--- title: "3 Body Problem" year: 2024 kind: "series" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/3-body-problem" fi1m_id: "3-body-problem" imdb_id: "tt13016388" tmdb_id: 108545 wikidata_id: "Q110652727" fi1m_score: 65 critics_score: 70 critics_reviews: 16 published: "2026-09-22T21:51:04.217622+00:00" updated: "2026-09-22T21:51:04.661887+00:00" region: "RO" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # 3 Body Problem (2024) Created by David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Alexander Woo · RO AP · Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Mystery, Drama ## Identity 3 Body Problem - **Canonical:** https://film.one/tv/3-body-problem - **Type:** Series - **Fi1m ID:** 3-body-problem - **IMDb ID:** tt13016388 - **TMDB ID:** 108545 - **Wikidata ID:** Q110652727 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13016388/, https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/108545, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110652727 **Fi1m score: 65** · Critics 70 from 16 reviews *In a sentence:* The stars switch off for a night and five Oxford graduates go to the pub to discuss it > Benioff, Weiss and Woo have made Liu Cixin’s supposedly unfilmable novel into eight lucid, handsome episodes. The 1960s scenes and the game inside the headset are superb; the present-day scientists are thin, and they get most of the screen. ## Synopsis China, in the 1960s. At a struggle session in a packed stadium, a physics professor is beaten for teaching the Big Bang while his daughter Ye Wenjie (played in later life by Rosalind Chao) watches. Decades on, in present-day London, scientists are killing themselves, and Detective Clarence ‘Da’ Shi (Benedict Wong), working for the intelligence chief Thomas Wade (Liam Cunningham), wants to know why. Five friends who studied physics at Oxford are drawn in: Auggie Salazar (Eiza Gonzalez), whose nanofibre research is stalling as a countdown appears in her sight; Jin Cheng (Jess Hong), a theorist whose particle accelerator has begun returning nonsense; Saul Durand (Jovan Adepo); and the schoolteacher Will Downing (Alex Sharp). A silver headset arrives, running a game about a world with three suns, and one night every star in the sky blinks. ## Review David Benioff, D. B. Weiss and Alexander Woo have taken Liu Cixin’s novel *The Three-Body Problem* and made eight episodes that someone who has never opened it can follow. That is the achievement, and it is a real one. They have moved the present-day story from China to Oxford and London and left the 1960s where Liu put them. What they have made is handsome, clear and often exciting. It also spends too much of its length with the characters it invented and too little with the ones it inherited. The opening minutes are the best in the series. China, in the 1960s: a physics professor is hauled on to a stage and beaten for refusing to give up the Big Bang, and his daughter Ye Wenjie watches from the stands. It shook us, and what shook us was how plainly it is staged: a chant from the crowd, no music to speak of, a girl who will not look away. At Red Coast, Deborah Riley’s production design gives us a great dish on a mountainside and rooms of green metal and cold light, and Rosalind Chao, playing Ye in later life, brings a stillness the rest of the series never matches. Then the story comes forward and cools. In London, scientists are dying and Detective Clarence ‘Da’ Shi (Benedict Wong) is asking why, for a spymaster called Thomas Wade (Liam Cunningham). Wong is the series’ great pleasure, rumpled, eating in his car, unimpressed by physicists, and Cunningham plays Wade as a man who has never once needed to raise his voice. Instead it is about five friends who studied physics at Oxford. Jess Hong’s Jin Cheng, the theorist, is the best of them: the cleverest person in any room and not pleased about it. Eiza Gonzalez’s Auggie Salazar has the most frightening idea in the series, a countdown burning across her sight, and the script gives her little to do with it beyond drink and shout. Jovan Adepo’s Saul Durand drifts, and the series takes most of the run to decide what he is for. Alex Sharp’s Will Downing, a schoolteacher, has the one storyline that later moved us. They spend a great deal of time in a pub, and it was in the pub that we caught ourselves counting the episodes left. The game inside the silver headset is where the series stops being expensive and becomes strange. A plain of cracked earth under two suns. A pendulum the height of a cathedral. An