Scavengers Reign Review: The Most Underrated Show of The Year

In a year brimming with sci-fi from big names like Star Wars and Marvel, Max Original’s Scavengers Reign stands out, showing the untapped potential of original sci-fi stories. No rush to link with existing worlds, and no overdose of nostalgia; instead, co-creators Joseph Bennett and Charles Huettner, building on their 2016 short “Scavengers”, spin an intricate series of human survival and ecological chaos. It’s a story that’s both enchanting and harsh, sparking not just awe but also a good dose of existential dread.

Imagine a wild safari, but not on Earth—Scavengers Reign takes us to an alien version of our world. Humans stumble through the unknown, paying a hefty price for meddling with the alien ecosystem.

The original short hinted at humans adapting to an outer-space world, tinkering with alien creatures like musical instruments. While that vibe still hangs around in Reign, now the alien planet fights back against its uninvited guests.

Describing the extraterrestrial life forms on the planet Vesta in “Scavengers Reign” as just “weird” is like calling a rocket launch a simple fireworks display. These creatures redefine bizarre. And here’s the twist – in this tale, we’re the aliens, navigating a dangerous planet that’s as bewildering as it is captivating.

What Scavengers Reign is About

Step into the captivating world of Scavengers Reign, where the ominous disappearance of the deep space freighter, Demeter, sets the stage for a tale of survival and exploration. The company overseeing the missing ship shows little interest in a rescue mission, leaving the scattered survivors to navigate the challenges of an uncharted and hostile planet on their own.

Azi and Levi

Our primary focus revolves around three distinct groups, each grappling with the aftermath of a crash and striving not only to survive but also to locate their ship for a chance at escape. Azi (voiced by Wunmi Mosaku), accompanied by the cheerful robot Levi (voiced by Alia Shawkat), embarks on a journey reminiscent of Akira, maneuvering through the mysterious planet on a unique motorcycle.

The narrative, however, extends beyond native creatures’ encounters, delving into the existential dilemmas provoked by Vesta’s peculiar habitats. Azi and Levi confront existential questions as the robot evolves toward personhood, influenced by a mysterious substance altering its circuitry.

Have you watched The Reign of the Seven Spellblades yet? Read more about it here.

Sam and Ursula

Meanwhile, the seasoned pilot Sam and botanist Ursula (voiced by Bob Stephenson and Sunita Mani) form a pragmatic duo, adapting to the planet’s quirks and leveraging its wildlife for survival. Their encounters with airborne spores and perilous sea creatures showcase the resourcefulness required to endure the planet’s challenges.

Kamen

In contrast to the cautious approach of Sam, Ursula, Azi, and Levi, Kamen (voiced by Ted Travelstead) embraces a dependency on the natural world. Isolated in the wilderness, he forms a bizarre alliance with a frog-like telekinetic creature, leading to a disturbing symbiotic relationship. As Kamen hallucinates his wife, he becomes entangled in a cycle of hunting creatures to feed the organism, causing it to grow larger for mutual protection.

Scavengers Reign doesn’t just unfold as a brutal and violent saga; it seamlessly blends dreamlike sequences with reserved dialogue, allowing viewers to interpret its meaning. Much like the works of Stanislaw Lem, the series offers a fascinating glimpse into the human mind grappling with the challenges of an alien environment, balancing on the edge between understanding and strain.

Scavengers Reign Review

The Animation:

In the beginning, the people in the show aren’t the most interesting part. It’s the world itself that grabs your attention. Imagine a living Moebius comic, kind of like the weird Toxic Jungle in Hayao Miyazaki’s Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. As one survivor puts it, “Nothing really makes sense in the way that we know it.”

Since the world is a big part of the story, it needs to feel real with lots of details. Luckily, the animation by Titmouse and Green Street Pictures looks great. Every place the Demeter crew goes is interesting—from deserts with bird-like creatures to dark forests with glowing hatchlings. Jonathan Djob Nkondo’s unique animation style adds to the weirdness of Vesta Minor. Additionally, the music by Nicholas Snyder captures the planet’s beauty and danger with simple piano tunes and sharp synths.

The Story:

As for the main story in Scavengers Reign, it relies more on what you see than what you’re told. There are flashbacks to the crew’s time on the Demeter, discoveries on Vesta Minor, and lots of talks among the survivors. But the standout moments happen without saying a word.

Initially, the peculiar extraterrestrial existence appears beneficial, with organic light bulbs sourced from within creatures and slugs doubling as gas masks. However, beneath Vesta’s aesthetic allure lie unsettling elements—parasites infiltrating hearts, and pods engaged in cloning, evoking a sense of classic sci-fi horror. The animation in Scavengers Reign revels in both the chaotic, bloody sequences and the serene moments with equal enthusiasm.

But the real fright is how humans mess up Vesta’s delicate balance. Characters like Sam, Ursula, and Azi show how a planet can suffer when humans take what they want. But the scariest part is Kamen teaming up with Hollow. Hollow hypnotizes small animals to pick fruit. But when it hypnotizes Kamen, it brings human greed and aggression. Kamen starts hunting bigger prey for Hollow, causing big problems. The telekinetic creature isn’t mean on purpose—it’s just an animal changed by humans.

In scenes where Vesta isn’t chaotic, it looks strange, like it was built by something even though humans never touched it. As the crew moves through deserts, savannas, and forests, strange things interrupt familiar scenes. Crystalline rivers, pulsating stone structures—obstacles in the crew’s way. However, sometimes the planet changes in ways you can’t see. In some scenes, the crew’s interactions with nature become like rituals—sometimes calming, sometimes scary. Kamen’s actions add to the scariness, as he feeds more creatures to his mysterious gray friend.

Why You Should Watch Scavengers Reign

The thrilling Sci-Fi series doesn’t lay out every detail about Vesta; it lets you soak in the strangeness—alien fungi, stampedes, a whole new world they’ve crafted. In a sea of sci-fi, it stands out, tossing new ideas our way, and also leaving us thinking there’s more oddity to uncover.

The little things grab you—floating balloons, sea creatures hoovering up eggs—creating a living, weird world. The art is detailed but surreal, making fauna seem kinda familiar but also not quite right.

Scavengers Reign’s animated imagination of wildlife and untampered places is exciting. It makes you think about our role in nature, balancing scary stuff with interesting ideas. It’s not just gore; it’s a deep dive into change, fears, and also how we mess with nature.

Even though we cheer for the humans, they’re the intruders. Winning here means adapting, syncing, or becoming a part of it, like Levi. The animation is simple but striking.

As the story fades, it’s more about the feeling it gives. It’s not just violence; it’s like turning adventure stories around, focusing on crucial scenes over survival efforts. Scavengers Reign is captivating, not just scary, touching on loneliness, fear, and also a bit of trippy spirituality in a surreal world.

Call to action

With an average rating of 9 on IMDB, Scavengers Reign is a hypnotic story with stunning animation and character development- enough to put it in the hidden gems category. Check it out for yourself and get lost in the world. You won’t regret it.

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