MR. ROBOT

Even now, with high-quality dramatic series superabundant, everyday real-world problems mostly go untouched thematically. MR. ROBOT is a huge exception. It’s ready to rumble with most every hot-button issue we have going: surveillance, privacy, computer hacking, corporate control and greed, drug abuse, mental illness, class resentment, wealth disparity, debt – yes, debt, both student and government. All this, plus the more familiar elements of murder, mayhem and sex. Rami Malek is mesmerizing as Elliot, a hyper-idealistic, socially inept cyber-security whiz whose world-saving inclinations get him enmeshed in a cyber-terrorism conspiracy led by a mysterious hacker (Christian Slater) who wears a work shirt with “MR. ROBOT” embroidered on the pocket. The series never stops twisting and turning, destabilizing the viewer’s expectations with red herrings and Elliot’s unreliable narration. Its visual style is fittingly stark, dark, gritty and Gotham-esque. Its mood recalls the paranoid 1970s indie-film thrillers like The Conversation and The Parallax View. For provocative storytelling that’s as emotionally compelling as it is socially relevant, MR. ROBOT receives a Peabody Award.