If it feels like we can’t sing the praises of Apple TV+ enough, that’s because we can’t. Apple has gone from the laughing stock of streaming services to quickly becoming a fan favorite with consistently high-quality dramas. Now, the hot streak is extending into new territory – science fiction. So what is Silo all about? Should you watch it?
The Story
Silo is based on a highly-acclaimed trilogy of post-apocalyptic science fiction novels by author Hugh Howey, and this ten-episode season covers the events of the first book, Wool. The television adaptation follows the novel pretty closely, which is sure to delight readers.
The story is set in – brace yourselves, this might be shocking – a silo. Not like the title gave it away or anything, right? The titular silo is a 144-floor underground community of humans, and the story takes place hundreds of years after an unknown event has caused the air above ground to become toxic. Or at least, that’s what everyone in the silo believes.
It’s forbidden to express a desire to go outside, and those who do are sent for “cleaning,” a process in which they’re sent outside wearing suits that keep them alive just long enough to clean the cameras that show the outside world to all of the residents inside. One woman, engineer-turned-sheriff Juliette, begins an investigation into the cleanings that changes the silo forever.
Is It Worth A Watch?
The opening episodes feature Rashida Jones and David Oyelowo, two actors that we’re always delighted to see in anything, and they certainly helped to hook us right away. While it was initially jarring to see the focus switch to a different main character after a couple of episodes, we quickly fell in love with Rebecca Ferguson as Juliette to the point that we immediately started looking for other movies and shows that she stars in. The series features a host of other familiar faces that all do a great job playing their part in making the world of Silo feel more lived in.
Visually, Silo is a homerun. It has just enough darkness and grit to make the viewer understand that all is not right in this world, and the characters are physically affected by what they go through. Unlike some shows where every character goes through hell and comes out with not a single hair out of place, Juliette is portrayed as a grease monkey, and she often looks fittingly grimy and sweaty, dealing with the repercussions of her hard work.
The final lynchpin that makes it all work is the plot and pacing. This might be controversial, but in our opinion, the television series is even better than the books, and that’s due in large part to the relatively short run time of a ten-episode series, which leaves just enough time to entice the viewer with mysteries and cliffhangers without getting lost in a slog of exposition.
In conclusion, Silo is absolutely worth a watch. In fact, we expect it to be mentioned in the same breath as all of the best series of the year.
You can stream Silo now on Apple TV+