Dark Matter: Philosophy according to physics (review)

Schrödinger's Cat is still growing in this quantum physics epic, which cleverly juggles parallel worlds and existentialist philosophy. A great exciting science fiction saga, carried by an impressive Joel Edgerton.

If physics seems like a scarecrow in a high school student's timetable, it becomes incredibly fascinating when it is put at the service of entertainment and fiction. Or more precisely science fiction. While we have just solved The Three-Body Problem and its notion of chaos (on Netflix), that’s it Dark Matter invites us to explore the “Principle of Quantum Superposition” – starting this week on Apple TV+ (and also Canal + in France).

We are not going to act as if we understand anything and attempt a vague explanation. You just need to know that according to Everett's theory – derived from Schrödinger's Cat experiment – it is assumed that superimposed states would exist in an infinity of parallel universes. What does it mean ? This means that there would potentially be a myriad of versions of you, of your life, of your world. And Jason Dessen is going to find a way to get there. This physicist from Chicago invented a black box which, combined with a drug capable of bypassing human consciousness and its reality, gives access to these parallel dimensions. Its goal ? Trading places – and his life – with a version of him who didn't leave the woman he loved, preferring his career and his revolutionary invention. Suffice to say that the other Jason does not agree!

A pitch of formidable effectiveness (unfortunately largely wasted away in a trailer which says far too much). A pitch that opens the door to a world of possibilities. Joel Edgerton (Warrior, Star Wars) faces off against himself in this crazy multiverse adventure that changes superheroic multiverses. This one propels an ordinary guy into his other lives, seeking to find his own through a maze of potentialities. There is a little side Sliders luxury, a little side Quantum Code post-modern too. Jason Dessen's quantum wanderings take him through a multitude of Chicagos, ranging from the version rotten by a virus to the idyllic super-green version, including the ice age that ravaged everything. The ride is superb, incredibly captivating, because it also follows carefully written rules and is played in a labyrinthine decorum that is as exciting as possible.

Certainly, Dark Matter does not revolutionize the material and sometimes even tends to stutter its concept. The series can be a bit repetitive, but it never goes in circles. We understand where Blake Crouch – who here adapts his own novel – wants to take us, somewhere between the action thriller at 1000 miles per hour, the great moving love story and a vast ethological questioning, which is based on an enigma insoluble: Have you ever wondered what life you would have had if…?

From this very human reflection, he embroiders a brilliant quest on identity, infusing pure entertainment with this dose of philosophy adequate to tip his captivating interdimensional thriller into a world of existentialist considerations. Man is not determined in advance by his essence, but free and responsible for his existence. And you ? What makes you you? You have two hours.

Dark Matter, in 9 episodes, to be seen from Wednesday May 8 on Apple TV+ (and also Canal + in France).