Mr. Robot - TV Series Review

Mr. Robot is a suspenseful drama show focusing around hacker, Elliot Alderson – a highly talented but mentally ill cybersecurity engineer. Doing a double job, Elliot is an employee at a company called AllSafe by day, and a hacker fighting crime at night. Further on in the storyline, Elliot is approached by an unknown man called Mr Robot who wants Elliot to join his team with the aim of bringing down the evil E corp which represents today’s evil empire. As Elliot earns himself a place in an international conspiracy, the show’s plot develops into an intense socio-political thriller built on the protagonist’s suffering. It also ventures into the important but seldom discussed topic of mental illness; symptomized by characters like Elliot, the show addresses social anxiety disorder and multiple personality disorder unabashedly and sensitively. Its mood is paranoid with elements of heavy contemplation, encapsulated in an unwavering suspense of the movie. The show strikes an excellent dramatic contrast between the human mind and technological era along with socio-cultural controversy as a shared setting while giving the perfect eerie touch felt throughout the show.

Playing the protagonist, Rami Malek is exceptional as Elliot Alderson, portraying his character’s depth and core to the least detail with immense realism. Malek is so sensitive yet powerful in his performance that he becomes the mainstay of the series. Christian Slater gives the show’s titular character Mr. Robot a charm and enigma that heightens the dramatic intrigue. The cast also strengthens the story with complex portrayals that extend their characters beyond the functionaries of the plot: instigators and contributors to Elliot’s psychological and emotional development are Carly Chaikin and Martin Wallström.

Mr. Robot owes most of its successes to Sam Esmail who directs it masterfully. A keen eye for subtletycombined with original editorial approach brings creation of the world that is both believable and fantastical. It should be noted that Esmail supplies the film with a noircybervisual lexicon and non-conventional shooting perspectives, irregular framing, and ditorsional angle characteristic of Elliot’s unstable psyche. The direction ensures that the attention of the viewers is drawn and locked into Elliot’s unstable psyche thus enriching the show’s psychological perspective.

The music in Mr. Robot is composed by Mac Quayle and this is one of the techniques used in presenting the show. The: The original series’ psychological aspect gets modified and enhanced through the use of electronic and synth music that personifies Elliot’s internal turmoil as well as the tension that the show creates . Mutual themes and contrasting elements of Quayle’s compositions merge with the story’s narrative structure and enhance the experience by adding musical motifs that enchant the sections of tension.

The cinematography of the series contributes to the overall themes and the manner in which the story is told; under the guidance of cinematographer Tod Campbell. Every frame is designed depending on the prevailing tone of the context: the play of shadows and light depicting a disturbed soul of Elliot. The shades of grey continue to enhance the noir genre of the series even while weaving in splashes of color, which separate two worlds that Elliot encounters. Not only does it add dimensions to the visuals but it also effectively enhances the development of the narrative with meaningful visual elements.

The cinematography in Mr. Robot enhances the show and its overall dark atmosphere in a way that the show’s design supports. Even cities that aim for bright new corporate modernites are juxtaposed against hacker lairs and the camera work, slow pointed meticulous movements cut against Elliot’s jarring structured and fractured life. The concept of set design is also related to the show’s thematic agenda of control against freedom as the spaces reflect the manifestations of mental struggle. Special effects in storytelling make it better because robot applied them in its well-told narratives. All these effects are quite powerful though not as overbearing as to dominate the contents of the story. References to actual hackers are in glitch aesthetics and digital noise, while psychological influences narrated visually depict Elliot’s state of mind. These are woven into the show’s entirety in a very professional way without coming in the way of the narrative and believability of the program.

The show has been well edited by Franklin Peterson, the editor providing the element of suspense into the entire show. Slashes are used to sustain an opposite dramatic mood while telling a story of Elliot and existing plot lines of this series. The pacing remains an effective storytelling tool which allows each revelation to be given proper emphasis as well as overall increasing the show’s appeal. Tempo is also matched with Elliot’s state of mind, shifting from calm introspection to paranoia and absolute frenzy to allow viewers to think about the story while still keeping their attention.

(The dialog in Mr. Robot is poignant and purposeful) This is perhaps particularly well done in showing the protagonist’s inner struggle; Elliot and his shyness, his loneliness, are depicted with authenticity. Conversation scenes feel urgent and drive character relationships and arcs forward, and there’s always depth beneath the surface where the viewer has to decide what these characters are up to.

While other aspects of Mr. Robot are better executed, sometimes the show cannot carry weight and responsibility of this premise. A few shocks seem a tad contrived as the series works towards keeping things complicated. Also, there are sometimes debates that may last for several minutes and though they are informative and engaging, the audience may get lost in the middle of it only to be pulled back into the show’s story line. However these are but elements as small as note overwhelmed in an otherwise incredible series.

The show is aptly titled as watching Mr. Robot feels like navigating through a labyrinth of psychological warfare and technological advancements. It provokes the audience to think about what they saw and the nature of reality and the preprogrammed social structures. The series is great merged of technothriller and drama with strong character focus, which has a deep and heart-touching impression at the end of all episodes, thus it must be recommended for those audiences who look fro depth and different approach to a genre.