27 years ago, with long black hair, a leather jacket and a cigar in his hand for practically the entire length, Billy Crudup appeared on the big screen for the first time to give life to Tommy Marcano in the masterpiece’sleepers‘ (1996) along with others like Kevin Bacon, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman or Brad Pitt. Now, Crudup has become a guarantee of excellencebut despite the fact that everything he does is a success, now he has the responsibility of launching himself to stardom ‘For a better tomorrow’ (‘Hello Tomorrow!’in original version), one of the new Apple TV+ seriesthat although it has a Exquisite aesthetics, it does not finish permeating in its first episodes.
In mid-February, the apple giant released ‘For a better tomorrow’, a sci-fi dystopia, drama and comedy that goes into a new critique of the coveted and sold American dream for decades. In this case, the platform focuses on this idea that guides culture and society in a retro-futuristic scenario.
Crudup gives life to Jackthe head of a Smoke Sellers Team: Timeshare Houses on the Moon. The perfect idea for humble and vulnerable families who want to escape from their reality, for cheaters who want to have a place to be or for couples who want to run away from their spouses who cheat on them. Definitely, an idyllic place for which it is convenient to invest a few monthly bills.
Shines in aesthetics, fails in background
This new science fiction story from the platform, which lately has been making a strong commitment to this genre (we must not forget ‘severance‘, one of the best fictions of the past year), shows the aesthetically perfect vintage-futuristic cocktail: cars from the 50s without wheels but floating, receptions and hotel rooms typical of the time… All without cell phones or color television.
This way, If we only talk about the aesthetic partthe new series by Amit Bhalla and Lucas Jansen -who are also screenwriters-, is a complete success. so is choose Crudup for the leading role, and if not tell the creators of ‘The Morning Show’, for which the actor took the Emmy thanks to its eccentric and even sociopathic Cory Ellison.
Without relegating the good performance of Alison Pill, another essential face and that stands out in fiction, the story has a objective that invites reflection, although sometimes it is left alone, an invitationa small glimpse of prompting the viewer to think about the effects of technology.
Apple is doing it right
Most of the fictions on the platform agree on several things: they are original stories, with backgroundthey always go further, they are critical -even with capitalism, yes, the giant Apple) and, in addition, they have some cool headers. However, although this could also be true in ‘Hello Tomorrow!‘, something is missing to become so, at least for now.
The story talks about how the desperation of the population can make them fall for meaningless promises and without any guarantee, it also talks about the ‘real estate bubble’ and how technology can submerge itself in each and every one of the aspects of society. But all this taking into account that without mobile phones or Instagram, No one can check with a selfie on social networks if their neighbor now really lives on the Moon.
Episodes of ‘For a better tomorrow’
However, Bhalla and Jansen fail to capture the sensations produced, for example, by the aforementioned ‘Severance’, fiction leaves you wanting to continue watching episodes -about 30 minutes-, but it is true that, far from offering the ending that Ben Stiller’s fiction offered, On this occasion it seems that all the fish are sold and that its outcome can be predictable: everything will go down.it will collapse.
Until now, Apple has released three chapters and this Friday launches its fourth episode -one weekly up to total of ten-. But, although it seems that it has a very difficult time, the apple company is doing it well and is ambitious. In addition to its themes and riskier arguments than most platforms of ‘streaming’, because he has recently hired a new advertising executiveand that is a very good sign.
For now, we will have to wait to see how this rocket takes off to the Moon with its lights and darks and if it finally manages to curdle with the rest of the season.
Trailer for ‘For a better tomorrow’ (‘Hello Tomorrow!’)
