One of television’s most path-breaking series, Westworld is all set to make its way to Indian television. And for those who haven’t watched or even heard about the series, Star World is airing both – Seasons 1 & 2, every day from Monday to Friday!
Wondering if this is the show to watch?
Here are 13 reasons why Westworld is an absolute must-watch for any TV enthusiast out there! If you’re not overtly fond of television but are a sci-fi and/or a tech nerd, Westworld will still be your go-to series for some brilliant analogies and content. You’ll soon be pondering over the various mysteries of this world and the myriad possibilities that exist out there!
1. It is not just another drama!
Westworld is the epitome of excellent television-making. Thrilling and full of suspense, edge of the seat action and some of the best performances on television and films combined, many critics have gone on to say that the series is the next Game of Thrones of television in the sci-fi genre!
Now, when they make a statement like that, why wouldn’t you want to at least give it a try?
2. It’s a genre defining television series that has broken records
When you think ‘sci-fi’, how often do you think robots, artificial intelligence and a whole new world where bots operate alongside humans?
A different kind of cerebral fantasy, Westworld’s intricate story line is designed to showcase a new Catch-22 sort of intense and dark storytelling with heady sci-fi concepts and an exceeding ambition to break off all the dauntingly complicated ideas, each scene.
With bots and humans co-existing in a world that has no limitations to any fantasy, the series has created a genre-defining narrative that follows in the footsteps of developing two distinct worlds that are irrevocably linked.
Westworld, for its very first season, was nominated at all prestigious award ceremonies including the Golden Globes, Primetime Emmys, Critics’ Choice, Screen Actors’ Guild, People’s Choice, Directors’ Guild, Writers’ Guild and Producers’ Guild awards amongst many others.
3. Notable names involved in creating the series
‘Nolan’ is a very reputed surname in the world of film and television making. Obviously, the first name that comes to mind is none other than the directorial genius that is Christopher Nolan. But his brother Jonathan Nolan, is another name that is upholding the family name in the industry. His short film ‘Memento Mori’ served as the concept for Christopher’s ‘Memento’ that went on to earn the Academy Award nominations. The duo then co-created and co-wrote many renowned and notable movies including The Batman Series, Interstellar, Inception, The Prestige among others. Jonathan also created the immensely popular TV series Person of Interest.
Now, Nolan Jr. along with his wife, Lisa Joy of Pushing Daisies and Burn Notice fame have together created the series ‘Westworld’ that has gone on to garner incredibly rave reviews and critical praise.
JJ Abrams of Lost, The Star Wars movie series, Star Trek movie series, Armageddon, Alias, Felicity, Mission Impossible – III, Rogue Nation and Ghost Protocol fame among others also serves as a producer on the show.
With such prominent names backing the series, now you know – Westworld is a series that cannot be missed!
4. Jaw-dropping performances by a remarkable ensemble cast
Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, James Marsden, Thandie Newton and Evan Rachel Wood. These are some of the most distinguished names that come together to form a stellar star-cast and you’ve obviously heard of them all.
Hopkins, best known as one of Hollywood’s most talented actors popular for his roles as Odin on Thor, Hannibal Lecter on the Hannibal movie series including The Silence of the Lambs for which he won the Academy Award and other award-winning movies such as The Remains of the Day, Amistad, Legends of the Fall, Bobby, Nixon among others is one of the lead actors on Westworld, playing Dr. Robert Ford who created the fantasy park – Westworld.
Ed Harris, yet another Oscar-winning actor is part of the extraordinary star cast playing one of the most pivotal roles on the series – The Man in Black. James Marsden of X-Men series, The Notebook, The Butler and 27 Dresses fame is also part of the main star-cast alongside Golden Globe-winning actor Evan Rachel Wood of Mildred Pierce, True Blood, Thirteen fame and Thandie Newton of Mission Impossible, 2012, Norbit, The Pursuit of Happyness popularity.
Other well-known names on the series include Jeffrey Wright, Ben Barnes, Jimmi Simpson, Tessa Thompson, Luke Hemsworth, Gustaf Skarsgård and more.
5. It is based on another Westworld
The concept of the series, while mind-blowing, isn’t entirely novel. Based on Michael Crichton’s film of the same name, the show also follows the same idea albeit a different and extremely varied storyline. The movie which was released back in 1973 was considered a movie that was way ahead of its time and was appreciated for its distinctive theme.
