11 Shows to Stream Like 'Westworld'
David Mccullough 12 Monkeys
In 2015, the enigmatic Army of the 12 Monkeys released a deadly virus that would wipe out seven billion humans over the following two years, with its subsequent mutations threatening the end of humanity. In the year 2043, scavenger James Cole is recruited to travel back in time and teams up with virologist Dr. Cassie Railly to stop the release of the deadly plague. But the mysterious leader of the 12 Monkeys, known only as the Witness, is seemingly always one step ahead of them.
Battlestar Galactica
Battlestar Galactica is one of the most critically respected sci-fi series ever made. It’s about humanity’s bid for survival, hunted by technology of their own design. While the Cylons started off as robotic slaves made to enhance life, they have evolved with their own stream of consciousness and have become so difficult to differentiate from their creators. Now, they’re out to wipe humans off the face of the universe.
Electric Dreams
Based on the short stories of Philip K. Dick, arguably the most seminal science-fiction writer ever, Electric Dreams is an anthology series that ran for only one season but packed a punch with its all-star cast including Bryan Cranston, Richard Madden, Greg Kinnear, and Steve Buscemi. Each standalone episode tackles philosophical questions about what it means to be human.
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Falling Skies
Set in a postapocalyptic future and six months after a global invasion by extraterrestrials, 90 percent of the human population has been obliterated. The 2nd Mass are a group of survivors, civilians, and soldiers who unite to fight back against the alien occupation. Executive producer Steven Spielberg said he was drawn to the project for its strong themes of survival and togetherness.
Foundation
In the distant future, the human race is scattered across planets but unified under one Galactic Empire, the figurehead of which is three generations of genetic clones originating from Cleon I. With an autocratic leader inevitably comes a resistance movement in the form of The Foundation, a band of exiles driven to dismantle the empire and save humanity. The show is loosely based on the literary works by Isaac Asimov.
Godless
If it’s pure Wild West you’re craving, you’ll love this brilliant miniseries on Netflix. In 1884, young outlaw Roy Goode is on the run; hunted by his former gang whom he betrayed. The vengeful and murderous outlaw Frank Griffin (Jeff Daniels) is hot on his heels, killing anyone who gets in his way. Godless contains all the typical Western tropes—vast landscapes and gunslingers—but flips the historically male-dominated genre on its head with a female-led ensemble cast.
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Lovecraft Country
Set in the Jim Crow era, a Black man traverses segregated America in search of his missing father, facing the terrors of white supremacy and otherworldly monsters inspired by famed horror novelist H.P. Lovecraft. The show, which runs for one season only, is based on the novel by Matt Ruff. While Lovecraft was a blatant racist, the book and subsequent series aimed to take his trademark themes—the occult and creepy, tentacled monsters—to create a heroic story with Black characters at the center.
Raised by Wolves
Executive produced by sci-fi master Ridley Scott, Raised by Wolves features two androids, Father and Mother, who are tasked with raising two human children after Earth was destroyed in a great war. When a deeply religious order of surviving humans threatens their atheist existence, the androids learn controlling human belief is much more difficult than anticipated. Despite the show’s praise from the public and critics, it was canceled after two seasons.
Severance
This Ben Stiller–directed sci-fi thriller poses the question, What would happen if you compartmentalized your consciousness and memories? Technology company Lumon Industries offers to do just that. By performing a medical procedure known as severance on some of its employees, non-work memories are kept separate from work-related memories. One employee begins to uncover a conspiracy on both sides.
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The Man in the High Castle
In a parallel universe, Axis powers Nazi Germany and the Japanese Empire are victorious in World War II. They rule the world yet exist in a Cold War–like state of tension. The four-season series begins in 1962, when a cast of characters are intertwined as they uncover newsreels and home movies of alternate Earths. Circulated by the mysterious Man in the High Castle, the footage depicts Germany and Japan losing the war and inspires rebellion.
Wayward Pines
Investigating the disappearance of two fellow FBI agents, Ethan Burke finds himself in the isolated town of Wayward Pines, unable to leave or contact the outside world and confined by an imposing electrified fence. Burke’s mission soon becomes uncovering the larger mystery of the town and what is keeping the inhabitants trapped. The two-season series is based on the Wayward Pines novels by Blake Crouch.
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