The Man Who Fell to Earth
The Man Who Fell to Earth
Now Showing

The Man Who Fell to Earth

7.4
Yr 2022
Rt 55m
Status Canceled
Your Verdict

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Series Brief

Overview

An extraterrestrial alien arrives on Earth at a turning point in human evolution and must confront his own past to determine our future.

Critical Reception

What critics are saying

Score 65 /100

Critical reception for the 2022 adaptation of The Man Who Fell to Earth is generally positive, with reviewers praising the series as a thoughtful, well-acted, and ambitious expansion of its source material. Chiwetel Ejiofor’s central performance is frequently cited as the glue holding the narrative together, complemented by strong chemistry with Naomie Harris. The show is lauded for its environmental themes and polished aesthetic, with some critics appreciating how it manages to stand on its own while honoring the legacy of the original film.

However, the series faced criticism for its inconsistent tone and pacing issues, with some reviewers finding the storytelling to be occasionally patchy or prone to recognizable television tropes. Others felt the plot struggled to maintain its momentum over ten episodes, leading to concerns about fatigue. Ultimately, it is regarded as a compelling, if occasionally uneven, science fiction effort that successfully balances high-concept stakes with emotional character dynamics.

“This is a thoughtful series with some interesting concepts and characters and a spot-on cast, and it respects its source material while telling a good science fiction story.”

“The powerful TV series successfully builds on the 1976 film while managing to deliver a superior stand-alone story with strong contemporary environmental themes.”

“Anchored by strong work from Ejiofor, Naomie Harris, Jimmi Simpson, and Bill Nighy, Showtime’s “The Man Who Fell to Earth” is consistently interesting even if it struggles to transcend that level of praise.”

“A delightful performance from Chiwetel Ejiofor holds the series together in ways that remain entertaining and full of potential.”

Why fans love it

The 2022 series approaches the familiar premise of an extraterrestrial arrival as a meditation on human evolution. Rather than focusing on simple spectacle, the show centers on the connection between a visitor from another world and the specific earthly forces currently reshaping our future. The narrative pulls from its source novel to explore how an outsider processes the complexities of a changing planet.

Chiwetel Ejiofor carries a heavy weight in this role, grounding the sci-fi elements in an intimate performance. The tension builds through the struggle to reconcile the character’s history with the fragile state of his new home. It operates as a character study first, stripping away genre tropes to examine exactly how an alien presence interacts with human innovation and failure.

Featured Players

Cast

Credited 75
Regulars 11
Longest run 10 eps
Show 67 more
Rob Delaney as Hatch Flood 10 episodes Kate Mulgrew as Drew Finch 10 episodes Martha Plimpton as Intake Officer K. Faraday 1 episode Sebastián Viveros as Mike The Mechanic 1 episode Gerard Monaco as Officer Haugenoe 1 episode Olivia-Mai Barrett as Alicia 1 episode Christian Contreras as Officer Pearson 1 episode Quelin Sepulveda as Vicki 1 episode Felix Garcia Guyer as José Longhorn 1 episode Jayne Aguire as Daisy 1 episode Jeff Mirza as Cabbie 1 episode Anna Francolini as Ticket Agent 1 episode David Sterne as Gent #1 1 episode Morgan Deare as Gent #2 1 episode Ricardo Castro as Hector 1 episode Biz Lyon as Debra 1 episode Jake Fairbrother as Paramedic 1 episode Lynnruth Miller as Woman 1 episode Yumiko Hanasaka as Evelyn 1 episode Nadia Albina as Young Entrepreneur 1 episode Raji James as Rajiv 1 episode Paudge Behan as Young Papel 1 episode Angela Ashton as Ashleigh Fiore 1 episode Giles Cooper as Staffer 1 episode Richard Stirling as Bird Minder 1 episode Chris Lew Kum Hoi as Inventor 1 episode Vera Chok as Panelist #1 1 episode Liz Jadav as Trisha Kapoor 1 episode Victor Alli as Danny Holland 1 episode Yao Chin as TV Anchor 1 episode Cornelius Booth as Professor Ellery Woads 1 episode Hannah Bristow as Yatzin 2 episodes Joshua McGuire as Zach 2 episodes Sarah Quist as Jocelyn 1 episode Sarah Hadland as Lucy 2 episodes Harriet Thorpe as Newsie Hat 1 episode Montserrat Lombard as Ashleigh Fiore 1 episode Florence Bell as Music Shop Employee 1 episode Anthonette Olaleye as Nurse 1 episode Anthony Adjekum as Doctor 1 episode Juliet Stevenson as Mary Lou Prescott 2 episodes Christopher Colquhoun as Teddy Sloane 1 episode Jack Staddon as Cop 1 episode Peter Pedrero as SWAT 1 1 episode Kyle Abdullah as PMC Team Leader 1 episode Kenton Thomas as Brian / Hunter killer (2022) 1 episode Robert Daws as Wyant Bridge 3 episodes Patrick Poletti as Director of National Intelligence 1 episode Joshua C. Whiting as SAS Lead 1 episode Sally Rogers as Gail 1 episode Adwoa Brown as Heather 1 episode LJ Parkinson as Chantal 2 episodes Louie Mynett as Young Clay 2 episodes Jude Mack as Kat 1 episode Daniel Topic as Tim 2 episodes Josh Herdman as Terry 1 episode Tomi May as Aaron Bismark 2 episodes Mitchell Mullen as CIA Director Wincamp 2 episodes Laurie Kynaston as Clive Flood 3 episodes Zurielle Tagoe as Faraday's Daughter 3 episodes Coral Messam as Faraday's Wife 3 episodes Emilio Villa-Muhammad as Faraday's Son 3 episodes Tanya Moodie as Portia 7 episodes Sarah Molkenthin as Convict 2 episodes Art Malik as Henning Khan 4 episodes Victoria Smurfit as Penny Morgan 2 episodes Robert Jezek as Chief of Staff 2 episodes
Signal Match

Similarity

Where The Man Who Fell to Earth overlaps with other shows, and exactly what they have in common.

Keyword Cloud

Keywords

based on novel or book alien life-form
Technical Sheet

Details

First Aired
April 24, 2022
Status
Canceled
Episode Runtime
55 minutes
Origin
US
TMDB Votes
211