CALIFORNIA DREAMING

ALEX GARLAND DOWNSIZES TO THE SMALL SCREEN AND FINDS HIS NARRATIVE PERFECT FIT IN SILICON VALLEY TECH-THRILLER

- TARA BENNETT

SHOULD YOU BE A DEVOTEE of writer-turned-director Alex Garland’s output over the last two decades, there’s a good chance you like your sci-fi erudite, visually arresting and pretty damn trippy.

Just about every one of Garland’s films – including Sunshine, Ex Machina and Annihilation – have progressively studied humanity’s increasingly difficult dance with technology. And with his first television series, Devs, it’s not hyperbole to posit that this is the culmination of his ruminations on the theme, brought to life in a spectacularly esoteric and profound fashion.

PROVERBIAL ONION

Arguably, television is really the only format capable of accommodating Garland’s storytelling proclivities now. While his film work has been lauded by critics and audiences (Ex Machina earned him Academy Award and BAFTA screenplay nominations), studios, on the other hand, really don’t know what to do with him. Garland’s brand of thoughtful, original IP is the kind studios win awards for, but don’t know how to market well enough to turn a profit. So, as Garland admits to SFX in a cosy booth to discuss his first limited series, the film business has turned into “a fight” for him, of late.

“It’s a fight some people win,” Garland is quick to admit. “And there’s still people out there doing great stuff. There really is…” But as his answer tails off, there’s an implication that Garland has perhaps left it behind for the small screen, which is far more accepting of his creativity.