Sci-fi fans are raving about Argentinian dystopian series The Eternaut

There was no big fanfare, or viewers, for that matter, when the Argentinian sci-fi series started showing on Netflix at the end of April (April 30, to be precise) in 2025. Yet, as the month passed, the viewership steadily grew, particularly among sci-fi fans who favor that dystopian element.

And then there were devoted fans of serious graphic novels (and comic strips), as the series itself is based on the eponymous one written by Héctor Germán Oesterheld and Francisco Solano López (started in 1957), which itself won the Eisner Award.

And while the audience was growing, the critics were enthusiastic from the start, quite a few of them seemingly claiming it was the hidden sci-fi gem of 2025. So, what is the story of The Eternaut, and why is it gathering such high praise and wide viewership?

What is The Eternaut about?

A strange snow starts falling on Buenos Aires. The number of times it snowed in the Argentinian capital can be counted with fingers on one hand, but this snow had a deadly effect, as it would kill anybody that it touched. It is a practically invisible threat, an alien invasion in fact, so the survivors suit up in layers of clothing and gas masks, not only to survive but also to resist.

One Juan Salvo emerges as the leader of this resistance. But as he and his crew venture through the desolate streets of Buenos Aires, it turns out that the threat they have to face and resist is much more serious and sinister than the dark snow falling on the city. Will they succeed? The six episodes of The Eternaut slowly unfold the mystery.

The fans of the original comic strip series are aware that it had political and social connotations, making it an Argentine pop culture classic, which got even further significance when, in 1977, during the rule of the military junta in Argentina, Oesterheld and his four daughters disappeared.

During the preparation of the series, Oesterheld’s widow insisted that the series be filmed in Buenos Aires itself, adding another eerie element for the viewers.

The all-Argentinian cast is led by Ricardo Darin, considered as currently best-known and most popular Argentinian actor, who, along with excellent directing by Bruno Stagnaro could only start working on the series in 2023 (there were decades of legal disputes preceding) on the tail-end of the pandemic, giving the series another ghostly touch.

All the lovers of series The Walking Dead, The Last Of Us, Invasion, and similar who haven’t had contact with The Eternaut should tune in as soon as possible. A very thick line of clothing might be in order, summer or no summer.

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