3 Body Problem: the future’s here – and it’s grim

Luca Fontana

20.3.2024

Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson

Netflix’s 3 Body Problem is a different kind of sci-fi. Expect a mix of science, philosophy and alien threat that will captivate viewers with its sinister vibe.

One thing in advance: there are no spoilers in this review. I won’t be mentioning anything that hasn’t already been revealed in the trailers.

It can probably be described as one of the most bold science fiction projects of recent years. If not the boldest. Netflix has heralded its latest science fiction epic as next level. Not in spite of, but because of the novel it’s based on. Namely, the trilogy Remembrance of Earth’s Past.

The first book, The Three-Body Problem, was written by Chinese author Liu Cixin in 2006. His work not only found its first world-famous fan in Barack Obama, who would later become the US president, it also made Cixin world-famous. At least in the world of literature. According to critics, you’d struggle to find anyone who combines complex science with profound philosophical and ethical questions as well as Cixin does. In recent times anyway.

I must admit, I haven’t read the books. At least not yet. But I’m about to change that. Because after finishing the first season, I can’t possibly wait another two years to find out how the story continues. Especially considering the next season hasn’t even been confirmed yet. 3 Body Problem’s simply way too good to wait.

The plot of 3 Body Problem

It’s broken. Science, that is. At least that’s what researchers around the world are saying. So broken, in fact, that it’s driving some people to suicide. Others are seeing a mysterious countdown in front of their eyes. Always – even when they shut their eyes. Or gouge them out. Nobody wants to experience what happens when the countdown ends.

The world’s gone mad.

There’s natural phenomena that shouldn’t be occurring. Especially in the night sky. What is that? Or rather, who is that? It’s the enemy. But no ordinary enemy. But an enemy that roams the dark forest like a hungry predator. Drooling. Stalking. Waiting. Until its prey is silly enough to reveal its location. But this predator isn’t on earth, but in space. We’re talking about an extraterrestrial enemy. And we’re the prey that was negligent about its whereabouts.

Dropping one by one: science, philosophy and heart

Honestly, I didn’t see it coming. Not in this way at least. Although the trailers released so far have promised a lot of visual spectacle, 3 Body Problem is actually a genuine psychological thriller with surprisingly few frills. A thriller that starts off a little sluggish but raises many questions that are only gradually answered. Answers like dominoes falling one by one, revealing an overall picture that resembles an unstoppable intergalactic domino.

Goosebumps, anyone?

It’s precisely these seemingly unstoppable dominoes that has viewers on the edge of their seats. Especially when you see the main characters giving it their all to stop the events. In the first season, these are mainly Auggie, Jin, Jack, Saul and Will – brilliant physicists from Oxford and close friends. But when the world and laws of nature start to go off the rails, their mentor Vera Ye commits suicide. As do dozens of other scientists.

I’m mentioning all this because the original book doesn’t feature all of these characters. Author Liu Cixin’s story is far more China-focussed, I hear. Although there is the storyline based on the brilliant astrophysicist Wenjie Ye, who also makes it into the series adaptation. Other than that, Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss together with Alexander Woo are said to have strayed quite far from the original. Above all, they moved the location of the story from China to London and Oxford and reinvented the central characters. Risky. Especially if viewers are expecting a movie version of the books instead of an adaptation.

But as someone who hasn’t read the book, I’d say it’s a risk that pays off. Especially towards the end of the season, when the personal drama surrounding the fate of some of the characters pushes the science fiction aspect of the series into the background for one or two episodes. Which is probably also the main reason why the story was moved to the West – so that the predominantly Western Netflix audience can better relate to the characters.

However, this may displease others. After all, it is an inconsistency in the otherwise rather dense and tense vibe. Eventually, the melodrama slows down the pace that’s finally picked up when viewers realise what the threat to humanity is and how they intend on defending themselves. Despite losing speed, 3 Body Problem’s story gains heart. There’s more emotion. As exciting as the clash between the big questions in science and philosophy is, a story just doesn’t work if the fate of the movie’s characters doesn’t touch the audience.

Don’t expect complexity à la Dark, or you’ll be disappointed

Right up to the very end, 3 Body Problem’s mostly a fantastic interplay of small scenes in a big story. It’s a strikingly calm spectacle. Except for a few scenes in which the main characters are transported to fantastic worlds by means of a futuristic device reminiscent of VR goggles. Initially, it’s unclear for what purpose. The only thing that’s revealed is that they have to solve tricky scientific paradoxes and puzzles. For example, Newton’s eponymous three-body problem, which I won’t go into as it may spoil the story for you. The scenes make for a wonderful change in the monotonous setting of London or Oxford.

Unlike the book, however, the series itself is said to have noticeably reduced the complexity of the science and the extent of philosophical questions. In fact, I rarely catch myself thinking at length about the big questions facing humanity and whether we’re even worthy of being saved.

At the same time, this didn’t bother me. In a way I’m grateful that 3 Body Problem, the series, tells its story in a fairly straightforward thriller-style way and has avoided making it even bigger than it already is. After all, there’s enough going on with a vastly superior civilisation hunting down its inferior prey, while the latter’s trying to figure out how to escape the hunters and also fight back.

What’s more, the drama towards the end of the season is so touching, I can’t possibly wait for the still unconfirmed next season. Not to mention that the outcome of the story is still uncertain. What can I say, this series is a true «page-turner». The same evening I finished watching 3 Body Problem, I went out to buy the first two books of the trilogy.

Conclusion: more thriller than sci-fi

I’m not even sure what I was expecting after seeing the first trailers of 3 Body Problem. Probably a far more complex story reminiscent of the German Netflix hit series Dark – just with aliens and more elaborately produced.

And yet, I still wouldn’t call this «light reading» adapted to the screen. 3 Body Problem repeatedly delves into the world of theories, laws of nature, physics and science. Sometimes there’s a pinch of philosophy. For example, when the «dark forest» theory is presented as a possible metaphorical solution to the Fermi paradox – two more things I can’t go into for spoiler reasons. The less you know about the series before watching, the better.

What remains is what I consider a classic thriller with a melodramatic touch and the odd spectacular and shocking image. The only difference being that, unlike most other thrillers, it’s not the fate of individuals that’s at stake, but that of humanity as a whole. This highly exciting approach leaves you wanting more.

3 Body Problem available on Netflix from 21 March. The series consists of eight episodes of around 60 minutes each. Age rating: 16.

Luca Fontana

Senior Editor

Luca.Fontana@digitecgalaxus.ch

I'm an outdoorsy guy and enjoy sports that push me to the limit – now that’s what I call comfort zone! But I'm also about curling up in an armchair with books about ugly intrigue and sinister kingkillers. Being an avid cinema-goer, I’ve been known to rave about film scores for hours on end. I’ve always wanted to say: «I am Groot.» more

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