Scavengers Reign [Review]
I saw the Scavengers Reign trailer a while ago, then totally missed the show’s release. The show had already been out for a month by the time I noticed. This series is a gem and its relatively quiet release doesn’t do it justice. Currently it sits at 100% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes but I still feel like it’s flown under the radar for most people.
Image: Max
The twelve episode series is about three groups of survivors stranded on the strange planet Vesta after their space freighter the Demeter is partially destroyed by a solar flare, leaving the rest of the crew dead or in stasis. The story is told through a combination of scenes in the present and flashbacks—sometimes unreliable—in characters’ memories.
Vesta is a beautiful but dangerous place; the show puts a lot of focus on the alien flora and fauna. You get a real sense of the planet as a living, breathing place. Some of the characters learn to use plants and animals as devices to help them survive. Creatures that work as breathing masks when you put them on your face, or that inflate to help the humans rapidly rise into the air. Giant seeds that light up like glowsticks when squeezed. The show draws this from the creators’ (Joseph Bennett and Charles Huettner) original animated short that inspired it. A lot of love and attention was obviously put into designing and animating these creatures and plants; some are key to the plot while others simply exist and contribute to the surreal setting.
Image: Max
The style evolved a bit from what was in the short; studios Titmouse and Green Street did a phenomenal job of bringing everything to life with beautiful 2D animation that feels handmade. It’s refreshing to see drama animated like this. While there is a lot of focus given to the environment and there is also some great action, the show pays a great deal of attention to the drama occurring on screen, with pacing uncommon to TV animation that really hones in on characters and what they’re feeling. Shots are often held longer than you’d expect, and great attention is paid to the subtlety of human expression. Characters act and are animated in a way that feels very natural.
My favorite characters in the show are Azi, a cargo specialist, and Levi, a robot, who are stranded together. I loved watching their relationship build as Azi discovers Levi is somehow developing consciousness and self. I’m reluctant to go into much more detail because of how great it was to go into it mostly blind. Scavengers Reign builds slowly, but it gives you a sense of wonder and discovery as it moves forward. Part of this is also because the show offers little to no exposition, another refreshing element of the series.
Image: Max
I read a great interview in The Hollywood Reporter, where the creators cite some cinematic influences: Perfect Blue, Nausicaä, The Last of the Mohicans, 28 Days Later, Jurassic Park, Manchester by the Sea, and Sorcerer. The interviewer also draws comparisons to Annihilation, but the creators reveal that they were already screening the pilot when the movie was released. If you haven’t seen any of these movies, there’s no better time than the present. If you have, you might know a little bit of what you have in store when you watch Scavengers Reign.
Needless to say, I loved it. I don’t think I’ve seen a sci fi show quite like it before. And I hope we get to see more. Unfortunately, I don’t trust Max to continue the series. I hope I’m proven wrong.
Scavengers Reign was released on October 19, 2023, and the entire season is now available on Max.
