THE DISCOVERY. Netflix Sci-Fi with a Brilliant Concept

Filmmakers have often asked themselves the ultimate questions. If art is meant to be a response to the inner dilemmas of the human being, then surely there is no question more intriguing than what happens to us after death. After all, it is the mother of all questions, and the path to its answer has always been, and likely always will be, closed. But let’s suppose that science finally opens the door to solving this mystery. How would we react to learning this ultimate truth? Would the awareness of what lies beyond not, in fact, kill the uniqueness of life itself? Science fiction film The Discovery rushes in with an answer—another full-length production from the Netflix platform.

It’s a prime example of a film where the initial concept outgrew the filmmakers’ grasp during the writing process. Because having a brilliant theme doesn’t relieve a screenwriter of the responsibility to develop it in an interesting way. But let’s get to the point.

In The Discovery, we learn that a scientist named Thomas (Robert Redford) has, after years of research, proven beyond any doubt that life after death exists. But he doesn’t rest on his laurels. The next stage of his research is to determine where exactly our consciousness goes after we die. Importantly, Thomas dismisses all religious doctrines in his theories, relying solely on scientific curiosity.

However, the outcome of his research quickly spirals out of control in ways even he couldn’t foresee. An alarming number of people, upon learning of the afterlife’s existence, begin taking their own lives, seeing no point in continuing their earthly existence. Thomas’s son, Will (Jason Segel), comes to visit to help with the ongoing experiments. But both men know it may already be too late to reverse the tragic situation and stop the growing wave of suicides.

Let’s not pretend—on paper, The Discovery’s plot sounds fantastic. When a film is built around a question that everyone has asked themselves at least once in their life, it doesn’t take much motivation to give it a try. Besides, it’s been a while since we’ve had such a bold and fresh concept that, while rooted in science, attempts to unravel a fundamental mystery. The last notable example might be the daring Flatliners from 1990. Charlie McDowell (Silicon Valley), the director and screenwriter of The Discovery, handles this task only partially successfully. He managed to genuinely intrigue me with the film’s explosive start and even held my attention for most of the runtime.

However, the director completely missed one crucial element—surprise. The Discovery lacks anything that sticks with you for long. The ending doesn’t shake you, doesn’t shock, and most importantly—ironically—reveals nothing beyond what we might already suspect or… dream. A shrug at the end of the film is not an adequate reaction to the gravity of the issue we were just grappling with.

What drags the film down is a forced love subplot that functions as filler, distracting from the core theme. Without this romance, the film could’ve easily been a shorter feature—perhaps even an episode of Black Mirror. The romance is clearly unnecessary, especially given how artificial it feels—there’s not a shred of chemistry between Rooney Mara and Jason Segel. And this unfortunately affects the credibility—or rather, the incredibility—of the main character’s motivations. Overall, I have the impression that, performance-wise, the only bright spot in the film is veteran Robert Redford. He comes across as slightly rough and distant, but this gives him character and sets him far apart from the colorless performances of his younger co-stars. It’s almost unbelievable that, still in such fine form at eighty, he decided to retire from acting.

The Discovery is a bit like a wedding cake served at the very start of the party. The highlight of the event shouldn’t come when some guests are still in the cloakroom and others haven’t even arrived. The sweetness of the cake fades quickly, and in the end, although the party may have been decent and without casualties, it ultimately lacks that element of surprise that could elevate the experience to a higher emotional level. Somewhere along the way, McDowell’s film missed that crucial ability to manage its resources—and more importantly, it lacks that final emotional jolt that could have woken me from the prolonged hibernation state it left me in.

But enough criticism. I’ll be unusually forgiving of such textbook errors. What matters most to me is what lingers after the credits roll—the cinematic legacy left behind. The Discovery is, despite its flaws, an intriguing attempt to confront an unreachable boundary that everyone approaches at some point, regardless of their philosophical background. The story’s conclusion, though conventional, may not be obvious to everyone. As it turns out, we live within a paradox: the very mystery of the end is what keeps us alive—it gives our lives meaning.

And so, the film manages to prove one thing: For our own good, the ultimate question should remain unanswered.