One of the Best Sci-Fi Miniseries on Streaming Will Rip Your Heart Out 4 Years Later
Science fiction television shows are often fantastic escapes from reality. Whether they’re transporting you to a dystopian setting (like The Handmaid’s Tale or The Last of Us) or just to a universe very different from our own (Severance and Stranger Things come to mind), they never fail to make sure that we can hop out of our real lives for a bit. But some sci-fi shows have failed to really embed themselves in our psyche. Without an emotional connection to the storytelling or to the characters, these shows can have less of an impact on us as viewers. One sci-fi miniseries that came out four years ago still threatens to bring tears to our eyes when we think about it. If you haven’t binge-watched this one yet, you’ll be thanking us for the recommendation of a thrilling and touching drama.
What Is ‘Station Eleven’ About?
Kirsten (Mackenzie Davis) in ‘Station Eleven’©HBO Max
When HBO’s Station Eleven debuted back in 2021, we were still stuck in a real-life pandemic that had changed all of our lives forever. It was tough at the time to watch the series without seeing all the prescient parallels between the show and our current COVID-19 traumas. But if you’re watching Station Eleven for the first time now (or are just catching it as a re-watch), you’ll quickly discover that this is one of the best post-apocalyptic dramas ever made. The 10-episode series was adapted from a bestselling novel by Emily St. John Mandel that was published in 2014, eerily, way before we lived through our own viral outbreak. The story follows several different characters as they try to survive in a world that has been torn apart by a deadly virus. Station Eleven allows us to experience the different phases of the outbreak, including the tension-filled beginning stages that take place in 2020, and then 20 years later, as the remaining survivors continue to live in frightening and dangerous circumstances. These characters relate differently to the end of civilization — whether they become solitary travelers or join a merry band of artists called the Traveling Symphony, each of them represents the alternative ways that one can survive an apocalypse. The story revolves around Kirsten, a traumatized eight-year-old (Matilda Lawler) who is abandoned during the outbreak. Later, we see her as a strong woman (played as an adult by Mackenzie Davis) who has learned to survive in this cruel world. Her connection with a man named Jeevan (Himesh Patel), who helps rescue her in more ways than one, is a relationship that will continuously touch your heart.
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‘Station Eleven’ Stuns With Impressive Storytelling and Cinematography
Station Eleven utilizes many unique storytelling methods that make it both suspenseful and emotionally gripping. There are multiple timelines unfolding so that we see how different characters’ lives have been impacted by the outbreak, and the way the story jumps back and forth between the past and the present is completely compelling. There is a great deal of tension and twists and turns, so that you’re never quite sure who to trust in a lifestyle where the characters have to put survival above all else. The writing does a tremendous job of highlighting the grief and loss that went along with this global event, but also how the human spirit is strong enough to transcend even the most tragic circumstances. Station Eleven is capable of telling a realistic-feeling post-apocalyptic story because of the incredible cinematography and production design. By depicting entire cities as rundown and damaged by years of neglect after the fall of civilization, the miniseries allows you to be sucked into a future world that looks nothing like what we’re used to. Some of the scenes are so chilling and authentic in their beauty that it’s difficult to remember that you’re not actually walking alongside these characters. For example, using snow to symbolize sadness and death allows for a deeper connection to the story, and sometimes it’s almost as though you can actually feel the change in weather by how realistic the setting feels. Much of this effective tone comes from director Hiro Murai (Atlanta, The Bear). By allowing him to take the helm in the first episode, Murai establishes a haunting aesthetic that perfectly captures the characters’ challenging and painstaking journeys.
Fantastic Performances Make ‘Station Eleven’ a Must-Watch
Mackenzie Davis as Kirsten wearing found materials as clothes with a serious expression in Station ElevenImage via HBO Max
It was smart of the casting team behind Station Eleven not to go with any huge superstars in the main roles. It’s much easier to connect to these characters because it’s unlikely that you have a lot of preconceived notions about these actors. Both Lawler and Davis are astoundingly good as Kirsten. Lawler is incredible as a young actor who is able to showcase the terror and remaining innocence of a child going through a life-changing traumatic experience, and Davis is able to carry that throughline of who Kirsten is at heart into adulthood. Patel is also particularly impressive as the soulful and intense Jeevan, and it’s no surprise that he landed an Emmy nomination for this role. Even though much of the story centers around Kirsten and Jeevan, Station Eleven comes alive because of the supporting cast. Danielle Deadwyler, Gael Garciá Bernal, and Lori Petty all work to create even more fascinating characters to fill out the post-apocalyptic setting. By diving into multiple perspectives, Station Eleven always works to find emotional angles that serve to enhance the storytelling. These actors showcase the intense violence and out-of-control frenzy that can go along with a loss of rules and structure, but they’re also able to illustrate the way that groups form and societies are rebuilt because of the resiliency of human nature. Lesser actors might have made this story feel over-the-top, but their subtlety and grace make the series all the more captivating.
Even four years later, Station Eleven has maintained an impressive 98% Rotten Tomatoes score. It continues to be a hit with critics, with Collider calling it an “indelible triumph of television” upon its release. This perfect miniseries shows what can happen when a team of truly talented people creates a show that is certain to tug on your heartstrings. There’s no guarantee that you’ll walk away from this binge-watch without some tears, but you will definitely have loved every minute you’ve spent watching it. Station Eleven is available to stream on HBO Max in the U.S.
Release Date
2021 – 2022
Network
HBO Max
Directors
Helen Shaver
Writers
Sarah McCarron, Kim Steele, Cord Jefferson
已发布: 2025-12-25 01:21:00
来源: collider.com
