Based on Richard K. Morgan’s 2002 novel of the same name (winner of a Philip K. Dick award!), Altered Carbon takes place in a future where the human consciousness can be digitized and transplanted into another body, effectively making people immortal. The story follows a former soldier transplanted into the body of a disgraced cop. The consciousness of the cop has no memory of his death, but believes he was murdered, and wants the person inhabiting his body to find out who.
Could you pick any of this up from this teaser, besides the immortal consciousness? Probably not, but I still think it did a great job interesting me. I love me some cyberpunk and the novel sounds awesome. Plus I’m a total sucker for immortality stories. And just look at the scenery in this teaser. It’s gorgeous. No, I don’t mean the naked bodies. Actual scenery. You have your gritty backgrounds, beautiful sky shots, and people in western clothes and suits of armor that all look amazingly stylish.
Though if naked bodies are your thing, and for most people they are, you get some nice scenery here no matter who you’re attracted to.
This Netflix adaptation will span ten episodes. It releases on the streaming giant on February 2, and stars Joel Kinnaman and James Purefoy.