Apple TV+ is now reviving the sci-fi genre with its well-made TV shows after the downfall of smart science fiction in movies, but the streamer must make a few more provisions to keep this ball rolling. Other than offering entertainment and escapism, science fiction is one genre that can often give viewers a peak into the future or at least a vision of all the possibilities lying ahead. For instance, Back to the Future's depiction of flying cars may have been over the top. However, its portrayal of drones, mobile-aided payment, biometrics devices, and many other future technologies is right on the money.
When science fiction movies and TV shows are not foreseeing what's ahead, they use their dystopian settings to reflect the present day's contemporary issues, concerns, and phobias. For instance, a Black Mirror season 6 episode spins a true-crime yarn in its sci-fi narrative and subtly critiques the streaming era. Apple TV+ is also giving new life to the sci-fi genre through both original shows and book adaptations, which seems to be changing the direction of how the genre performed in recent years, especially since the 2010s.
The Rise & Fall Of Smart Sci-Fi Movies In The 2010s
The early 2010s marked the inception of a new era for science fiction since many epic speculative fantasy movies came out during that time. From thought-provoking flicks like Ex-Machina that explored the ethical conundrums surrounding artificial intelligence to time-bending dramas like Christopher Nolan's Inception that delved into the intricacies of dreams and reality, the early 2010s witnessed a notable rise in smart sci-fi movies. Even other genre classics like Arrival, Her, Gravity, The Martian, Snowpiercer, and Interstellar premiered around the same time, changing and challenging how audiences perceived alien encounters, human-technology relationships, class divides, and outer space on the big screen.
However, what started as the sci-fi genre's foray into boundary-pushing ideas and concepts peaked a little too soon in the mid-2010s and gradually declined over the rest of the decade. Films like Transcendence, The Cloverfield Paradox, Jupiter Ascending, and engers came with ambitious sci-fi ideas and promises but failed to balance intellect with engaging storytelling. Even the ones like Blade Runner 2049, Tenet, and Annihilation, which delivered on the storytelling end, bombed at the box office. The sci-fi movie genre has seen a resurgence after the pandemic with movies like Dune and Everything Everywhere All At Once, but it is still not the same as the early 2010s.
Apple TV+ Is Now The Home Of The Best Smart Sci-Fi
While smart and engaging science fiction is still finding its feet in movies, it has found its new home in Apple TV+'s shows. It all started in 2019 when For All Mankind set the groundwork for speculative fiction on the platform by exploring where humanity would stand if the global space race had continued. Apple TV +'s Foundation later took the stage with its adaptation of Isaac Asimov's award-winning novels. While the streaming platform faltered a little with series like Hello Tomorrow! and Extrapolations, it regained momentum with hit originals like Severance and book adaptations like Silo.
Although Severance is not the first television drama that satirizes corporate workplaces, it takes risks, keeps audiences on their toes, and charters deep into the unknown and the weird to nail down its complex themes and compelling world-building elements. 2023's Silo achieves something similar by staying true to the foundational concepts of the original Hugh Howey novels but turning their narrative into a slow-burn, mystery-driven sci-fi drama. Given how Apple TV+'s Silo carefully changes the original Silo books' content and effectively makes it more suitable for the audiovisual medium of storytelling, it is not surprising that it is beating Netflix & HBO Competitors In popularity ranking.
Apple's Sci-Fi TV Shows Still Need To Break Through More
It is commendable how Apple TV+ has consistently delivered quality sci-fi television content, but the streamer still seems to have a long way to go. TV shows like Silo have been showing promising numbers in demand, but that does not necessarily translate to massive viewership. Also, given how Apple TV+ launched relatively recently compared to giants like Netflix, there are fewer eyes on its shows, regardless of how high they rank in of their ratings and quality. To ensure that audiences keep engaging with its compelling offerings to the sci-fi genre, Apple TV+ must consistently deliver top-notch content.
Apart from that, like Silo and Severance, Apple TV+'s future science fiction shows must continue breaking new ground and pushing boundaries to expand the diversity of its viewership. One way to achieve this would be by branching out sci-fi into other popular sub-genres, like Severance merges science fiction with workplace satire, and Silo fuses it with mystery and political drama. If Apple TV+ continues to expand its genre offering without compromising on quality, it could effectively build its brand identity around science fiction and maybe even start a new wave of smart sci-fi on television.