6. Before this, there have been many more Westworld's – movies, TV series and video games
Audiences were so taken by the thought-provoking concept of the series that many have tried to replicate it, in a bid to create varied offerings for audiences – movies, TV shows and even a video game but none worked so far except for when Nolan re-initiated the concept with its many twists and story plots.
What was the fascination behind this story that made everyone want to create a masterpiece offering out of it? Well, you will only have to watch it to find out for yourself.
7. Stunning Visual Effects
It is one thing to create a series that has mind-blowing special effects, it is another to create a series entirely based on visual effects that still manages to boggle the minds of audiences and question the reality of it all.
One such series that poses a lot of questions with regards to its setting, its scenic backgrounds and all the robotic artificial intelligence whilst being created out of complete imagery and effects, yet having solid links to the story is Westworld.
The show is not only a visual masterpiece. It creates beautiful landscapes that lends to the story beautifully with attention to detail being one of the most important facets. Good cinematography, visual design and the way that the creators have managed to transfer the quality of the big screen to the small screen is what makes this show a winner!
It is not VR but acts like it when it comes to transporting viewers to a completely different world with its visual appeal and stunning effects.
8. The creators kept no holds barred while creating this multi-million dollar season of the series
A lot of series have been spoken about purely from the point of view of the expenses that they have incurred while shooting the series – paying large sums to the actors, locations costs, expenses of the elaborate sets and more. But Westworld beats them all to become one of the most expensive series ever created. With a magnanimous 10 million dollar per episode budget and more, the creators have gone all out in terms of investment and it must have something to do with the enormous confidence they have in the success of the series.
Apart from the 10 million dollar per episode budget, the pilot of the series itself spent over a whopping 19 million dollars in its making!
Now, wouldn’t you want to just check it out to see what the creators have done with all that money?
9. If you think you know what will happen on Westworld next, think again!
With most of the series, you can map out situations, contemplate possibilities and try to see the road ahead if not predict the storyline. But Westworld is beyond it all – it’s beyond your wildest imaginations and even the most imperceptible thought processes. Nothing is all black or all white on the series and that’s what makes the series, not only fascinating but also wildly unthinkable.
There are no heroes or villains or even anti-heroes with a heart of gold on Westworld. You cannot sympathise with a character because you won’t know who they will turn out to be and you absolutely cannot fathom their futures or even their many possibilities.
10. You don’t need to worry about the show’s future seasons
Most of the times, viewers want to wait till the series is over to figure if they even want to watch the show, owing mainly to if the show even has an end. But there is no need to worry here and audiences can rest assured that the future of Westworld is very bright – well, not so much on the series but a lot more on the TV screens.
Even before the series premiered, the creators had already put together the storylines for the first six seasons of the show and given the praise and excellent critique that Westworld has received, there is no doubt that the series will continue to be renewed at by the network.
11. There are fan theories galore!
Shows that give the opportunity for fans to guess the outcomes and theories related to the story line, the characters and more make for great conversation starters.
Game of Thrones was one such show and now Westworld is another.
With fan theories galore, Westworld makes for great discussions not just in the medieval fantasy world like GoT but also in the real world and the many possibilities AI brings to our world.
12. Westworld is gloriously melodious
If nothing thrills you but the music, then again Westworld is the show to watch. If you’re a fan of Hans Zimmer, again, Westworld is your go-to on television to hear some incredible musical score and background music. Of course, Hans Zimmer, a Nolan favourite and regular, hasn’t contributed to this series musically but the Zimmer of television – Ramin Djawadi, also the music composer for GoT has upped the entertainment ante with his provision of music to Westworld.
The background scores of this movie will keep you at the edge of your seats all the time.
13. The show is Artificial Intelligence even at its massy best!
Westworld is not your usual run-of-the-mill sci-fi series. It understands artificial intelligence and uses it to its advantage. And if you get it too, it will leave you thinking and wondering.
But the best part is, while it caters to an intelligent audience who possess a higher understanding of AI, it doesn’t restrict itself to just that. By blending research with an immersive story line, Westworld has today become one of the most successful shows of all time breaking viewership records like no other.