One of the most acclaimed novels of the last few years is now streaming on Netflix. Anthony Doerr's World War II story All the Light We Cannot See is a Pulitzer Prize-winning book that is now a four-part limited series on the platform.
A Netflix veteran serves as the creative force behind the project — Shawn Levy. Levy has produced hit Netflix series like Stranger Things and Shadow and Bone, while also directing episodes of Stranger Things and The Adam Project (he also was the director Free Guy). He serves in both those capacities again for All the Light We Cannot See, directing all four episodes, but also helped develop the limited series alongside Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders, Great Expectations).
With the acclaim of the book and the pedigree involved in the project, All the Light We Cannot is one of the buzziest TV shows of the fall. So here's everything we know about it to keep up to date with it.
How to watch All the Light We Cannot See
All episodes of All the Light We Cannot See is now available to watch on Netflix. In order to watch the series, you must be a Netflix subscriber.
All the Light We Cannot See plot
All the Light We Cannot See follows two separate stories during World War II that focus on courage, hope and human connection. Here is the synopsis from Netflix:
"The series tracks the two protagonists' seemingly parallel journeys as they make their way to the French coastal town of Saint-Malo, where their stories eventually intersect. Blind French girl Marie-Laure escapes German-occupied Paris with her father in an effort to safeguard a priceless diamond from a Nazi Gestapo officer, and the two find refuge in her reclusive uncle's seaside home.
"Meanwhile, in Germany, young orphan Werner discovers that he has a rare gift for radio repairs. Enlisted by Hitler's regime, he's put to work tracking illegal broadcasts but finds none — until one day, a girl's voice crackles to life on a defunct frequency he used to tune into as a child. As the bombs fall on Saint-Malo, Werner and Marie-Laure's invisible bond over the airwaves is put to the test. Can they survive with their faith in mankind intact?"
All the Light We Cannot See episodes
Here are the official synopses for the four All the Light We Cannot See episodes, and links to our recaps for each episode.
All the Light We Cannot See episode 1
"August 1944. In Nazi-occupied Saint-Malo, Marie broadcasts through an air raid — an act punishable by death. Werner, a young German solider, listens in." Read WTW's All the Light We Cannot See episode 1 recap.
All the Light We Cannot See episode 2
"During an intense interrogation, Marie recalls the Nazi invasion of Paris as Werner remembers a fateful visit from an SS officer to his orphanage." Read WTW's All the Light We Cannot See episode 2 recap.
All the Light We Cannot See episode 3
"After earning Etienne's trust, Werner opens up about his haunting past and his ties to shortwave 13.10. Daniel goes to great lengths to trick the Gestapo." Read WTW's All the Light We Cannot See episode 3 recap.
All the Light We Cannot See episode 4
"A hellbent von Rumpel makes his final bid to find the Sea of Flames. As artillery falls and American forces breach the city, Werner races to save Marie.
All the Light We Cannot See cast
The cast for All the Light We Cannot See is a mix of recognizable names and young talent just getting into their careers. On the former, Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner/Hulk in the MCU, Spotlight) and Hugh Laurie (House, Avenue 5) headline things, along with Lars Eidinger (Irma Vep, White Noise) and Marion Bailey (Obsession, The Crown). Ruffalo stars as Daniel LeBlanc, Laurie plays Etienne LeBlanc, Eidinger is the Gestapo officer Von Rumpel and Bailey plays Madame Manec.
Two of the story's most crucial roles are played by newcomers Aria Mia Loberti, who is making screen debut with the limited series, and Louis Hofmann, whose biggest previous role was in the Netflix original series Dark. Loberti, who is a blind/low vision actress, is playing Marie-Laure LeBlanc, while Hoffman plays Werner Pfennig, the characters brought together by the radio broadcast.
A younger version of Marie-Laure is being played by Nell Sutton
Get more info on the All the Light We Cannot See cast right here.
All the Light We Cannot See trailer
The first trailer for the anticipated limited series is here. There is no dialogue spoken in the trailer but playing in the background is the tune of "Clair de Lune" by famous French composer Claude Debussy.
In addition, with one of the story's main characters being blind, Netflix has released a version of the trailer that includes audio description for the bling/low vision communities.
Both are available below. Here is the trailer without audio description:
And here is the trailer with audio description:
A special behind-the-scenes look at All the Light We Cannot See has also been shared by Netflix, which you can watch directly below:
