The Peripheral: TV Review

Whether it's the Matrix or the heavily maligned Johnny Mnemonic or Cyberpunk 2077, the writings of William Gibson have influenced much of how we view the tech world.

However, on screen, the cyberpunk world has been reignited by the success of HBO's Westworld and with real life VR taking to parts of our lives too, it's perhaps no surprise that the tech world is once again the focus of a TV series.

Adapted from Gibson's own works, The Peripheral stars Chloe Grace-Moretz as Flynne Fisher, who's stuck in a deadbeat job as a 3D tech operator in a going nowhere part of the world. When she gets the chance to stand in for her brother Burton (Jack Reynor)on a gaming simulator, she performs so well a mysterious company contacts him to be part of their upcoming trial.

Intrigued and desperate for cash to aid her ill mother, Flynne tries out the new headset tech he's been sent and finds herself in a sleek and futuristic London. Unlike most VR, this latest allows her to feel, giving her the sense of reality that's both alluring and dangerous - especially when she finds herself pulled into a world and a danger she didn't expect...

The Peripheral looks sleek and incredible.

Its near-deserted London is stunning to behold, an almost simulated view of what life would look like if it were stripped of the grime and overpopulation that keeps it buzzing. And the costuming is eye-popping, a sense of the day after tomorrow creeping into the styles.

Moretz is deeply relatable in the role as well - and while some of the writing veers towards a little choppy in part as it flits between the Matrix-like London and the grit of 2032 Blue Mountains, she makes her Flynne never feel anything less than a human rather than a story concept.

Reynor's equally adept too, and both he and Moretz sell the central concept of the show which appears at its heart to be about family. Whether it's the family of soldiers who work with Burton, the bond Moretz and Reynor's characters share, or the bond between an ill mother and children, as well as the London family of the future, Gibson's story works hard to keep it all on a grounded level.

It does take a bit of investment with the first three episodes very slowly unveiling the menace which lies ahead and the pace may put a few people off sticking with it.

Ultimately though, The Peripheral's polish, premise and promise make it a mystery worth investing in and a sign that superior sci-fi is still coasting along in 2022.

The Peripheral stars airing on Amazon Prime Video on Friday October 21.