3 Body Problem review: Head-hurting for good reason

Netflix is pushing its sci-fi content to the limit, making viewers work for – mostly – amazing payoff in new show 3 Body Problem.

At one point or another, the average binge-watcher has joked that they could do complicated things in real life purely because of TV consumption. Thanks to the likes of Grey’s Anatomy, many of us try to diagnose medical problems on the spot, deluded with visions of performing flawless life-saving surgery. Apply this thinking to the realm of science, and you’ve got Netflix’s 3 Body Problem.

It’s clear that the streaming platform is making a shift in the type of fantasy and science-fiction that it commissions. The content itself has become more complex and nuanced than the likes of The Witcher and Stranger Things, making intelligence the driving force of any Netflix narrative. Just like Bodies, 3 Body Problem’s tale should chime with those who are looking for something more from TV – but it may equally fall on deaf ears.

For those who buckle up for the ride, 3 Body Problem is an incredibly rewarding way to dedicate eight hours of your life to television. Adapted from the best-selling books by Liu Cixin, the Netflix series isn’t completely faithful to the source material, modifying it to represent a wider cross-section of society and its history. Thanks to its dense content, episodes are best savored slowly rather than binged, but that doesn’t mean things always land as they should. Don’t worry – this review is spoiler-free!

3 Body Problem is basically a physics degree

Imagine the hardest science test that you have ever taken in your life – that’s essentially how viewers will feel watching 3 Body Problem. Tackling alien realms, nanotechnology, and computer science that hasn’t been invented yet, not a single second of the Netflix original can be missed, each building to a plot point more integral than the last. Our story also takes place across time, as well as space, beginning in 1960s China and ending in a parallel present day.

What connects the 3 Body Problem web is an alien entity harming the Earth in more ways than it can imagine. Five friends – who all happen to be science-minded – experience this differently, from seeing a death countdown wherever they look to being ominously delivered a game where reality cannot be distinguished from fiction. There’s no getting away from the fact the show is extremely heavy-going, but opening up to its possibilities makes way for some of the best sci-fi narratives we’ve seen in years.

While the performances cannot be faulted, it’s the strength of the storyline that sings above everything else. Coupled with out-of-this-world visuals that could have easily looked like bodge job CGI, the intricacies of the 3 Body Problem itself never lose grip on their fascination. Netflix is clearly challenging its viewers to think more independently and invest in something beyond the surface level, which is to be applauded – the only concern is whether subscribers will take the bait in the first place.

A wet blanket of an ending

That being said, what 3 Body Problem sets up in its first seven episodes, it catastrophically lets go of in the final installment. Instead of building to the ultimate crescendo – while teasing enough of a cliffhanger to prompt a Season 2 – Episode 8 dissolves into obscurity, leaving almost no drive to return to the story at all. This is particularly concerning given that we know there is more of the story, with the Netflix adaptation only beginning to touch on events in book two.

If we’re being pernickety – and as this is a review, we definitely should be – there are also a number of b-plots that don’t really lend themselves to the strength of the overall output. This largely circles back to the involvement of Will, who, without spoiling the story, has perhaps a more difficult time than the others. Roping the five friends individually into the 3 Body Problem itself isn’t particularly seamless either, leaving some stragglers so far out that it’s almost pointless for them to be involved at all.

3 Body Problem review score: 4/5

3 Body Problem has to be seen to be believed, largely doing its source material justice in interpreting what is incredibly complex physics into something engaging and palatable. However, as it leads itself out of the door, the show shoots itself in the foot, leaving its parting note as a damp squib, when it should be a towering inferno of self-reflection.

Find even more amazing TV shows to stream this month here, and check out our Netflix essentials below:

You Season 5 | Heartstopper Season 3 | Virgin River Season 6 | My Life with the Walter Boys Season 2 | Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2 | Wednesday Season 2 | Emily in Paris Season 4 | The Manny Season 2