Since winter break is coming up, I’ll finally have time to go through the big list of series which I have accumulated and that never saw the light of day. It is kind of a miracle how I am always able to complain that I have no shows to watch, even though the list of shows I got recommended dates back months… Such a shame since many of those shows are actually really good. That’s why I thought I should share them with you!
Maniac
Since I’m a sucker for some mind-twisting cinematic worlds, I will be sure to drag you down the rabbit hole that is the dystopian genre. If you want to feel like you are having a fever dream, I would recommend watching ‘Maniac’. The story follows two strangers who participate in an experimental drug trial that claims to cure them of all mental health problems. In this trial, the participants take a series of different pills that cause them to hallucinate, yet for some reason the visions of our two main characters keep combining…
Snowpiercer
Another great dystopian series is ’Snowpiercer’, which tells the story of society after the world became too cold to live on. The only way to survive is by living in this long train that circles the earth on a never ending track. Inside the train, we follow a detective who is called from the lower class tail of the train to the upper class front to solve a murder. The show explores many different themes such as social hierarchy, manipulation and power and is great for those who enjoy a bit of politics.
Alice in Borderland
A show that follows the dystopian trend is ‘Alice in Borderland’. This show follows a group of gamers as they end up in a parallel version of Tokyo where they have to play a bunch of sadistic games in order to survive. This show is great if you want something that is suspenseful and keeps you on the edge of your seat, trying to figure out what is going on.
Behind Her Eyes
One that will definitely tickle the pickle of those who love doing some mental gymnastics would be ‘Behind Her Eyes’.Our main character Louise starts hitting it off with her new boss, but things quickly become more complicated as she also starts befriending his wife, Adele. The show alternates between the present life of Louise and flashbacks of Adele’s life. We soon find out that Adele’s life takes a weird turn and she is not who she says she is. This show has one of the most gripping storylines and the most unexpected endings ever.
Kakegurui
For those who like anime, one of my all time favorite animes and one I highly recommend would be Kakegurui. This anime is about a new student who enters a school where the status quo is determined by gambling. Our main protagonist challenges the top tier students in an effort to meet the leader. As this goes along, we get to see how messed up this system actually is. Every episode is more intense than the one before as the series does an amazing job in building suspense.
Derry Girls
For those who are looking for a more lighthearted show to watch and have already replayed, The Office, Friends or How I Met Your Mother an illegal amount of times, I recommend checking out ‘Derry Girls’. The show is an upbeat, feel-good comedy show that’s so easy to watch. The series follows five Irish teenagers in their day to day adventures as they get into all sorts of situations while trying to survive high school.
Barbie
Okay listen, hear me out…I never met a person who did not like ‘Barbie life in the dream house’ or her youtube channel where she posts videos with Ken and her sisters. So therefore I feel like it is safe to put these on the list as a closer. It is not officially a show, but this woman is single handedly the therapeutic voice we all need. Great white noise quality, the episodes are very short comedic and honestly, I should say, this is actually really entertaining.
Author: Gauri Ghisai
Editor: Phoebe Elliott
Visuals by: Thanh Nguyen