Critic Reviews

The series’ variety of story, themes, and mood, coupled with an incredible cast and high-quality world-building make Electric Dreams a must-watch for any sci-fi fan worth their salt.

Whereas Netflix’s “Black Mirror” deals with near-future technology angst, the Amazon series is more speculative. Each episode differs not only in look but in tone. So in this binge climate, it is nice having something worth binging that you can also take your time with, and “Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams” is that.

As with all anthology series, Electric Dreams is hit-and-miss, but the hits far outweigh the misses. A large majority of Electric Dreams is worth your time, especially if you’re a fan of Dick’s work, with only one episode that really misfires, offset by one that’s a mini-masterpiece. And the eight in between are what could safely be called “pretty good.”

All in all, Electric Dreams contains more hits than misses and a couple of real gems. Let’s hope that it is the shape of things to come: a sign that television is going to invest heavily in science-fiction storytelling that is diverting, eye-catching and dramatically pleasing.

Unless your mind is very fresh to these subjects, it will not be blown, but that is not to say you won't fret over the fate of the characters, or feel their feelings, or hope for the hopeful rather than hopeless outcome. (You will get both sorts of conclusion, in more or less equal portions.)

Despite some Electric Dreams episodes feeling overly familiar or their execution being less interesting than some similar sci-fi takes elsewhere, none of them are a turn-off and there are some real gems to be found here.

Like all anthologies, some hours are better than others (but most of these are good), and what Dreams lacks in razzle-dazzle, it makes up for in brains.

After a strong start, Electric Dreams meanders through a few uninspired segments--and like any anthology series, those weaker episodes detract from the overall sense of wonder and engagement. But Dick’s visions retain such appeal, and the execution of the better entries (helmed by some excellent directors, including Dee Rees and Julian Jarrold) land so forcefully that the show outpaces its missteps, delivering a smart and transportive sci-fi series that cleverly finds its most human moments in the least humane of situations.

Electric Dreams works because there's a fascinating nugget of insight about humanity in every episode, even if they don't always succeed. There's a reason we keep returning to Dick's works over and over again, and it's worth visiting his Electric Dreams if only to remind us why.

While, overall, it is not as consistently compelling as Black Mirror, Electric Dreams is a worthy addition to a genre--the anthology series--that is in the midst of a renaissance.