Hit or Miss: HBO Max’s ‘DMZ’
HBO Max has released the trailer for its upcoming dystopian miniseries DMZ, based on the comic book series of the same name by Brian Wood and Riccardo Burchielli. Directed by Ava DuVernay and Ernest Dickerson, it stars Rosario Dawson (Rent, The Lego Batman Movie, Eagle Eye) as Alma Ortega, a medic in New York City, who becomes a symbol of hope in a demilitarized Manhattan Island while trying to find her lost son during the Second American Civil War. The comic book series ran from November 2005 to February 2012, covering 72 issues that have also been collected in 12 trade paperback volumes.
The first trade paperback, DMZ Vol. 1: On The Ground attracted critical recognition with Paul Katz of Entertainment Weekly giving it an A- rating in its July 2006 assessment. In addition, Jessa Crispin of the Chicago Sun-Times predicted that the series would fill the void by Vertigo blockbuster Y: The Last Man. She stated that “DMZ is incredible… addictive and brutal, and a perfect antidote to the flag-waving Fox News broadcasts of the War on Terror.”
Syfy announced that it was planning on making this series in February 2014, with former writers and executive producers Andre and Maria Jacquemetton. Alongside them, Harry Potter and Gravity producer David Heyman would serve as executive producer. However, on October 1, 2019, it was announced that HBO Max would be developing it instead. Robert Patino would write the pilot and serve as showrunner with him and DuVernay executive producing under their respective overall deals with Warner Bros. Television. HBO Max gave DMZ a limited series order on November 19, 2020, with Benjamin Bratt, Freddy Miyares, Hoon Lee, Jordan Preston Carter, Venus Ariel, Jade Wu, Rey Galegos, Agam Darshi, and Juani Feliz rounding out the cast.
The pilot went into production in early 2020, with filming wrapping on March 16, 2020. The rest of the episodes wrapped in 2021 and took place in Atlanta. While it is set to premiere on HBO Max on March 17, 2022, a portion of the series premiered at South by Southwest (SXSW) on March 12, 2022.
The trailer opens with a montage scene establishing the demilitarized Manhattan Island. The production design does a wonderful job of placing an emphasis on the Second American Civil War demonstrated with military helicopters, tents, and a city covered in smoke. Dawson’s character is then seen running while ducking with other snippets of gunfire and conflict placed in-between. The beginning montage ends with Dawson presumably waking up as she lets out a shocked sigh. In the first 5 seconds, the viewer is completely engulfed in this world.
A title card emerges before Dawson is shown kissing her son before a fade to black. A shift has occurred between this, and the previous montage shown in the color temperature. Previously, the colors were very rugged and dark, however, in this flashback scene, it is warmer and shows hints of the sun. For Dawson, her mission is to find her son. The love that she has for her son is strategically shown with the use of color. The dystopian world is cold and isolated while the past had limitless amounts of possibility.
After a repeat of the helicopter flying over the burning city, Dawson is shown losing her son in the evacuation as the camera does a 360-degree motion demonstrating the panic. Not only does the camera movement encompass Dawson’s world is turned upside-down, but it also serves as a transition for what the world has now turned into. A wide-angle showcase collapsed buildings with green plants hanging off the side, destroyed vehicles, and a large skyscraper now pointing towards the ground. Dawson’s mission to find her son becomes even more challenging with the obstacle that is the DMZ.
Gunshots and red paint crossing off names indicate the dangers that are presented in this dystopian world. The consequences are severe as a crosshair is placed on Dawson as she’s on a playground. In 2 minutes, this trailer has presented the viewer with Dawson’s objective and the dangers that come with her pursuing it.
More scenes are quickly cut together showcasing the action that will be presented in this series. DMZ looks as though it will be another successful show by HBO Max. With the action, beautifully composed shots, and talented cast, this series seems to have it all. After the positive reviews for Peacemaker, HBO Max and DC seem to have cultivated another strong series.
