NIGHT SKY. For Demanding Fans Of Ambitious Science Fiction

The original productions from Amazon Prime are, compared to the frequency of Netflix Originals, veritable rarities. That is, of course, a deliberate hyperbole on my part, but it is undoubtedly true that films and series branded by Jeff Bezos’s streaming platform break into mass consciousness much less frequently, even though they often seem better thought-out and more carefully crafted. Night Sky, a new science fiction series from Amazon Prime starring Sissy Spacek and J.K. Simmons in the lead roles, has a chance at somewhat wider recognition.

Created by Holden Miller and Daniel Connolly, the story tells of a pair of elderly protagonists who keep a capsule hidden beneath their property that transports them to an unknown planet. In the scene that sets the plot in motion, Franklin and Irene enter the capsule for the… eight hundred fifty-sixth time, which makes it abundantly clear to viewers that the Yorks do not shy away from their excursions into uncharted regions of the universe. And perhaps this unusual idyll of two retirees would continue peacefully if it were not for a nosy neighbor and a surprising guest whom Irene discovers one evening inside the secret cosmic chamber. The unknown visitor (Chai Hansen) turns the protagonists’ stable lives upside down, and the journeys to the distant planet take on an entirely new context.

Watching Night Sky, one immediately gets the impression of an overwhelming richness of content. Here we not only have the story of Irene and Franklin, who must deal with their own traumas and a crisis in their mature relationship, or the plotline of the stranger from nowhere who temporarily settles into the Yorks’ lives. In the background, we also follow the stories of the Mexican woman Stella (Julieta Zylberberg) and her teenage daughter Toni, the Yorks’ granddaughter Denise (Kiah McKirnan), and the aforementioned nosy neighbor Byron (played by Adam Bartley, who resembles a rounder Dennis Quaid). In a supporting, rather demonic role, we also see our own Piotr Adamczyk, who is beginning to take increasingly bold steps in the American film industry. The multitude of storylines, each of which is fairly demanding to follow, means that watching Night Sky is more of a proposition for those who expect an intellectual challenge from a series rather than a light tale to accompany dinner.

Night Sky does not shy away from extremely difficult themes: working through trauma and guilt, coping with aging, and also tackles issues of faith, morality, and race. And yet this is still a science fiction story, so at the foundation of it all lies the unresolved mystery of the underground teleportation chamber, with which the Yorks were, in a way, honored. However, if you expect a swift resolution to the mystery of the invention’s origin, you will be sorely disappointed—Night Sky was clearly not created as a complete and closed narrative; rather, it is the beginning of a longer adventure, with the first season serving merely as an introduction, the opening act during which we get to know the characters and their various contexts. Holden Miller has not created easy entertainment, but a proposal for demanding fans of ambitious science fiction, who are willing to commit more time in order to wait for the mystery of Night Sky to unfold.

The latest sci-fi production from Amazon Prime is undoubtedly a title worth noting, especially for those who are not afraid of a higher density of content in each episode they consume. Every hour-long episode provides new contexts and potentially brings us closer to solving the mystery, but frequently misleads the viewers with red herrings so that the ultimate revelation does not come too soon. Night Sky does not offer visual fireworks, but rather an intrigue filled to the brim with substance and solid acting. I look forward to more.