The new Apple TV series “Silo” paints a bleak picture of the future. Based on the novel series of the same name by author Hugh Howey (47), the ten episodes tell of a deadly world. The apparently last ten thousand people eke out their time in a silo deep underground – supposedly in order to be able to survive. But is that the whole truth?
The population does not know why the eponymous silo was built. “We don’t know why we’re here,” says Bernard, played by Oscar winner Tim Robbins (64), in a trailer. “We don’t know who built the silo and why we live underground. We only know that the world outside our sanctuary means death.” But what does the outside world really look like? This also begs the question, “What if what we see isn’t what’s out there?”
If you want to uncover more details, you have to reckon with the consequences. But that’s exactly what Juliette, played by “Dune” star Rebecca Ferguson (39), wants. “I have to find out the truth,” says the engineer, who is looking for answers and in the process uncovers a mystery that goes deeper than she thought. Or as Bernard seems to threaten: “Some mysteries are best left unexplained.”
It was first announced in May 2021 that Ferguson would be taking on one of the roles in the new series, which will now be available on Apple TV from May 5th. In the ten episodes, David Oyelowo (47) will appear alongside her and Robbins, who has become quite quiet in front of the camera in recent years. The Brit is known, among other things, from “Selma” and “The Cloverfield Paradox”.
Rapper and actor Common (51), Avi Nash (32, “The Walking Dead”) and “Parks and Recreation” star Rashida Jones (47) also play other roles. Scriptwriter Howey and lead actress Ferguson also serve as executive producers. Responsible for the series is Graham Yost (63, “Justified”), directed by Morten Tyldum (55, “The Imitation Game”).
“Dystopian stories may seem modern, but they do exactly what stories have always done,” Howey told tech magazine Wired. At its core: “Here’s a person out of their comfort zone.” That’s also the reason why “at the beginning of almost every Disney story, a parent has to die,” the author is certain. “Not because we hate parents, but because the protagonist has to lose his foundation and that as a child. Your parents are your civilization. If you take away the parents, you now exist apart from civilization. ‘Silo’ and ‘Bambi’ are the exact ones same story.”
