The end is in sight for Stranger Things, and fans of Netflix’s epic sci-fi thriller are naturally beginning to wonder what to check out next. Netflix made a wise choice when the streaming giant’s bosses asked the Duffer brothers to turn what was envisioned as a single-season epic into an ongoing series, and Stranger Things has dominated the pop culture landscape for almost a decade. The story is finally wrapping up, though, because Stranger Things Season 5 is ending over this Holiday period.
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Fortunately, if you like Stranger Things, there’s no shortage of shows on Netflix that can scratch that particular itch. Few individual series have quite the same blend – young stars, supernatural horror, and comic book references – but there are some that viewers will really want to check out. One of the most surprising is a three-season sci-fi thriller drawn straight from a popular comic book run, and it’s absolutely unmissable.
Alice in Borderland is a Masterpiece of the Survivor Genre
On the face of it, Alice in Borderland – which launched five years ago today – is a very different kind of show to Stranger Things. Inspired by a Manga series by Haro Aso, it’s considered one of the best series in the survivor genre popularized by stories like Battle Royale and The Hunger Games. What sets it apart from many of its rivals, though, is the fact it has tremendously deep characterization; stars Kento Yamazaki’s Ryลhei Arisu and Tao Tsuchiya’s Yuzuha Usagi are wonderfully well-developed, struggling with the psychological cost of the murder games they’re forced to participate in.
Alice in Borderland introduces viewers to a twisted version of the world that’s been largely stripped of its population, with survivors forced to participate in deadly games – and immediately killed by drones if they fail to join in. The nature and difficulty of each game is set by cards from the French suits, with the most dangerous being heart games that are designed to strip a person down to their emotional cores. There’s something so very eerie about the world of Alice in Borderland, evocative of the Upside Down in that it riffs on the real world but in a very chilling way.
Netflix is notorious for canceling shows after their second season, and it’s therefore significant that Alice in Borderland‘s third season released earlier this year. This wrapped up the main story while potentially setting up a spinoff that feels unlikely to happen, but the end is satisfying and the narrative feels largely resolved. It’s actually quite rare to be able to be guaranteed to watch a complete story on the streaming giant; cancellations are par for the course. But viewers can check into Alice in Borderland without fear.
Expect Serious Tension & Drama in Alice in Borderland
This is no Stranger Things replacement, of course; but, in truth, no TV show will ever be able to perfectly replace the Duffer brothers’ masterpiece. Rather, Alice in Borderland is a unique TV show in its own right, directed by Shinsuke Sato (also known for Kingdom, Bleach, and I Am a Hero). The games are chilling and brutal, deliberately designed to damage the very humanity of the protagonists, turning allies into enemies at the drop of a hat. Only a couple of key characters have any real plot armor, and secondary characters are at risk no matter how prominent a role they’ve already played.
All this makes Alice in Borderland one of the best examples of the survivor genre to date. It’s all wrapped up in a dark mystery, as the heroes attempt to unravel the mystery of the world they’ve found themselves trapped in, and figure out whether it’s possible to turn back the clock and return to their original lives. The episodic format is perfect for the survivor genre, much better than films, because it gives us time to explore those mysteries and watch how characters change and evolve over the course of the three seasons.
If you like Stranger Things, then Alice in Borderland is definitely a show to check out. Don’t expect easy and comfortable answers to the many questions posed by this hit Netflix series, though; that’s never been the point of the survivor genre, and this series understands that so very well.
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Image courtesy of Netflix -
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