Thin Air

Morgan revisits the futuristic noir vibe of his best-known work, Altered Carbon, in this glacially paced and overly macho offering that tackles politics, corruption, and espionage in a human settlement on Mars. Hakan Veil is a recovering overrider, a genetically modified human tasked with commandeering control of haulage space vessels should the crew mutiny or a mission go awry. Overriders are blunt instruments bred for brutality, so the decommissioned Veil is the ideal bodyguard to protect Madison Madekwe when she and the other Earth Oversight Committee auditors arrive on Mars, kicking up a firestorm of political unrest. Amid growing terroristic violence and murder, Veil must confront his checkered past and overcome his own primal urges to ensure the safety of his charge and the stability of his adoptive home world. The numerous female characters, however, are underdeveloped, and Veil mostly treats them as sex objects. Though the story is slow-moving and light on characterization, it tackles numerous moral and political questions, and is garnished with plenty of gratuitous violence. More cinematic than cerebral, it will appeal to fans of high-octane action movies and Netflix’s Altered Carbon adaptation. (Nov.)