Content Warning: The following article contains spoilers for the Netflix film The Adam Project.
Netflix’s The Adam Project introduced fans to an exciting world full of time travel, futuristic weapons, and badass characters. Some of these characters also happen to be witty, intelligent, and funny, which makes it easy for viewers to fall in love with them.
Aside from their comedic lines, characters with tragic backstories like 12-year-old Adam Reed (Walker Scobell) and his 2050 counterpart played by Ryan Reynolds unsurprisingly have fans rooting for their success from start to finish. Even imperfect characters like Louis Reed (Mark Ruffalo) have redeeming qualities that make them somewhat likable.
Maya Sorian (Catherine Keener) is a sci-fi villain who had everyone fooled in The Adam Project for a long time, at least until Laura Shane (Zoe Saldaña) figured out how she tampered with the time stream. Based on Louis Reed’s (Mark Ruffalo) shock at her actions and the way her younger self hesitates to commit more unethical acts, it’s clear that Sorian was once a decent person – she has only become more cynical and power-hungry throughout the years, though.
Sorian doesn’t hesitate to kill people like Laura to cover up her big secret, and she even threatens 12-year-old Adam at one point. She has a chance to redeem herself towards the end, but she foolishly doesn’t take it, leaving fans with no reason to like her at all.
As the righthand man to the powerful sci-fi villain Sorian, Christos (Alex Mallari Jr.) has to do some pretty horrific things to please his boss. He’s depicted as a violent and unforgiving character who will do anything Sorian asks, even if it means fighting with people he went to “the academy” with like Adam and Laura.
The only reason he’s more likable than Sorian is that he doesn’t seem to actively do bad deeds on his own accord. Without Sorian’s orders, he’d likely just be another soldier from the future doing whatever the job requires.
Fans can’t be blamed for feeling annoyed by Louis’ actions when he’s first introduced. One of future Adam’s biggest complaints about his father is that he has always prioritized his work as a scientist first over his duties as a father. Viewers later learn that this isn’t exactly true, though, as 12-year-old Adam reminds his older self of all the good times they shared before Louis’ death.
On top of this revelation, audiences also see Louis change his mind about breaking the laws of time travel. Despite thinking that messing with the time stream is wrong, he goes with the two Adams to recover the hard drive from Sorian. The moment that solidifies him as a likable character is when he outsmarts the villain who “never understood the science.”
Although Laura learns time travel along with her peers like Christos and Adam, she seems to have the unique advantage of being smart enough to figure out that Sorian is up to no good. She’s immediately set up as a likable character through Adam’s descriptions of her, and her badass entrance only emphasizes how cool she is.
The only downside is that viewers don’t get to spend too much time with her, as it soon becomes clear that Adam has to leave her behind to correct the time stream from 2018. Crucial details about her background are understandably left out to keep the plot moving.
The Adam Project has quickly become one of Reynolds’ best movies, as his performance as the titular protagonist is among his most memorable ones. 2050’s Adam is witty, strong, and has a tragic backstory that makes viewers want to root for his success.
His perseverance to rescue the love of his life against all odds is admirable enough, but the way he sacrifices that to save the world is even more commendable. He clearly has baggage, which sometimes makes it frustrating to watch him lash out at his dad and younger self, but it’s satisfying to watch the likable character resolve these personal issues in the end.
With his clever comebacks and surprisingly nuanced story arc, it’s impossible not to fall in love with young Adam. The 12-year-old struggles to cope with his dad’s death, so he lashes out at others and gets bullied for it. It’s when he meets his older self that he seemingly realizes things will be okay eventually, as he even manages to get muscles and be in a loving relationship.
Adam’s awareness and insights go way beyond what one would expect from a kid, which is especially evident when he reminds 2050 Adam that he should let go of his anger. What’s more, it’s satisfying to see him repair his relationship with his mom, who also happens to be the most likable character in the movie.
Ellie mostly manages to avoid the entire mess with the time travelers, as she has enough on her plate as it is. Viewers immediately feel bad for her when they see how much she’s struggling without Louis, especially when she has to endure young Adam’s hurtful words.
Her scene with 2050’s Adam in the bar gives fans a glimpse into her real feelings, as – in her son’s words – she’s “grieving, too.” Ellie has to stay on top of everything all the time to make sure Adam is getting everything he needs, but she neglects herself in the process. She’s an amazing loving mother, who thankfully gets the affection she sorely needs from her flippant son.
