Now Apocalypse is a provocative, hilarious and futuristic show starring some of the most attractive twenty-something actors that you have ever seen all in the one science-fiction-comedy mishmash of a show.
Let me start by saying whatever you think Now Apocalypse is going to be about – throw that idea out the window. The show follows main character Ulysses Zane (played by Avan Jogia) who exists in a constant state of neon lighting, random yet constant sexual escapades with other incredibly attractive men and vape smoke. Ulysses has been struggling with premonition-like dreams about aliens and he believes the dreams are a sign that something bad is going to happen. His two best friends – Ford (Beau Mirchoff) and Carly (Kelli Berglund) – are sceptical but are honestly too caught up in their own overly active sex lives to really care too much. Ford is dating an incredibly suspicious women named Severine who is shown to work in some sort of detective, science-based job which is just vague enough to make it seem like Ulysses could be on to something. Carly is dating a hilariously passionate guy in the form of Jethro who, although being incredibly handsome, is not shaping up to be everything Carly needs. It’s clear from the start, Now Apocalypse definitely has an MA-rated underlying theme of exploring sexuality, both between Ulysses and the various men he meets as well as Ford and Carly’s heterosexual relationships, which brings a realistic and sometimes taboo subject to the forefront of the show.
Relationship drama aside, Now Apocalypse is a perfectly weird combination of suspense, science fiction tropes and surprising comedy. Ulysses is almost hyper-aware of his hipster-eque vibes and seems to fully embrace it through the form of humour, and this comedy – witty dialogue and expressive faces – then offsets the suspense and tension created from his dreams. I think as the season continues the science fiction elements will become more prominent and important to the story but show creator Gregg Araki really takes his time introducing all the characters and where they’re all going to fit into whatever weird and wonderful story this ends up being.
One of the coolest things about this show so far is the style. Araki has produced a very particular vibe within the show, created through constant use of neon lights, bright colours and quirky costumes. It feels like everything – from background props to main characters’ clothes – could have been found in a second-hand store and yet it works together to create a unique and bizarre world for these characters to live in. Because it’s never specified, it also seems like Now Apocalypse could be set anywhere from today to 50 years in the future.
Overall, Now Apocalypse is an engaging and interesting piece of modern-day science fiction. It’s a weird and wonderful world that Ulysses and his friends live in and I’m interested and intrigued to see where he and his alien premonition dreams are going to take us. I’m hoping for more neon lights, more aliens and more Tyler Posey (yeah, the guy from Teen Wolf is in this too) and if that doesn’t catch your attention, I’m not sure what else will. Buckle up and prepare to get hooked because you can stream all 10 episodes of Season One now exclusively on Stan.
Score: 4.5/5