Art imitates life in an eerie way in "Utopia," Amazon Prime Video's new thriller about intrigue and pandemics The film stars Rainn Wilson and John Cusack

"Utopia" follows a group of comic book fans who are obsessed with a comic book titled Utopia However, the fans soon realize that the book, which they thought was a fictional comic book, actually contains a hidden message about a threat to humanity It is not just a conspiracy theory, but a prediction of real dangers, such as a pandemic

The adventures of the fans bring them face to face with the comic's central character, Jessica Hyde (Sasha Lane) She joins them on a mission to save the world, despite her own secrets

"Utopia" is a bona fide thriller, as the series is written by Gillian Flynn, the writer of "Gone Girl"

Here's what you need to know about how to watch "Utopia" on Amazon Prime Video

If you are away from home and in one of the few areas where Amazon Prime is not available, you don't have to miss out on Utopia With the right VPN (Virtual Private Network), it's very easy to watch along with the rest of the Internet, and you can stream shows wherever you are

Our pick for best VPN is ExpressVPN It meets the VPN needs of most users, offering excellent compatibility with most devices and impressive connection speeds It's also affordable at $1295/month (Signing up for longer periods, such as 6 months or a year, further reduces the cost)

Most people around the world have access to Amazon Prime Video, so they can watch "Utopia" online starting Friday, September 25

All eight episodes will be available at once, which means it's binge time!

The trailer begins with a happy scene: a comic convention Soon, however, events take a sinister turn Everything in Utopia is real," one character declares in the trailer This includes "viruses, bio-warfare, and man-made diseases" All are disturbingly familiar and prescient

Utopia's cast is large, a broad ensemble that includes big names and rising stars:

Critics' comments on Utopia

CNN "With the crazy conspiracies that pervade social media spreading in reality, 'Utopia' feels uncomfortable at first But as the crisis mounts, audiences are pulled down this quirky rabbit hole

Time: "Its mood is apocalyptic The violence is often cartoonish, but frequent, nihilistic and brutal The pious attitude toward conspiracy theories is not so exhilarating in QAnon's time Then there is the subplot about a deadly pandemic that escalates as the story progresses But what makes the show unbearable is that it exploits some of the biggest anxieties of modern civilization without saying anything worth hearing about them"

AV Club But the overreliance on cruel violence masks the fact that "Utopia" does not say much about the corporate excesses and government indifference that inspired the show's concept

[30] The Independent (UK): "The heroes are supposed to be cocky outsiders, and the dialogue sometimes strays into teen movie territory Even if the characters don't know what's coming, we know what's ahead