This weekend in January might go down in cinema history as the most impressive outing by Apple TV+ yet. The iPhone maker’s streaming service had two major updates—the finale of Silo season 2 and the premiere of Severance season 2. And what a weekend I had as a fan of the suspense drama genre.
While Severance is making waves as a critically acclaimed show, Silo has made quite a mark in the market, with an ensemble cast led by Rebecca Ferguson as the engineer-turned-sheriff-turned-survivalist Juliette Nichols in a dystopian future.
With Silo, Apple Studios had the gargantuan task of impressing the audience all the while keeping up with what AMC Studios did in a breakthrough first season. And for viewers like me, who are fans of the source material—the excellent trilogy of novels by Hugh Howey, Wool, Shift, and Dust—expectations ran higher than ever. And, the makers delivered.
The second season of this thriller takes after the spirit of the books, and the fact that the author is one of the executive producers shines through. Picking off exactly where the first season ended, Nichols learns more about how the Silo works, ironically from what might be called the worst place she can be at. Unlike other shows, as a critic, giving out too many spoilers to the show may hamper the quality of your viewing.
Silo is carefully crafted, each minute dipped in technically sound filmmaking. The cinematography shines through, towing the line of the first season.
However, I do have a bone to pick with the lighting department and/or the colour grading in certain scenes that centre around Rebecca Ferguson’s character. Apart from the lack of contrast and, thereby, vibrance, there were not many missteps in the season.
Common as Sims in 'Silo' | Apple TV+
The ensemble cast of Common as the threatening Robert Sims, Tim Robbins as the ominous Bernard Holland, Harriet Walter as the adorable Martha Walker, and Chinaza Uche as “good guy” Paul Billings complement what I term Rebecca Ferguson’s best performance on-screen.
Remmie Milner and Shane McRae as the mechanics Shirley Campbell and Knox are excellent, and they drive the story forward this season without other mainstays of the cast—highlighting the superb script writing.
I can go on and on about the cast and crew, but where the series truly shines is in its cohesive output. The commitment and dedication to filmmaking and acting techniques are evident here, for cinema transcends the story, and performances outshine the streaming business here.
Christian Ochoa, Harriet Walter, Chinaza Uche, Clare Perkins, Remmie Milner, and Shane McRae in 'Silo' | Apple TV+
The season 2 finale resolves many a cliffhanger from the first round. Yet, it gives you an even bigger riddle to solve, rounding off the storytelling impressively all the way from the series pilot.
Silo is a striking example of how Apple TV+ prioritises good television over “second-screen friendly” menace crowding other platforms. If you miss more than a second because you were busy on your phone, be ready to punch that rewind button. For, every shot matters, especially in a silo.
SILO Season 2
Rating: 4 out of 5 | ★★★★☆
Where to watch: Apple TV+
Cast: Rebecca Ferguson, Tim Robbins, Iain Glen, Steve Zahn, Avi Nash, Common, Harriet Walter
