Netflix’s Newest Series Is Apocalyptically Argentinean, And Perfect For Fans Of ‘Death Stranding’

Netflix knows the value of a good adaptation, and the massive streaming giant has been sourcing IP from across the globe, of high and low-brow character to further flesh out their expansive library. After last year’s One Hundred Years Of Solitude brought Nobel laureate Gabriel García Márquez’ Colombian classic to life, Netflix is turning to an Argentinean sci-fi comic strip from the 1950’s created by Héctor Germán Oesterheld and Francisco Solano López for their next adaptation, The Eternaut.

Depicting the story of a group of friends-turned-survivors of a mysterious blizzard blankets the earth and instantly kills anyone who comes into direct contact, coinciding with an alien invasion, the series draws on its illustrative history to tee up beautifully horrifying scenes of death and destruction.

Where similar apocalyptic series portray swarms of slow-motion zombies, The Eternaut contains scene after scene of motionless victims trapped beneath the radioactive snow, frozen in whatever scene or position they were in at the time of the disaster. It feels like a still life painting, one that our protagonists move through uncannily, as if all of time had stopped around them.

These environmental dangers, and protective gear required to navigate them, will remind viewers of Hideo Kojima’s 2019 video game, Death Stranding, which just magically coincided with the global pandemic and lockdowns that mirrored its broader themes of isolation. The Eternaut fits into this spiritual milieu, posing questions about technology, community, and altruism against a backdrop of utter panic and civilizational collapse.

What makes someone a good guy? Who can you trust? How many people can you afford to help as you struggle to protect the people you care about? These are the moral dilemmas our band of survivors must contend with as they endure threats from street gangs and vicious alien invaders. It’s an original and beautifully made piece of television you won’t want to miss.