8 dystopian TV shows that will make you pretty nervous
Miscellaneous / / October 20, 2021
In these shows, the future looks very sad. But even in such conditions, there are heroes who are ready to fight for good.
1. Through the snow
Snowpiercer
- USA, 2020 - present.
- Science fiction, action, thriller, drama.
- Duration: 2 seasons.
- IMDb: 6.9.
In the future, due to human attempts to stop global warming, the Earth plunged into a new ice age. Only those who got on the endlessly moving train were able to survive. Rich and successful people live in the first carriages, and the poor live in the tail. The latter are going to arrange a revolution and seize power.
The series is based on the French graphic novel and the film of the same name korean directed by Bong Joon Ho. At the same time, the authors added a detective line to the dystopia. And the result is at least interesting.
2. Society
The society
- USA, 2019.
- Drama, fantasy.
- Duration: 1 season.
- IMDb: 7.1.
A group of teenagers returns from a school trip and finds out that all people have disappeared from the city. At first, the guys are delighted with the newfound freedom, but the euphoria quickly passes when they realize that they cannot get out of the village.
The series, inspired by the novel Lord of the Flies, perfectly reveals the theme of relationships between teenagers, pleases with unexpected plot twists and skillfully escalates the drama. Unfortunately, after the first season, the show was closed: the production of the project, like many other series, was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.
3. Brave new world
Brave new world
- USA, 2020.
- Science fiction, thriller, drama.
- Duration: 1 season.
- IMDb: 7.1.
Lenina Crown and Bernard Marx live in an ideal world of the future, where people are born in test tubes and are divided into castes even before birth. Almost all of them are addicted to the synthetic drug, which is designed to eliminate any unwanted anxiety. One day, the heroes encounter a man named John, who was born naturally, after which not only their life changes, but the whole society as a whole.
Eponymous novel Aldous Huxley 1932 is still considered one of the most convincing and interesting dystopias, but in the adaptation, the authors left too little from the original source. As a result, the series garnered mediocre and conflicting reviews from critics and viewers, which is why streaming service Peacock shut down Brave New World after its first season.
4. 3%
3%
- Brazil 2016-2020.
- Science fiction, action, thriller, drama.
- Duration: 4 seasons.
- IMDb: 7.4.
In the future, the world is divided into two parts: poor people live on the Mainland, and wealthy lucky people live on the Island. But once a year, the government organizes what is called the Selection Process, in which some are given a ticket to a wealthy life. But only 3% of those who wish can get to the Island from the Mainland.
"3%" was invented by screenwriter and producer Pedro Aguilera, and filmed by legendary cameraman Cesar Charloni (City of God). The authors were inspired by the classic dystopias "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley and "1984" George Orwell.
At the same time, "3%" stands out from a series of similar projects due to the unusual concept and national Brazilian flavor that is present in every shot.
5. A hundred
The 100
- USA, Canada, 2014-2020.
- Science fiction, drama, detective.
- Duration: 7 seasons.
- IMDb: 7.6.
After a global nuclear catastrophe, there are no people left on Earth. Few survivors live on a ship that orbits the planet. 97 years after apocalypse a hundred juvenile delinquents are sent to the surface. The teenagers must test how livable the Earth is and prepare a springboard for the rest of them to return. But instead, the heroes decide to build their own colony.
The CW series is based on the books of the American writer Cass Morgan. The show ran for seven seasons successfully. Although over the years of its release, many of the main characters have changed in the project, and the authors eventually moved away from the concept of a serious thriller about survival and focused on teenage drama.
6. Altered carbon
Altered carbon
- USA, 2018-2020.
- Science fiction, detective, thriller.
- Duration: 2 seasons.
- IMDb: 8.0.
In the distant future, people have learned to digitize human consciousness and transfer it to another body. Former military man Takeshi Kovacs wakes up in prison 250 years after the death of his shell. Now, in exchange for a pardon, he needs to solve the mystery of the murder of the long-lived tycoon, which is somehow connected with the hero's past.
The sensational project based on the books of Richard Morgan combines the style of cyberpunk, an action movie and a twisted detective story. Alas, the series was closed after the second season, despite the good reaction from viewers and critics: it turned out that production in a pandemic was costing Netflix too expensive.
7. The Handmaid's Tale
The Handmaid's Tale
- USA, 2017 - present.
- Science fiction, thriller, drama.
- Duration: 4 seasons.
- IMDb: 8.4.
In the future, people face a serious problem: fewer children are born in the world. Mass sterility leads to the rise of religious fanaticism. A military junta seizes power in the United States. The country is renamed the Republic of Gilead and nightmarish ordersbased on brutality and complete disregard for human rights.
Under the new government, girls are forbidden to study and work. Those who remain fertile are called maids. On pain of death, they must give birth to important officials and their wives. Among the maids is a completely ordinary woman June Osborne, who unsuccessfully tried to escape during the coup. But she cannot come to terms with the imposed role and all the time thinks how to get out of captivity. The fact is that somewhere in Gilead her little daughter is hiding.
The first season is based on the famous novel "The Story of a Handmaid" by Canadian writer Margaret Atwood. However, in the sequel, the stories of the characters went far beyond the scope of the book, and the dystopian atmosphere gradually gave way to savoring scary and cruel scenes.
8. Black mirror
Black mirror
- UK, 2011-2019.
- Science fiction, thriller, drama.
- Duration:
- IMDb: 8.8.
The British TV series "Black Mirror" consists of separate stories, one way or another revealing the impact of technology on society. The creator of the show, Charlie Brooker, has come up with many options for a dystopian future - you can find them in the episodes "15 Million Merit", "Polar Bear", "Hang the DJ".
But, perhaps, the most interesting in this regard was the first episode of the third season - "Dive". They showed a world where people give each other marks not only in social networksbut also in real life. From them, a rating is formed, which determines whether a person will be able to get to a party, live in a prestigious house and even buy plane tickets.
Dive paints a very compelling picture of the future, where everyone tries to appear friendly and optimistic. But such a world would be boring and insipid. Not to mention the fact that just one mistake made can send you to the very bottom.
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