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The Peripheral is set in the year 2099, so no doubt, everyone’s expecting a new bug to kick in on their machines next year… that said, I only have a problem with ONE program in 2000 with the Millennium Bug, and that was Windis32 and happened on January 2nd, as I would use it daily, and it would take ‘yesterday’s date’ as the checksum, so to speak. Hence, it was fine on January 1st, but crashed on the 2nd. The next day, someone fixed it. Don’t ask me how, as I’ve had a sleep since then.
But about this drama, and in setting the scene, after a brief part set in 2099 where a girl had lost her shoes, which – to be honest – I didn’t understand, this goes back to 2032, where siblings Flynne Fisher (Chloë Grace Moretz – Tom and Jerry: The Movie) and Burton (Jack Reynor – Cherry) are squabbling over what he’s done with their mother’s pills, before we see a brief smattering of the story itself, where she shows him how to properly play what it effectively a Sniper Elite-style game with a wireless VR helmet.
While working in a rather non-descript place full of 3D printers and other tech, a new type of headset is brought in, with Flynne assumeing it’s a silly toy.
Burton is given it to test – reminding me a bit like certain Amico Cult types with their fake ‘test unit’ consoles, but at least this headset has a shot at taking off!
In putting it on (within which, she has Burton as her avatar, as the simulation appears to be built with him in mind), she’s straight into a simulation set in London, riding around on motorbikes. So far I’ve seen the first two episodes, whic both tip just over an hour, and while in the opener events really slow right down until they get back into ‘VR mode’ (which I won’t spoil), episode 2 felt all chat-chat-chat and no real action.
In fact, it was in the second episode where everything seemed to descend into a daft cat-and-mouse chase for rather plot-basic reasons. Plus, throughout, everyone talks in a Southern drawl, and it’s not always easy to make out without subtitles, on the preview I’m watching, so bear that in mind when you watch this.
With the ‘upside down city’ look in the post, it made The Peripheral look like it would be taking a leaf out of Inception‘s book, and I was expecting stunningvisuals to amaze me, but I’ve not had any of that.
If I’ve understood right (and I might not have done!), the year 2032 is ‘today’, and the sim is set in 2099. Or are they crossing over? Or am I going nuts? Don’t answer that last one…
However, am I missing something? I’ll wait and see some other thoughts on the reviews before deciding whether to check out more. So far, The Peripheral doesn’t feel particularly ‘kick ass’.
As an aside, once in any VR-type situation, we see the action from the typical view of a camera filming it, rather than first-person like a normal VR game.
Thanks to our friends at Prime Video for the screener prior to release. Check out the trailer below and the official pictures taken at Monday’s premiere at Leicester Square Odeon, London.
The Peripheral is on Prime Video from Friday October 21st, first with two episodes, and then subsequently in weekly installments.
Cert: 
Running time: 60-70 minutes per episode (8 episodes)
Release date: October 21st 2022
Studio: Prime Video
Format: 2.00:1
Series Directors: Alrick Riley, Vincenzo Natali
Producers: Sara Desmond, Jamie Chan, Noreen O’Toole, Halle Phillips, Jay Worth
Creator: Scott B Smith
Writers: Scott B Smith, Jamie Chan, Greg Plageman, Bronwyn Garrity
Novel: William Gibson
Music: Mark Korven
Cast:
Flynne Fisher: Chloë Grace Moretz
Burton Fisher: Jack Reynor
Aelita West: Charlotte Riley
Wilf Netherton: Gary Carr
Cherise Nuland: T’Nia Miller
Ash: Katie Leung
Ossian: Julian Moore-Cook
Corbell Pickett: Louis Herthum
Jasper: Chris Coy
Leon: Austin Rising
Connor: Eli Goree
Macon: Miles Barrow
Daniel: David Hoflin
Ella Fisher: Melinda Page Hamilton
Billy Ann Baker: Adelind Horan
Buddy: Jared Bankens
Reece: Moe Bar-El
Dee Dee: Hannah Arterton
Mary Pickett: India Mullen
Edward: Gavin Dunn
Carlos 2022: Chuku Modu
Koid Fighter: Eric Tiede
Tommy Constantine: Alex Hernandez
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.