Looking at Severance , there was one thing that immediately struck me: the architecture of the Lumon Industries building. Those clean lines, those large, cold, almost oppressive spaces made me think of Oscar Niemeyer , one of my favorite architects. There was something about that monumentality, about that way of playing with shapes and perspectives, that reminded me of his creations.
Of course, upon closer inspection, I realized it wasn't Niemeyer's work. After some research, I discovered the scenes were filmed at Bell Labs Holmdel Complex , a building designed by Eero Saarinen . And that's when everything took on a new meaning.
But before diving deeper into these architectural reflections, it might be useful to set the scene.
A Summary for Better Understanding
Severance , directed by Ben Stiller and Aoife McArdle , tells the story of some Lumon Industries employees who agree to undergo a radical procedure: the separation of their professional and personal memories. Once at work, they no longer have any memory of their outside lives. And when they return home, everything that happened at Lumon disappears.
This system, supposed to guarantee a perfect work-life balance, quickly raises ethical questions. But it's not just the characters' psychology that captivates—it's also the series' visual universe, where every aesthetic choice seems to reinforce the prevailing unease.
When Saarinen Meets Niemeyer
Although Saarinen and Niemeyer had distinct styles, they shared a common vision of architecture as a means of expressing powerful ideas. Where Niemeyer often relied on curves and organic forms, Saarinen favored massive, imposing volumes. Bell Labs , with its glass facades and monumental structure, reflects this quest for grandeur and modernity.
This choice of setting in Severance is not insignificant. The coldness of the building, its repetitiveness, and its lack of landmarks reinforce the feeling of dehumanization. We almost physically feel the impact of this architecture on the characters, as if the space itself contributes to their alienation.
In this sense, the series also reminded me of some of Le Corbusier's brutalist projects. With its endless corridors and identical rooms, Lumon becomes a labyrinth with no escape. Architectural functionality, often celebrated in modernism, is here diverted to illustrate an oppressive and ruthless system.
A Journey into Surrealism
But it wasn't just the architecture that caught my attention. From the opening credits, I felt another strong influence: surrealism . The multiplied human silhouettes, deformed bodies, and absurd scenes immediately reminded me of the works of René Magritte . This same sense of strangeness lingers throughout the series.
Some scenes, with their empty spaces and infinite perspectives, reminded me of the paintings of Giorgio de Chirico . And then there is this disturbing, almost unreal atmosphere, reminiscent of the world of David Lynch . As in Twin Peaks , every detail seems to have a hidden meaning, every silence weighs more than words.
The absurd becomes a tool of social criticism. One thinks of Terry Gilliam and his film Brazil , where bureaucracy stifles all individuality. At Lumon, even the most absurd tasks become normal, and employees end up accepting the absurdity of their existence, for lack of a point of comparison.
Art as Reflection
What I found fascinating about Severance was how the series uses art and architecture to enrich its story. Every aesthetic choice tells a story. The oppressiveness of the building, the coldness of the spaces, and the lack of natural light convey the characters' isolation. The surrealism of the opening sequences and the absurdity of the situations accentuate their loss of bearings.
And if this architecture reminded me of Niemeyer, it is perhaps because his works, while aesthetically sublime, have sometimes been criticized for their lack of humanity. In Brasilia , for example, some residents felt a deep unease in the face of spaces designed more to impress than to be truly lived in. This tension between formal beauty and human experience is at the heart of Severance .
Orwell's Echo and the Philosophy of Control
It's impossible to discuss Severance without mentioning its roots in the tradition of dystopian narratives. Among them, George Orwell and his novel 1984 resonate particularly well. As in the Orwellian universe, the series explores the mechanisms of control, but here, surveillance doesn't take place via omnipresent screens—it takes place directly in the minds of employees.
At Lumon, the dissociation between personal and professional memory is a form of total submission. The " innies "—the versions of employees who exist solely within the company—have neither past nor future. They have no existence other than that dictated by their work, reduced to cogs in a bureaucratic machine. This fragmentation of identity recalls the principles of Orwell's doublethink , where the individual simultaneously accepts two contradictory truths without ever questioning them.
