Devs and the Illusion of Free Will: A Deep Dive into Alex Garland’s Quantum Nightmare
The Intrigue of Devs: A Slow-Burn Techno-Thriller
I first heard about Devs through a recommendation on Instagram over a year ago. At the time, the concept of quantum computing and determinism sounded intriguing, but it wasn’t until I was researching for a top sci-fi list that I finally gave it my full attention.
Describing Devs is tricky. On the surface, it’s a sci-fi thriller, but at its core, it’s a psychological slow burn, one that takes its time unraveling the philosophical questions at its heart. It’s not just about tech; it’s about the fundamental nature of reality, fate, and the limits of human understanding.
Free Will vs. Determinism: Does Devs Challenge What We Believe?
The central debate in Devs, whether free will exists or if everything is predetermined never challenged my own beliefs. While the many-worlds interpretation in quantum physics is fascinating, I view reality through a lens that goes beyond empirical science.
I believe in a higher power, though not necessarily in a religious sense. For me, religion is like a beginner’s guide to understanding the complexities of the universe, whereas philosophy and metaphysics dig deeper.
That said, I do believe in a blend of predeterminism and free will. There are crucial moments in life where paths diverge, and I think this could explain the eerie familiarity of déjà vu.
The way our minds shape reality aligns with Kant and Schopenhauer’s ideas about subjective idealism and objective idealism, we never truly access the “thing-in-itself.”
Lily, the show’s protagonist, embodies this balance. While other characters become slaves to the idea of an inevitable future, she retains her agency, questioning everything and ultimately making a choice that defies the supposedly inescapable trajectory.
The Power and the Horror of Devs’ Quantum Computing
What Devs presents is both an exciting technological leap and a terrifying existential crisis. The idea that an algorithm could predict everything strips away the illusion of free will.
We’ve seen similar explorations in Westworld, Pantheon, and Transcendence, stories where humans, unready for godlike power, succumb to their own hubris.
Stewart, the only character who truly seems to grasp the weight of what’s happening, becomes the one to pull the plug. His choice to shut down the electromagnetic field feels like an act of mercy, perhaps the only true moment of free will in the entire show.
Drinking the Kool-Aid: How Devs Cultivates Its Own Messiah Complex
The problem with absolute knowledge is that it breeds fanaticism. When people start believing they can see the future, they convince themselves of their own infallibility.
The characters in Devs fall into this trap especially Forest and Katie. They become tech messiahs, so convinced by their quantum prophecy that they willingly accept every event, no matter how tragic, as inevitable.
This is where confirmation bias kicks in. If you hear or see something enough, you start to believe it. Devs shows how this plays out in tech cults and Silicon Valley power structures.
It’s the same mentality that fuels AI visionaries today, people who believe they can predict and control human behavior through data.
Lily: The One Who Refused to Be a Pawn
Lily is different. While the rest of the characters are bound by their blind faith in the system, she retains her ability to think critically. When presented with a supposedly inescapable fate, she makes a choice that disrupts everything. She doesn’t let the machine dictate her actions.
This is why Lily’s character is so crucial. She’s not just another pawn in the system, she proves that deviation is possible. Even if reality has rules, there’s still room for agency.
Devs as a Simulation Within a Simulation
One of the most mind-bending aspects of Devs is the revelation that the project isn’t just predicting the future, it’s running simulations of entire worlds. This raises an even bigger question: if we can create a perfect simulation, who’s to say we’re not already inside one?
This taps into a theory that has always intrigued me. Are we living in a simulation created by a far more advanced civilization? Is that why there are so many limitations on what we can observe in the universe?
Even something as fundamental as the speed of light could be a boundary imposed by the architects of our reality.
In the end, Devs doesn’t just ask whether we have free will. It asks whether our entire existence is part of a pre-programmed system and whether we’ll ever be able to break free from it.
Comparing Devs to Other Sci-Fi Works
Alex Garland’s signature style is all over Devs, but compared to his previous works like Ex Machina and Annihilation, this one felt a bit more pretentious.
There were too many prolonged silences, too many glowing golden lights trying to hammer home a sense of profundity that didn’t always feel earned.
That’s not to say it wasn’t interesting. But as a slow-burn psychological thriller, it didn’t always hit the right pacing. Sometimes, it felt like it was trying too hard to be deep.
If Devs Had a Season 2…
If there were a second season, I’d want to see how the government or corporations would exploit the system. Would they use it for pre-crime scenarios, like Minority Report? Would they turn it into a false paradise, a digital afterlife for those who fear death?
Devs already feels like a cautionary tale, but a second season could push the implications even further.
Final Thoughts: A Cautionary Tale for the Tech-Obsessed
At its core, Devs is a story about control. It’s about the lengths humans will go to in order to master fate, and the inevitable collapse that follows. The biggest question it leaves me with is this:
Are people so afraid of death that they’ll use science to become gods?
Because if Devs is any indication, the pursuit of omnipotence doesn’t lead to salvation—it only leads to self-destruction.
If you’re drawn to shows that explore the darker side of technology and existence, you might want to check out my Top 5 Sci-Fi Picks That Will Wreck Your Brain (in a good way) or go even deeper into the rabbit hole with my Severance Season 1 Review—another eerie exploration of corporate control and fractured identity.
What do you think, are we truly in control of our actions, or is life just one big simulation running on an advanced algorithm? Drop your thoughts in the comments below or share this post if Devs left you questioning reality!
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Such an interesting read! Will need to check out the show now!
If you do, come back and let me know if my take was right