarring experience, but one that ultimately delivers a fascinating multilayered story that will leave us guessing long after the credits have rolled.
The core of the story gains its true momentum when Jo returns to Earth to find things different than when she left. The changes aren’t obvious or world-shaking, instead, they present themselves as subtle inaccuracies. But these inaccuracies force us to question Jo’s sanity, or whether she truly is lost to a parallel universe or a well-hatched conspiracy theory. From the opening moments of the first episode, we never truly get a grasp of where the story is heading. And this remains a constant throughout the three-episode premiere. But the deeper we immerse ourselves in the riddle, the more intricate the story becomes. And it leaves us wanting more. So much more.
THE CAST
It is fair to assume that the success of the show rests on the broad shoulders of Noomi Rapace. And she delivers another stellar performance here. She brings the same energy she so effortlessly oozed in Prometheus and the result is a lead we can root for. Albeit from a safe distance. To be honest, you can never trust anything you see in this opening salvo, so whether her performance remains this solid remains to be seen. Additionally, Jonathan Banks comes to the fore here and creates a character that is as mysterious as he is tormented. As the episodes unfold, the mystery surrounding his character only intensifies and will leave the viewer astounded. And that is a testament to the intricate storytelling and captivating performance of a seasoned veteran bringing his A-Game.
James D’Arcy, Barbara Sukowa, and William Catlett also add a lot to this story in their supporting roles. But none get the time to truly establish themselves. Hopefully, as the season progresses they will have the chance to showcase their talents. But make no mistake, the premiere episodes are designed to be the opening salvo of an expertly crafted mystery that thrusts Rapace to the fore. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
VERDICT
Although the premiere episodes deliver a tantalizing aperitif, viewers might have to temper their expectations for the main course. Constellation isn’t a show that will reveal its secrets easily. In fact, there are countless red herrings and misdirects layered between the narrative and it is easy to get lost in its complexities. Those of us not up to the challenge will find it a frustrating experience. Especially when the series slows to a crawl to delve deeper into the mystery.
For all of its strengths, the premiere episodes are hampered by its ambition. Apple TV+ has cemented itself as the home of bold science fiction fare and long may it continue. Constellation is one of those series that will divide opinions. Some will applaud its bold and complex narratives. Others will find themselves lost in translation. But either way, the show is a gripping and jaw-dropping window into what the human mind is capable of. And for that, I applaud the writing talents of Peter Harness, Sean Jablonski, and Ragna Wei.
Heaven knows what this team has in store for us as the rest of the season unfolds. But if the remaining episodes are as audacious and jaw-dropping as the first three, we could be about to experience the ultimate definition of sci-fi. And that is something I need to see. Or is it all a carefully planned conspiracy theory? You be the judge.
Constellation premieres on Apple TV Plus with a two-episode season premiere tomorrow.
Meet Phil Roberts! He’s the dedicated owner, daily content manager, and editor-in-chief of The Future of the Force. Phil is a budding novelist who turned his passion toward writing about the franchises he loves back in 2016. He’s a huge fan of all things Star Wars, Batman, DC, Marvel, Star Trek, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, King Kong, and the Ray Harryhausen movies. Phil is a BFI-accredited journalist and a distinguished member of the Film Critics Association UK.
If he’s not catching a movie at the cinema, you can bet he’s streaming something just as awesome!
