Reverie, a new sci-fi procedural, is now available to binge, first on Showmax in Africa.
The series is named after a customisable and immersive virtual reality experience that scans users’ memories and social media footprints to help them bring their dreams to life.
“It’s so real that when you go in, it’s hard to distinguish it from real life,” says actress Jessica Lu (Awkward, American Horror Story), who plays the tech genius behind Onira-Tech and its ground-breaking technology. “The problem is, for some people, their Reverie is better than their real life, so they choose to stay.”
Enter Mara Kint (Sarah Shahi from The L Word and Person of Interest), a failed hostage negotiator, who’s brought in to save people from themselves.
“It’s almost like Inception meets Alice in Wonderland,” says Shahi, although media have also compared it to a more mainstream version of Black Mirror and Forbes described it “The Matrix meets cop show.”
Golden Globe nominee Dennis Haysbert (President David Palmer on 24 and Nelson Mandela in Goodbye Bafana) co-stars as Charlie Ventana, Onira-Tech’s head of security, while Sendhil Ramamurthy (Heroes) is an expert in dreams and Kathryn Morris (Cold Case) is a venture capitalist.
Indiewire called Reverie “a dazzling and poignant summer diversion,” praising the “gorgeous… brisk and arresting pilot” with its “imaginative take on various mental and psychological playgrounds,” “vibrant visuals and lush virtual landscapes,” and “hints of unexpected side effects and bugs.”
The Verge called it “refreshingly idealistic… fresh and timely,” while Slash Film said “the story is interesting, the acting is great, and the premise remains intriguing.”
Reverie is created and executive produced by Mickey Fisher, who worked with Steven Spielberg to create Extant and with Guillermo del Toro as a writer on The Strain. Directors include Daisy von Scherler Mayer (The Walking Dead), Jaume Collet-Serra (The Shallows), John F Showalter (The 100), Kenneth Fink (The Expanse), P.J. Peske (Supernatural) and Wendey Stanzler (Arrow).
Binge now, only on Showmax in Africa.
