Indie Spotlight: ‘The Peculiar Case Of Formula 12’ Retells A Classic

We receive a ton of tips every day from independent creators, unaffiliated with any major motion picture studios, television networks, new media studios, or other well-funded online video entities. The Indie Spotlight is where we’ll write about and shout out to a select few of them and bring you up to speed on the great (and sometimes not-so-great) attention-grabbing series you probably haven’t heard about until now.  Read previous installments here. 

This edition of Indie Spotlight is sponsored by Tongal.

Three Indie Spotlights ago, we took a look at Whitlock, which offers a modern, gender-flipped version of Sherlock Holmes. This week’s featured series modernizes a classic, too, but goes about its adaptation in a completely different way. The Peculiar Case Of Formula 12 is moody and inventive, and it has a timeless piece of sci-fi storytelling at its center.

In the interest of preserving the first episode‘s stinger, I won’t say which classic work The Peculiar Case Of Formula 12 adapts. The premise is executed well-enough that the completed product doesn’t closely resemble its inspiration, but it borrows enough to draw in fans of the original work.

As creator and star Andre Keuck explains, the series has a lot in common with some popular modern fiction as well. “I’ve been seeing a lot of the same themes repeated over and over again, about someone who … starts off in one direction, kind of like Walter White in Breaking Bad, and then over time evolves into this thing that he doesn’t even recognize at the end of it,” he told DC radio station WTOP

There are six total episodes, none running for more than seven minutes. Those of you who are familiar with the source material will know exactly how this one ends.

OTHER UNDER-THE-RADAR SERIES TO CHECK OUT:

• Happy Hour. Friends get together with each other (and some drinks) to recount the night before.
• Mumbai Chopra. This satire of celebrity culture is centered on a spoiled socialite and will soon enter its third season.
• Jackpot! A woman’s plan to get pregnant with an NBA player’s baby goes horribly awry.
• Who’s Wrong. This series follows protagonists Warren and Tiffany as they have an affair at a hotel.

Got a series you’d like to see featured in the Indie Spotlight? Be sure to contact us here. For best coverage, please include a full episode in your e-mail.

This edition of Indie Spotlight is sponsored by Tongal. Tongal is changing the way creative work gets done, by making it accessible to people everywhere. For brands, studios, and causes, Tongal’s innovative platform provides continuous access to a global network of creatives, offering fresh ideas and insights, and top filmmaking talent to bring them to life. Tongal’s collaborative, merit-driven process enables everyone to focus on the work they do best. The result is outstanding content delivered with great speed and efficiency. Tongal is based in Santa Monica, California.