Tales From the Loop [2020]
“Everyone in town is connected to The Loop in one way or another... And you will come to know many of their tales, in time."
Beautiful, profound, and touching; 2020’s Tales From the Loop has largely flown under the radar for those not already connected to the stunning artwork of Simon Stålenhag. While not every episode is a homerun [the only thing preventing this rating from being a 9.5+], the world, characters, and themes touched on in this show are deep in a way that serial television has seemingly forgotten how to do.
Much of modern television falls into two camps: dense and focused [2017’s Dark], or frivolous and fun [2019’s The Mandalorian], with most of it falling into the latter. Very few shows manage to be both meaningful and digestible while also maintaining incredible visual fidelity and not relying on silliness to hold an audience's attention; which is exactly what Tales From the Loop does perfectly.
Sporting cinematography on par with the afore-mentioned Dark, Loop is a stunningly [and consistently] beautiful show from start to finish. If you’re not already familiar with Simon Stålenhag’s paintings, I highly recommend that you become so. Based almost entirely on the static images he’s created and filled-in with the lore he’s written for those images, Loop performs a task rarely scene in adapted screenwork; maintaining both the fidelity of the source material while becoming something beautiful and meaningful in its own right.
Driven by mostly stellar performances [lead largely by the rapidly popularizing Rebecca Hall] and a moving score, the show will enthrall you with its stunning visuals and hold you fast with what it has to say. In doing so, Loop manages to avoid being sappy, unwieldy, or obtuse. The show remains approachable and emotive throughout, without ever overloading the viewer in a way that some heavier films do. Even at its most intense, Loop is still a largely enjoyable experience that only drives you to want more.
Like a modern-day The Twilight Zone, Tales From the Loop is a show that manages to say more than just what is written in the script and leaves a lasting impression long after the final credits roll.
This is one to take your time with, watch alongside someone you love, and think about more deeply than television typically allows. While the pacing may be a bit slow for some, the payoff is well worth the wait. Stay curious, follow your dreams, and never stop believing that anything is possible… even if the possible is, sometimes, a little bit strange.
“As time passes, you’ll see so much. Things that you’d say were impossible, and yet… There they are."
