For all its speculative futures, science fiction has always been a way of holding up a mirror to the here and now, one that lays bare our current anxieties. But of late the streaming services have been in the habit of forgoing the old standbys of robot apocalypses and interstellar warfare in favour of something more personal in their storytelling.
Prime Video features a specific lineup of series that have no time for the usual space-opera fare; they are an exercise in human psychology as much as poetry or philosophy. Tales from the Loop, Solos and The Power are three such examples. They set aside the cynicism of dystopias and laser fire, using their high-concept approach to put memory, power and the tenuousness of human ties under scrutiny.
Tales from the Loop: Wonder, Melancholy and the Unknown
Nathaniel Halpern’s creation is drawn from the work of Swedish painter Simon Stålenhag and takes you to a subdued Ohio backwater where the populace has “The Loop” for a neighbour, an underground physics lab of sorts that bends the laws of physics. Helmed by directors like Mark Romanek, Andrew Stanton and Charlie McDowell, the show does not bother with the kind of exposition one expects from sci-fi. There is retro-futuristic tech and oddities in the way of floating structures and timelines, but these are merely the setting for a look at grief and the bonds of family. Philip Glass provides a score of some melancholy to set a meditative tone; it is a poignant case for technology being nothing more than an echo of our emotional make-up.
Solos: An Existential Monologue
In Solos, Amazon turns speculative fiction into an intimate affair. David Weil has put together an anthology of seven narratives with a cast to match, Anne Hathaway and Helen Mirren among them, not to mention Morgan Freeman, Anthony Mackie, Uzo Aduba and Constance Wu. One could call it a filmed theatre piece, so minimalist is the staging. It is all about the character, and the near-future ideas of AI or time manipulation are simply there to provoke an unvarnished monologue on the state of one’s soul. In an age of technological disconnection the series is an unsparing study of the need for empathy, of regret and identity.
The Power: A Question of Dynamics
Meanwhile, The Power lacks the quietude of the others, being as much a political thriller as anything. From Naomi Alderman’s novel comes a story of global upheaval. The conceit is an evolutionary turn of events whereby the world’s teenage girls can put out a lethal charge from their fingers. What follows is the sociological and religious chaos as patriarchy collapses overnight. Following the paths of leaders and commoners alike, the series is a thought experiment on control and bodily autonomy and the propensity of man to oppress when the balance of power changes, rather than your typical superhero yarn.
Speculative Introspection Done Right
What gives prestige science fiction its staying power is a willingness to turn inwards. With Tales from the Loop, Solos and The Power, Prime Video demonstrates that any mystery of note is to be had in the human condition and not some far off galaxy.