I love anthologies. Twilight Zone, Hitchcock Presents, I even gave Room 104 on HBO a go before finding myself disappointed most of the time.
But here’s a new anthology series that I really dug: Solos is a seven episode series that is aptly named in that most of the episodes feature just one single actor and no co-stars. It doesn’t necessarily sound like it would work, but the individual actors give such great performers and the episodes move along so briskly that it crushes. To be precise, the actors are often “assisted” by having someone or something to talk to – something like a futuristic Alexa or a kind of clone of oneself, or someone on a phone. In other words, it’s not just a set of monologues, per se. But then again, it kind of is.
Mostly set in the near future, Solos is sort of Sci-fi, though I hate to use that term. But time travel, memory regeneration, A.I., and even a senior citizen (the amazing Helen Mirren looking directly into the camera for most of her episode) traveling to the farthest reaches of outer space with no return trip expected.
Solos Anne Hathaway 
Anthony Mackie gives, to me, a career best performance as a man who is dying and buys someone (or something) who looks just like him as his replacement for his family.
Constance Wu, whose work I barely know, is in a mysterious waiting room. What is she waiting for? Why is she here? Her character tells a heartbreaking story, again, to the camera, and she runs the full spectrum of emotions and she tries to peel back the layers of her own memories. I hope people see her work.
Each episode is named after the character with whom we’ll be spending a half hour or less:
Morgan Freeman as Stuart
Anne Hathaway as Leah
Helen Mirren as Peg
Uzo Aduba as Sasha
Anthony Mackie as Tom
Constance Wu as Jenny
Dan Stevens as Otto
Nicole Beharie as Nera
The series is the brainchild of David Weil, who wrote and directs, along with a couple other directors, like Zach Braff. His idea, he says, is to explore what it means to be human. “These character-driven stories contend that even during our most seemingly isolated moments, in the most disparate of circumstances, we are all connected through the human experience.”
I am intentionally leaving out many reveals along the way. If you want to get into something bite-sized that you can either binge or watch when you don’t feel like getting into a long haul, Solos is a great choice.
Currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video | You can watch for free with a 30 day trial.
