The Man Who Fell to Earth: Showtime Updates the Bowie Classic with Humor and Clarity

The Man Who Fell to Earth. Of course, David Bowie comes right to mind. The 1976 film he starred in as an alien arriving on Earth with a mission to save his planet. Nicolas Roeg directed the film based on the 1963 novel by Walter Tevis, who also wrote The Hustler, The Color of Money and The Queen’s Gambit, all later turned into major Hollywood productions. The original film is trippy, dense, and enigmatic. Showtime’s 2022 sequel maintains a spacey bizarre atmosphere, but appears more polished, understandable, and dare I say, funny. This somewhat lighter update of the surreal original is appealing. Cinema purists may disagree.

Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) stars as the new alien from the planet Anthea on a mission to become human and save his species. He lands in New Mexico naked, overwhelmed by his new environment, and unable to communicate with humans. He says his planet is hot and he craves water. He is arrested as he chugs from a garden hose; the hose is shoved four feet down his throat. He takes the name Faraday from the cop’s name tag. The cop tells him that if you say “fuck” loudly a lot you usually get what you want in life. Hence, “FUCK WATER,” the first instance of what promises to be an awkward transition in learning how to become human. He is literally and figuratively a “fish out of water.” How much will he succumb to human temptation and corruption is also an intriguing unknown. (The framing device at the beginning of the series postulates Faraday’s future.) He meets Justin Falls (Naomi Harris, Moonlight), a former MIT scientist caring for her father and daughter who he believes may be able to help him attain his quest.

The series premiered on Sunday, April 24, so this is a first take after just one episode (the network is rerunning the pilot throughout the week before the next episode on the 1st – also available on Showtime’s streaming services). However risky this early assessment may be, we base many of our “to watch or not to watch” decisions on a first impression. So, is it worth it? For me, yes. I’ll admit my love for anything Bowie-related has much to do with it. Besides the connection to the 1976 film, every episode of the series is titled after a Bowie song, (the first one is “Hallo Spaceboy,” Outside). Thomas Newton, Bowie’s character, played by Bill Nighy (Love Actually) appears at the end of episode one. A fitting tribute to honor the original character while moving the story forward. And the second episode is “Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed” (Space Oddity). How can I resist?

D² Rating ◼◼◼◩☐.

Trivia: Candy Clark played Mary-Lou who introduces Bowie’s character to human customs in the original film. What other role is she known for which earned her a Best Supporting Actress nomination in 1973?

Answer: Debbie Dunham in American Graffiti