But Severance is not limited to a simple critique of totalitarian control. The series also engages with philosophical currents such as existentialism and structuralism . The questioning of identity, the loss of bearings and the alienation of everyday life refer to the reflections of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir . In this environment where all meaning seems to have been emptied of its substance, the characters must redefine their relationship to the world and to themselves.
There is also a clear parallel with Karl Marx's notion of alienation at work. Deprived of any autonomy, Lumon's employees have no control over what they produce or the reasons for their work. This dispossession, where the individual is nothing more than a tool in the service of an opaque system, echoes the Marxist critique of industrial capitalism.
A Social Critique Under the Cover of Aesthetics
Beyond its impeccable aesthetic, Severance is a sharp reflection on our relationship with work and productivity. At a time when the lines between professional and personal life are becoming increasingly blurred, the series questions the limits of the control companies can exert over their employees.
The absurdity of the tasks performed by the characters recalls Terry Gilliam 's Brazil , while the omnipresence of a paternalistic entity echoes George Orwell 's 1984. A social critique served with a visual and narrative finesse that forces reflection.
So, if you're interested in architecture, modern art, or dystopian stories that challenge your beliefs, this series is an experience not to be missed. More than just fiction, Severance invites us to reflect on the spaces we inhabit and the influence they can have on our perception of the world.
1. Cinematic References
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Terry Gilliam's Brazil (1985) : The dystopian bureaucracy and administrative absurdity in Severance are reminiscent of the world of Brazil . The contrast between a Kafkaesque workplace and human aspirations is similar.
- Playtime (1967) by Jacques Tati : The coldness of the spaces and the labyrinthine sets of Lumon evoke the geometric and impersonal environments of Tati's film.
- Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) : Severance 's use of pristine spaces, endless corridors, and symmetry of architecture are reminiscent of the interiors of the spaceship Discovery.
- The Truman Show (1998) by Peter Weir : The idea of a fake, controlled world, with individuals being manipulated without their awareness, is a strong parallel.
- Michel Gondry's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) : The theme of altered memory and moral choices around remembrance are central to both works.
- Stanley Kubrick's The Shining (1980) : The anxiety-inducing staging of the corridors and the latent tension evoke the Overlook Hotel.
- George Lucas's THX 1138 (1971) : The dystopian vision of a sanitized world, controlled by an omnipotent corporation, finds a direct echo here.
2. Artistic References
- Surrealism : The opening credits of Severance , directed by Oliver Latta (Extraweg) , follow the surrealist tradition of distorted images and self-doubles. This is reminiscent of the paintings of René Magritte or Salvador Dalí , where absurdity and alienation take over.
- Edward Hopper : Lumon's offices, with their pale neon lights and empty spaces, echo the scenes of urban solitude that Hopper depicted in works like Nighthawks .
- Brutalism and Modernism : As mentioned, Eero Saarinen's Bell Labs Holmdel Complex reflects architectural modernism, but some elements of the decor also recall the austerity of brutalism , popularized by architects like Le Corbusier .
- Giorgio de Chirico : The empty spaces and impossible perspectives of Severance 's sets evoke the deserted squares and dreamlike architecture of this metaphysical painter.
3. Literary and Philosophical References
- Franz Kafka : Severance is profoundly Kafkaesque in its depiction of oppressive and absurd bureaucracy, where employees perform meaningless tasks.
- George Orwell : The Lumon company exercises psychological control similar to that of 1984 , with constant surveillance and manipulation of minds.
- Aldous Huxley : The concept of imposed and manufactured happiness, as in Brave New World , is reflected in the management of memories and emotions in Lumon.
- Philip K. Dick : The series explores themes close to Dick's, such as the fragmentation of identity and questioning reality.
4. Musical References
- The Caretaker (Leyland Kirby) : The soundtrack and ambient sounds echo the aesthetics of ambient and experimental music. Kirby's work, which explores the decay of memory, is particularly relevant here.
- David Lynch : The absurdity and unease of some scenes in Severance , as well as its use of silence and strange sounds, recall the Lynchian universe of Twin Peaks or Eraserhead .
Why You Should Absolutely Watch Severance
- If you appreciate modern art and immersive visual experiences.
- If you are fascinated by surreal and dystopian universes.
- If you like stories that question memory, identity and the human condition.
- If you are sensitive to oppressive atmospheres worthy of Kubrick or Lynch .