Review: Missions

"Missions" is a superlative science fiction series about a mission to Mars which takes an unexpected twist. It's hard SF at its absolute best, with strong allusions to the works of Arthur C Clarke and Stanislaw Lem. The dialogue is in French, but it's well subtitled, and the language barrier doesn't take a thing from the excellent acting. Each episode is around 25 minutes long, which provides just enough time to progress the plot and to leave the viewer wanting more. The plot moves in surprising and interesting directions and the action is compelling. The music is terrific, with a lovely and atmospheric theme that stayed in my mind for hours.

I was hooked on this series within seconds, and I'm convinced that it's going to be regarded as a classic, as although I've seen similar ideas in other SF stories, I've rarely seen them explored in such original and unexpected ways. A second series has already been commissioned. I can't wait!