emperor’s court where the players must predict when the next sun will rise, and followers who dry out into sheets of leather to be rolled up and carried away. Sea Shimooka plays Sophon, the guide, with a courtesy that never warms. The four cinematographers, P.J. Dillon, Jonathan Freeman, Richard Donnelly and Martin Ahlgren, shoot these worlds in bleached whites and one furious orange, and Ramin Djawadi’s score is at its best here, a slow pulse that makes a sunrise feel like a threat. In London it swells over conversations that have not earned it. The other trouble is explanation. Nobody in this series says a thing once. The stars blink, and then three people tell each other that the stars blinked. The science is real, a solar system with three suns in which no orbit can be predicted, and the writers, Rose Cartwright and Madhuri Shekar among them, plainly love it. Katie Weiland, Simon Smith, Anna Hauger and Michael Ruscio, the four editors, keep it moving; it is only that what moves is often a seminar. Benioff and Weiss’s last big series made a mass audience care about a dozen strands at once. Here there are as many strands and far less to care about. Liu’s novel is cold on purpose; the series has tried to warm it and got it lukewarm. It also finishes as a prologue, with most of its promises still to keep. Eight episodes, a 15 certificate, first shown on 21 March 2024. Watch the first two. If the struggle session and the countdown do not hold you, nothing later will change your mind. If they do, you will put up with the pub, and there is a good deal of pub. *Fi1m score 65, published 22 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics come away impressed, and the praise gathers around the same things: the scale, the visuals and the fact that Benioff, Weiss and Woo have made a famously dense set of novels followable without a reading list. The reviews credit the show with ambition first and coherence second, and several single out the virtual-reality game sequences as the point where the spectacle works best. The core cast gets steady if not ecstatic notice. The reservations are about people rather than physics. Several critics find the characters thin and the drama emotionally distant, a series of puzzles with nobody to root for, and one or two think the streamlining that makes it accessible also makes it flat. The spread is wide: Radio Times gives it full marks, IndieWire calls it a dud on the strength of the performances, and Den of Geek thinks it takes too long to get to the hard science it does best. ## Straight answers **Is 3 Body Problem worth watching?** *3 Body Problem* is worth watching for anyone who wants a big, clear science-fiction mystery and can forgive a good deal of explaining; we scored it 65. The 1960s scenes and the game inside the headset are superb, but the Oxford scientists who get most of the screen are thin. Watch the first two episodes and decide from there. **How long is 3 Body Problem, and what is it rated?** *3 Body Problem* is rated AP by the RO in Romania. It is a sci-fi & fantasy and mystery series. **Where can I watch 3 Body Problem in Romania?** *3 Body Problem* is streaming on Netflix in Romania. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is 3 Body Problem, and is it suitable for children?** *3 Body Problem* carries a 15 certificate and is not for children. The opening struggle session, in which a professor is beaten before a crowd while his daughter watches, is staged plainly and shook us, and the game sequences include bodies drying out into sheets of leather. Teenagers who can take that will cope; the squeamish should expect a few hard moments rather than constant gore. **How does 3 Body Problem compare to Arrival?** *3 Body Problem* and [*Arrival*](https://film.one/film/arrival) both handle contact with something vast, and *Arrival* is the better of the two. Villeneuve's film is patient and moving and explains very little; the series explains everything at least twice and spends much of its length in a pub. Choose the film for a single tense evening, the series for a longer, looser puzzle with more spectacle. **Is 3 Body Problem based on a true story or a book?** *3 Body Problem* is based on Liu Cixin's novel *The Three-Body Problem*, not on a true story. Benioff, Weiss and Woo have moved the present-day story from China to Oxford and London and invented most of the young scientists, while keeping the 1960s scenes where Liu set them. You do not need to have read the book; the series is built to be followed without it. **What should I watch after 3 Body Problem?