The Mercury Men is a rollicking sci-fi adventure web series set in Pittsburgh in 1975.

In the series opening we meet Edward Borman (Mark Tierno), a  low-level office administrator who is about to end a very long skeleton shift at the office.

Suddenly all hell breaks loose as Edward discovers his office building is besieged by entities from Mercury - terrifying alien beings made of dense, tangible light.

As Edward frantically attempts to evade these deadly aliens, he encounters mysterious aerospace engineer Jack Yaeger (Curt Wootton), a member of a clandestine organization known only as "The League."

Together, Edward and Jack are all that stand between the earth and the invading aliens' sinister agenda.

Created by Christopher Preksta, The Mercury Men is an inspired and rousing tribute to classic adventure serials from Flash Gordon to Indiana Jones.

Watching it, you are immersed in a noir-tinged, retro, sci-fi world brimming with  danger and adventure.

In fact, a large part of what gives this series such dynamism is its ultra-stylish aesthetic and outstanding production design. 

The entire series was gorgeously shot in black and white.  The cinematography uses ambient light and shadow to induce ever mounting tension throughout the story. 

This sense of tension is never more pronounced than when the aliens appear.

The black and white cinematography serves as a magnificent canvas to showcase the simple - yet wonderfully creepy - design of the solid-light aliens.

Of course the best cinematography and production design would still fall flat if the story and cast are not up to par.  

Fortunately, this is not an issue.

Mr. Tierno gives a pitch-perfect performance as Edward, an everyman who must struggle to survive the alien attack while processing the unbelievable facts surrounding his predicament.

Mr. Wootton imbues heroic engineer Yaeger with endearing wit and charm in a role that could have easily succumbed to one-dimensional cheesiness.

Of course the actors have the benefit of portraying characters that are well-written, who inhabit a premise that harkens back to the pure spirit of adventure intrinsic in many classic sci-fi serials.

Another starring character in this production is the exceptional musical score.  

From pulse-pounding crescendos to tentative interludes, the music is flawlessly paired with each story beat to produce a singular viewing experience.

Watch the gripping series trailer below ...

The complete 10-episode season is available for viewing now on YouTube.

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