Black Mirror is one of Netflix’s crown jewels, centering around the world of high-tech dystopian futures laden with satirical sociopolitical commentary. Rather than being a conventional show that paints a bleak and dreary futuristic picture, Black Mirror brings to the surface the cocktail of chaos that would ensue when the dark side of technology comes face-to-face with the darker side of humanity. Created by Charlie Brooker, Black Mirror is especially known for its production design and scale, as it integrates technological advancements in modern-day life, before letting them run amok.
If you’re a fan of Netflix’s dark and dystopian show rich with elements of pop culture and chaos, these below-mentioned shows will surely take your fancy.
The Man in the High Castle
Based on Philip K. Dick’s 1962 novel of the same name, The Man in the High Castle is an alternate history where the Axis powers have won WWII and the whole world is controlled by Germany and Japan. Taking a page out of Black Mirror’s book, The Man in the High Castle is similar to Black Mirror in its social commentary, but differs from it when it comes to the integration of technology.
Dead Set
Before Charlie Brooker became a household name with Black Mirror, he made Dead Set, receiving some much-deserved praise from the industry and recognition from the fans. With Dead Set, Brooker offers a fresh perspective to the zombie angle, as it tells the story of a zombie apocalypse set against the backdrop of a reality TV show. Playing out as an extended episode of Black Mirror, Dead Set has all of its successor’s satirical wit sans the scale and infusion of technology.
Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams
Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams has often been described as “a cheaper alternative to Black Mirror”. Based on Philip K. Dick’s stories, the show plays out as a surreal sci-fi anthology, occasionally led by a few familiar faces like Bryan Cranston and Steve Buscemi. Despite coming nowhere close to Black Mirror’s scale or conceptualization, Philip K. DIck’s Electric Dreams is a good show to have on the side while Brooker’s cooking up his masterpiece.
Residue
- LWH Entertainment
GSP Studios
Created by John Harrison and directed by Alex Garcia Lopez (Misfits and Utopia), Residue is set against a backdrop of a futuristic England that’s rocked by an explosion on New Year’s Eve. As the government scrambles to build a Quarantine Zone, a photojournalist and her boyfriend begin to look for answers and finding nothing but trouble in return. Led by Game of Thrones staples Iwan Rheon and Natalia Tena, this three-part miniseries is a thrilling deep dive into dark dystopia, paired with national paranoia.
Oats Studio
Bordering on the lines between horror and science fiction, Oats Studio comprises a series of experimental short films set in a post-apocalyptic world. From director Neill Blomkamp (District 9, Elysium) comes this brilliant tale of visual terror masked under the framework of a lesson in morality. Oats Studio shares most of Black Mirror’s genre-oriented sensibilities, as it ticks off all the boxes in the dark dystopian genre.
Love, Death & Robots
Covering several genres across the board, each animated episode of Love, Death & Robots tells a different story, ranging from horror to science fiction. With every episode, also comes a different team of directors; a trait shared with Black Mirror. Despite the multi-genre approach, one common theme present throughout most episodes is the importance of being tethered in the present moment, while emphasizing on a collective change for the betterment of humanity.
Squid Game
Netflix’s Squid Game really solidified Korea’s global arrival at the OTT stage, ushering a new dawn of the TV revolution. In terms of ethos, Squid Game can be viewed as Black Mirror’s long-lost cousin from Korea, as it takes place in a dystopian world that’s governed by greed, operating within the framework of technology.
The production value of both shows is quite commendable, as they conceive a never-before-seen scenario, with the perfect use of production design and visual effects.
Maniac
Maniac sheds light on humanity’s over reliance on technology and how it can run amok if not executed properly. It’s quite similar to Black Mirror in its representation of technology but differs in its tone, as Black Mirror is heavily layered with satirical commentary.
The show follows strangers Annie Lansberg (Emma Stone) and Owen Pilgrim (Jonah Hill), as they agree to participate in a mysterious pharmaceutical trial that promises to repair any issues regarding the mind. Unfortunately, the experiment fails, sending both Annie and Owen into a permanent state of mental illness, making their situation worse than when they began.
Alice in Borderland
Squid Game’s premise is heavily inspired by Alice in Borderland, as both shows work on a simple premise where a group of participants takes part in a game in which victory results in progression and defeat results in death.
Heavily focused on humans and our innate need for violence, Alice in Borderland underlines this point with the infusion of technology and paints a picture of a dark future ahead of humanity. Alice in Borderland might not be on Black Mirror’s level in terms of scale and conceptualization, but is still a fun show to watch if you’re a fan of the genre.
Dark
Dark can be viewed as the grown-up German counterpart of Stranger Things. Created by Baron bo Odar, this series is a melting pot of science and mystery, as it touches upon everything from time machines to black holes. By no means an easy watch, Dark is a murky show to follow, twisting and turning, mentally exhausting the viewer, before finally culminating into pure sci-fi bliss.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