** After *3 Body Problem*, try [*Arrival*](https://film.one/film/arrival) (2016, Fi1m 86): Contact with something vast, handled with more patience and far fewer explanations. Then [*Dark*](https://film.one/film/the-dark-knight-rises) (2017, Fi1m 74): German series that juggles decades and physics and never once loses its grip; and [*Contact*](https://film.one/film/contact) (1997, Fi1m 76): A signal from the stars and the human cost of answering it, plainly told. ### Reviews we read (16) - **Radio Times**, Louise Griffin (5/5): The series is a bold, flawless masterclass in high-concept sci-fi that nails pacing, visuals, story, and an excellent ensemble cast while staying true to the novel's essence without requiring prior reading. It represents a welcome risk for Netflix and succeeds where the adaptation seemed impossible. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/3-body-problem-review-netflix/) - **The Times**, Hugo Rifkind (80/100, inferred): Complicated and chaotic but ultimately brilliant television that delivers a grand, visionary scope despite its messiness and frequent incomprehensibility. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/3-body-problem-netflix-review-game-of-thrones-fantasy-9swszr5kv) - **Variety**, Alison Herman (80/100, inferred): Benioff, Weiss and Woo prove themselves master adaptors by streamlining the esoteric source material into an accessible, epic series with strong character anchors and impressive visuals. Some structural strains remain, but it successfully balances cerebral ideas with geeky grandeur. [Read](https://variety.com/2024/tv/tv-reviews/3-body-problem-review-netflix-adaptation-1235935706/) - **Empire**, John Nugent (78/100, inferred): The adaptation is a hugely ambitious and accessible take on the dense source material, blending multiple genres into coherent giant-scale television with strong performances from the core cast. It excels in scope and themes but ends on a muted note as setup for potential future seasons. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/3-body-problem/) - **Vulture** (75/100, inferred): The critic views the series as a treat for embracing traditional TV qualities like shagginess and risk-taking despite imperfections. They single out the effective VR game sequences and visual spectacle for praise. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/3-body-problem-review-netflix.html) - **Evening Standard**, Vicky Jessop (70/100, inferred): A glossy, slick production with strong central performances and flair that redeems its overly complex plotting and excess of characters through fascinating themes. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/3-body-problem-netflix-review-jess-hong-jovan-adepo-benedict-wong-b1144865.html) - **The Guardian** (67/100, inferred): The adaptation impresses with its visuals, pacing, and handling of complex source material but remains emotionally distant, offering puzzles without characters to root for. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/mar/21/3-body-problem-review-the-creators-of-game-of-thrones-have-done-it-again) - **The Telegraph**, Chris Bennion (3/5): An ambitious but messy series with thin characterisation and odd casting choices that undercuts the spectacle, though it delivers bracing plot and impressive scale. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2024/03/09/3-body-problem-netflix-review-benioff-weiss-game-of-thrones/) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Daniel Fienberg (50/100, inferred): The ambitious adaptation errs on the side of accessibility, delivering serviceable sci-fi spectacle and some strong moments but feeling flat overall with uneven characterizations and a lack of memorable performances beyond a few standouts. It may satisfy viewers seeking moderate spectacle and ideas without excessive rigor. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/3-body-problem-review-netflix-1235847073/) - **IndieWire**, Ben Travers (20/100, inferred): The critic finds the Netflix adaptation a brutal dud that fails to capture the novel's essence. They single out the weak performances and lackluster human drama among the scientists as major shortcomings. