Soulmates on Amazon Prime: can a computer find your perfect partner?

Find the perfect partner with just one test: what sounds too good to be true is everyday life for the protagonists of Amazon Prime's sci-fi series Soulmates – and the premise leads to many exciting twists!

Nikki, played by Sarah Snook, dares to take the test.
Nikki, played by Sarah Snook, dares to take the test.  © Jorge Alvarino/AMC

While today's daters still have to fill out questionnaires and peruse countless profiles on platforms like Tinder in the quest for true love, things could look very different in the future.

2035: Scientists have discovered the existence of a "soul particle" in our human system.

This means that iris diagnosis can be used to determine a person's ideal match, or soulmate.

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"I took the test." A character utters this statement in almost every episode, usually with unforeseeable consequences.

What may initially sound tempting in some cases leads to extremely difficult challenges for the protagonists.

Should you dare to take the test, even if you have a partner and children waiting at home? What happens when your soulmate suddenly appears, even though you've been happy without him or her up till now? What happens when your "perfect" partner doesn't meet your expectations at all?

Trailer for Soulmates with Sarah Snook, Bill Skarsgard, and Kingsley Ben-Adir

Soulmates is reminiscent of Black Mirror

Nikki (Sarah Snook) begins to doubt her love for Franklin (Kingsley Ben-Adir).
Nikki (Sarah Snook) begins to doubt her love for Franklin (Kingsley Ben-Adir).  © Jorge Alvarino/AMC

Admittedly, the idea behind Soulmates is not entirely new.

In an episode called Hang the DJ, the show Black Mirror explored the question of what happens when a person's choice of partner is controlled only by computers. Will Bridges, one of the writers of Soulmates, has also already co-written several episodes of the British sci-fi hit. Nevertheless, the Amazon series is not just a boring rehash.

Instead, it tells the stories of six different people, with each episode focusing on a different character.

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The first episode is fairly predictable: Nikki (played by Sarah Snook) and Franklin (played by Kingsley Ben-Adir) are happily married – or at least were, until the world around them began to change.

Suddenly, thanks to the test, everyone has found their perfect partner and is floating on cloud nine. Doubts begin to swirl in Nikki's mind, and the temptation to take the test grows ever stronger.

Soulmates is a colorful mix of genres

Mateo (l., Bill Skarsgard) and Jonah (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) party hard in Mexico.
Mateo (l., Bill Skarsgard) and Jonah (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) party hard in Mexico.  © Jorge Alvarino/AMC

While the first episode is a classic relationship drama, the other five episodes could not be more different: from psychological thriller to romantic comedy, there is something for almost every taste.

That's both a blessing and a curse for Soulmates, as some people say not every episode is equally satisfactory.

For example, some say the fourth episode, titled Layover, strays too far from the overall theme and feels out of place in places.

Although the individual episodes may be of varying quality, the series manages to take a sometimes somber, sometimes confident look at the concepts of love and dating in the future.

Since each episode is self-contained, if you don't like one, you can skip it without missing overarching plot points.

Fans can also look forward to more episodes in the future: AMC has already commissioned a second season.

Cover photo: Jorge Alvarino/AMC

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