Written by Scott Blaszak and directed by Isaac Ezban, sci-fi movie Parallel focuses on a group of friends who stumble upon a mirror that serves as a portal to a "multiverse." However, they soon discover that importing knowledge from the other side in order to better their lives brings increasingly dangerous consequences.
The cast includes David Harewood (Supergirl) and Martin Wallström (Mr. Robot), and we recently had the opportunity to catch up with the latter to discuss Parallel ahead of its release from Vertical Entertainment in Select Theaters & On Demand on December 11th, 2020.
You'll find the full interview here tomorrow, but in the meantime, we wanted to share Wallström's comments on the legacy of USA's Mr. Robot. Running for four seasons to widespread critical acclaim and multiple award wins, the show has left quite the impact, something the actor is all too aware of after playing E-Corp's Tyrell Wellick right from the very start.
"When I talk about it, one of the things I really appreciate is that I got the chance to be on that, sort of, train from the beginning. No one knew where it would go after the pilot, and to be on this show, with how it started as just this small thing, and then to see how it just grew...[I realised] after reading the script from the first season that it was so well written. The attention to detail that came from [creator] Sam [Esmail] that just went right down through the whole production was amazing.
"When I look back now, to see that nothing was a coincidence...even how a wall was painted was a reference to something, as was the smallest line. I don't think I changed or ad libbed one line in four seasons. Everything meant something. To be part of that is just the greatest gift and all these wonderful actors were there, so I was working with them and learning. The character was so wonderful to play, the way it was written and the way he went out, I was happy about it. He finally could give something good back to the world after all the misery he created. I was happy with that."
If you're a fan of Mr. Robot, you'll know that there's been a lot of speculation about the way Tyrell's story ended. Wounded, he staggered into the forest and saw a mysterious light which has led to a lot of different theories finding their way online. Wallström has a take on that moment, and it's one we think you'll probably agree is fitting for the antagonist turned ally to Rami Malek's Elliot.
"I think the light, to me...it's up to the audience to decide what it is," the actor started. "For me, and what I saw, that was just him being released. Finally, he was free from all that death. That was the only way to die, if he died [Laughs], and the only way to save his son and give him a better stake than his father. There was a lot of relief it was finally over."
That's a fascinating insight into one of the final season's most talked about scenes, and one which might also help draw a line under this apparent unanswered question about Tyrell's fate.
Take a look at the trailer for Parallel below: