# His Dark Materials (2019)

> Two orphaned children in parallel universes uncover a sinister plot and become entangled in a cosmic war over the mysterious Dust.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/60129

## Facts

- Seasons: 3
- Episodes: 23
- Episode runtime: 59 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: fantasy, science fiction, adventure
- Created by: Jack Thorne
- Network: BBC One
- Cast: Dafne Keen, Amir Wilson, Ruth Wilson, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Ariyon Bakare, Simone Kirby, Jonathan Aris, Chipo Chung
- TMDB rating: 7.7/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5607976/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: earnest, eerie, melancholic, epic, wondrous

## What critics say

Viewers rate the series positively, praising its visual effects, cinematography and young lead performances while finding its dense, layered storytelling demanding at times.

## Synopsis

His Dark Materials (2019-2023) is a British BBC One dark fantasy series created by Jack Thorne, adapted from Philip Pullman's novels. Dafne Keen plays Lyra Silvertongue, an orphan who searches for a kidnapped friend and uncovers a plot involving stolen children and a mysterious phenomenon called Dust. Amir Wilson plays Will Parry, a boy carrying a knife that can cut windows between worlds, and the two become partners on a journey across many realms. Ruth Wilson plays the ambitious Mrs Coulter, whose secrets bear on Lyra's parentage and prophesied destiny. The engine of the show is a quest: each season moves the young pair through strange cities, airships and rival factions while a war against celestial powers gathers across worlds. Told across three seasons and twenty-three episodes, it is a serialized epic with dense mythology and a steady build of stakes. The tone is earnest and eerie, with a melancholy undercurrent of separation and a sense of wonder in its visual craft, especially the animal daemons that accompany every character. Fans of Game of Thrones, The Golden Compass and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood will find similar appeal in its sweeping scope and moral complexity.

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