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/3-body-problem-review-netflix-adaptation-bore-1234961409/) - **The Ringer**, Rob Harvilla (85/100, inferred): The series is too unapologetically weird to fail and captures the dense, dazzling, goofy spirit of the source novels. Harvilla singles out the hard sci-fi wonkery and the Game of Thrones creators' take on astrophysics and aliens for praise. [Read](https://www.theringer.com/2024/03/21/tv/3-body-problem-review-netflix-game-of-thrones-creators-physics) - **Collider**, Therese Lacson (8/10): Benioff, Weiss, and Woo prove that adapting the unadaptable is possible and improve on the original by blending books, simplifying concepts, and fleshing out characters for stronger emotional connection. It has the potential to be Netflix’s next flagship series thanks to its cast, visuals, and foundation for a brilliant show. [Read](https://collider.com/3-body-problem-netflix-review/) - **/Film**, Jeremy Mathai (8/10): The adaptation is a faithful yet improved take that sets a new standard for sci-fi on screen through its unabashed nerdiness and visceral entertainment. It excels in blending big ideas, visuals, and character development while embracing the spirit of the books without rigid adherence. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/1535588/3-body-problem-review-netflix/) - **NME**, Nick Levine (75/100, inferred): The series is a bewilderingly ambitious sci-fi saga that is visually lavish and narratively rich, overcoming its moments of coldness to be compelling. It succeeds in adding relatable humanity through new characters while tackling complex ideas from the source novel. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/tv-reviews/3-body-problem-review-netflix-game-of-thrones-3607450) - **Consequence**, Clint Worthington (B-): The show shoots for the stars but stays depressingly earthbound, losing its humanity amid sci-fi calculations despite impressive visuals and ambitious concepts. It is more interested in scientific ideas than the people exploring them, resulting in a largely talky story that mixes successes and aggravations. [Read](https://consequence.net/2024/03/3-body-problem-review-netflix-show/) - **Den of Geek**, Alec Bojalad (3/5): The critic calls it a satisfying physics lesson that takes too long to embrace its hard sci-fi elements. They single out the strong later episodes featuring complex scientific concepts for praise. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/3-body-problem-review/) ## Details - **Created by:** David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Alexander Woo - **Creator:** David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Alexander Woo - **Director:** Minkie Spiro, Jeremy Podeswa, Derek Tsang, Andrew Stanton - **Writer:** D. B. Weiss, David Benioff, Alexander Woo, Rose Cartwright, Madhuri Shekar - **Novel:** Liu Cixin - **Cinematography:** Martin Ahlgren, P.J. Dillon, Richard Donnelly, Jonathan Freeman - **Editor:** Katie Weiland, Simon Smith, Anna Hauger, Michael Ruscio - **Music:** Ramin Djawadi - **Production design:** Deborah Riley - **Costume design:** Michael Wilkinson - **Producer:** Steve Kullback, Hameed Shaukat - **Cast:** Jovan Adepo as Saul Durand; Rosalind Chao as Ye Wenjie; Liam Cunningham as Thomas Wade; Eiza Gonzalez as Auggie Salazar; Jess Hong as Jin Cheng; Marlo Kelly as Tatiana Haas; Alex Sharp as Will Downing; Sea Shimooka as Sophon - **Certificate (RO):** AP - **Release (Romania):** 21 March 2024 - **Genres:** Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Mystery, Drama - **Also in:** [Emmy Outstanding Drama Series winners](https://film.one/collections/emmy-drama.md) (Nominee, 2024) - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdvzhCL7vIA ## Where to watch in Romania - Netflix: streaming *Checked 2026-09-22.* Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, AZ, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, SK, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Arrival* (2016), Fi1m 86: Contact with something vast, handled with more patience and far fewer explanations. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/arrival.md) - *Dark* (2017), Fi1m 74: German series that juggles decades and physics and never once loses its grip. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-dark-knight-rises.md) - *Contact* (1997), Fi1m 76: A signal from the stars and the human cost of answering it, plainly told. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/contact.md) - *The Wandering Earth* (2019): Liu Cixin adapted at home, louder and sillier and rather enjoyable for it. - *Devs* (2020), Fi1m 68: Eight quiet episodes of hard science and grief, with the coldness done on purpose. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/tv/devs.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/tv/3-body-problem