Belgium released its first-ever original Netflix series, Into the Night, created by Jason George, on May 1, 2020. The series is based on the sci-fi Novel The Old Axolotl, written by Jacek Dukaj, and has two seasons so far. Into the Night follows the story of a few lucky passengers and crew of an overnight flight whose plane is hijacked out of Brussels — but things take a turn as soon as a sudden solar event starts killing everything in its path.
Can you imagine a world where sunshine harms every living creature on earth and passengers in a hijacked plane are the only ones safe? That’s Into the Night for you. So if you have been looking for a show to binge-watch this upcoming holiday season, this is your cue to curl up next to this Belgian show.
Into the Night Has a Unique Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Thriller Plot
Most scenes in the show unfold on a plane as the plot is set in motion when a NATO officer hijacks the aircraft. He compels the co-pilot to fly towards the west to escape the deadly sunlight caused by a catastrophic solar event. Since there is insufficient protection against the radiation forces on the ground, the survivors continually fly west, attempting to outrun the sunrise. While they’re eventually able to outrun the sunlight, the danger still looms as they will eventually run out of fuel as well. This sets the stage for a show loaded with suspense even beyond the first episode.
Into the Night season 1 set a high bar with its strong reception, and that helped the show in being greenlit for season 2. While the second season didn’t match the first in terms of viewer count and plot, it still offers enough compelling reasons to make the show worth watching. As of now, there’s no confirmation of Into the Night season 3, but the series remains a notable entry in the sci-fi thriller genre. Into the Night has a total of twelve episodes — six episodes in each season.
The Show Has a Star-Studded Cast and Diverse Character Ensemble
One of the strengths of Into the Night is its portrayal of a diverse group of characters, each with their motivations, strengths, and flaws. Pauline Etienne takes on the role of Sylvie Bridgette Dubois, a former military helicopter pilot, and Laurent Capelluto as Mathieu Daniel Douek, the airline co-pilot. Stefano Cassetti brings to life Terenzio Matteo Gallo, an Italian NATO officer.
The series also features established Turkish actors like Mehmet Kurtuluş as the enigmatic Ayaz Kobanbay. Other key cast members include Babetida Sadjo as Laura Djalo, Jan Bijvoet as Richard “Rik” Mertens, and Alba Gaïa Bellugi as Ines Mélanie Ricci. The cast, coming from different parts of the world, makes the show feel real, like you’re actually on an international flight. They bring to life a wide range of characters, from a mechanic to a nurse to an internet star, making the story more interesting, organically navigable, and relatable.
It Explores Themes of Moral Dilemmas and Cultural Interplay in a High-Stakes Survival Drama
The show kicks off with a high-tension scenario — a flight hijacked, throwing passengers into chaos. But as they face a catastrophic solar event, the line between hijackers and passengers blurs. The characters are thrust into making hard choices, like rationing food. Sylvie, a former military pilot, steps up to make tough calls. Cultural clashes arise, but survival hinges on unity. Over time, everyone learns to collaborate and it basically shows how dire circumstances can bridge even the widest divide. It ironically reflects how our differences as humans are so minor that an external threat is all we need to reach the stage of commonality.
Into the Night Has Good Ratings on Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB
Another thing that makes Into the Night worth a watch is its stellar reception on Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB. On Rotten Tomatoes, the show has an impressive 89% score on the Tomatometer and a 69% average audience score, reflecting strong positive reception from both critics and viewers. Over on IMDb, the show maintains a solid 7.1/10 rating, based on the feedback of more than 35,000 users. These high ratings underscore the series’ quality and its successful blend of drama, sci-fi, and thriller elements.
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