The Eternaut: This stunning post-apocalyptic drama is the one you should be watching

Eternaut
Netflix

To make good art, you must be precise. Perhaps it is too much to sweep a declaration – and therefore rather contradictory – but it is a fundamental principle that I live. It is not good to continue the lowest common denominator in the hope of attracting an audience. Whether it is a song, a painting or a poem, these are the specificities we hang on and fall in love.

This may be why, with hundreds of TV apocalypses, Eternaut is such a breath of fresh air. The new Netflix show adapts a series of classic comics written by Héctor Germán Oesterheld which was published in 1957 and very adored in his House in Argentina.

It also includes themes of a restart of history in 1969 which reflected the increasingly anti-imperialist views of Oesterheld. It is a story imbued with violence and paranoia of the real world that has marked the rise of military dictatorship in Argentina, and it is not as well known on a global scale as it should be.

During a sweltering summer night in Buenos Aires, Juan Salvo (Ricardo Darín) and his friends come together in a basement to play Truco card game. The laughs are shared and the whiskey is drunk – until a mysterious gust of snow gives up the city. It is quite strange since he only snowed in Buenos Aires three times in recorded history, but the flakes that fall kill all those they touch almost instantly.

Trapped inside, Juan has no idea if his ex-wife Elena (Carla Peterson) and his daughter Clara (Mora Fisz) are alive. He puts on a waterproof suit and a gas mask, then descends into the streets. Those who are left into account debate whether to share decline resources with other survivors, while their neighborhood becomes more and more panicked.

I have not read the original comic strip, because it is difficult to get in the United Kingdom, so I cannot say how faithfully it was adapted. What I can say is that the modifications made to a modern framework work well, like the background of Juan as a soldier in the Falklands War between the United Kingdom and Argentina in 1982. His military experience made him a natural leader for survivors, but his unresolved trauma can feed strange visions that he experiences.

The intrigue of Eternaut May seem similar to those of many post-apocalyptic dramas; This is largely due to its enormous influence on this sub-genre. But this series of Spanish language always seems fresh because it maintains its Argentinian-ning, rather than moving the drama in the well-used streets of New York or London. It is preferable to keep this specificity, from architecture to politics.

I knew littlely little about the history of Argentina before starting the series, and I also did not know that Oesterheld and four of his daughters, two of whom were pregnant, were disappeared by the country’s military dictatorship in 1977. The success of the new series caused a renewed research of his disparaged grandchildren, who were probably given to other families. All this sad story constitutes a beautifully adaptation in layers which feels richer than most of his contemporaries.

There are some faults Eternaut: The first three episodes are too slow a burn, while the female characters do not have much to do. But it is a convincing survival drama that becomes more complex in its second half. And here is a last bonus: having been a sleeper for Netflix, it has already been renewed for a second season.

Bethan also recommends …

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Eternal The comic book writer Héctor Germán Oesterheld, Elsa Sánchez, asked justice to the death of the military junta of Argentina. His story is similar to that of Eunice Paiva, told in this superb film, whose husband was killed by the dictatorship of Brazil.

Bethan Ackerley is a new scientist supporter. She loves science fiction, sitcoms and everything that is scary. Follow it on x @ ‌inkerley

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