Mr Robot is written and directed by Sam Esmail, and stars Emmy award winning Rami Malekas the lead character, and actor who previously starred in Night of the museum.
Elliot Alderson is a socially anxious talented computer engineer who moonlights as a Hacker to take down online pedophiles and those he deems corrupt. Elliot is the cynical anti hero, who you find yourself rooting for from the start. The show begins with him meeting someone he has hacked, and it uses clever cross cuts between the two making the scene intense and drawing the viewer in. The man he has hacked offers to buy him off, Elliot however doesn’t care about money, he cares about justice. This is a key theme throughout the show; Elliot’s disgust at the way in which money has enslaved modern society gives rise to an anti-capitalist message.
He narrates and breaks the fourth wall throughout, although we are never quite sure if he is talking to the audience directly or an unseen other, which adds to the sense of mystery and suspense. Elliot is convinced he is being followed, as he keeps seeing the same man on the subway. This man is the mysterious Mr Robot (Christian Slater), the leader of a hacker group F society. Elliot quickly becomes involved with the group and its mission to take down Evil Corp and obliterate all global debt; his mission through this is to save the world.
In a similar fashion to Fight Club being narrated by Edward Norton, this show looks at many key themes from the perspective of the protagonist, Elliot; from his struggle with both his mental health and drug addiction to his cynical approach to human relationships.
The plot is focused around Hactervism, something new which hasn’t been looked at in a TV show before making it pertinent to it’s audience, who live in the age of social media. There are many plot twists and extra storylines throughout the show, which leaves the audience with a barrage of questions – including what is reality, and what is Elliot’s imagination.
This show is stylish, edgy and dynamic with its cinematography. Unlike other shows which focus on the stylisation but lack plot, Mr Robot produces both excellently.
Words by Kiah-Azriel