Binge-watching an entiresci-fiTV show in one day can make for the perfect cozy stay-in holiday while waiting out the cold winters. The intrigue of a world far removed from our reality or mostly similar but different in one significant way makes science fiction an appealing genre.Sci-fi TV shows that aren’t too complex or overwhelmingare often ideal for comfortable viewing experiences. They neither confuse the viewer with complicated mechanics nor confront them with horrifying truths about humanity.
Sci-fi TV shows with a mystery elementcan also be perfect for binge-watching, as the chance to keep everything in mind while trying to solve the mystery makes the experience even better. While they might end disappointingly on a cliffhanger,sci-fi TV shows that should be remadebecause they got canceled too early are also ideal, as they’re quite short. Few episodes, an engaging premise, anda satisfying exploration of the human experience in a uniquely refreshing context– these are some of the requirements for the perfect short sci-fi show to watch in a day.
CD Projekt Red, the studio behind the hit gameCyberpunk 2077, collaborated with Japanese studio Trigger to create this highly energetic anime. Short, hard-hitting at times, visually stunning, and engaging from start to finish,Cyberpunk: Edgerunners’total runtime of less than five hours makes it easy to binge-watch but leaves you wanting more. While a second season hasn’t been announced yet, Netflix has confirmed anotherCyberpunkanime with CD Projekt Red, so that’s something to look out for once this binge-watch is over.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Will Live On in a New Spin-Off Dedicated to Night City
The Cyberpunk: Edgerunners and Cyberpunk 2077 universe are recieving a spinoff comic from Dark Horse about MaxTac.
Set in a futuristic California, the series follows characters who live in Night City, a metropolis in the state.Corporate greed has ruined the lives of people in Night City, as mega-corporations control the districts,and their ruthless capitalism has turned the city into a dystopian home for crime and corruption. The compelling protagonist’s journey takes viewers through the criminal underbelly of his district as he accepts a criminal job after almost dying in a shooting.
While Zack Snyder’sWatchmen, amovie based on Alan Moore’s comicsof the same name, is a divisive film, the show is unanimously acclaimed. It’s not a remake or a reboot of Snyder’s film, and isn’t even ideally a direct adaptation, because it serves as a sequel to the comic books. The events in theWatchmenshow pick up nearly 34 years later after the incidents in the comics, in the very same world.
Alan Moore has distanced himself from most of his DC Comics work, stating that the numerous adaptations that were made without his involvement have ruined any interest.
For comic book fans, especially fans of theWatchmencomics, it’s a delightful show that explores the lives of people in an alternate 2019. Even for viewers not aware of the comics,it’s a compelling story about vigilante superheroes who are perceived as villains and criminalized by the lawdue to their extreme ideologies and violent methodologies. With about nine hours of story, it’s possible to view in a day, but the dark tone might feel overwhelming at times. However, the narrative is engaging enough to deserve a binge.
Based on the Stephen King novel of the same name,11.22.63follows an English teacher played by James Franco, who travels back in time to attempt to save President Kennedy from being assassinated.The title of the show is a reference to the date of Kennedy’s assassination, and to the credit of the production crew, they recreated the 1960s with stunning precision. While the show is a work of science fiction, it mostly feels like a thriller. At about six hours, it’s one ofthe best Stephen King TV adaptations ever, and ideal for a one-day binge-watch.
While there are sudden moments of violence in the form of car crashes and shootings,11.22.63isn’t an out-and-out action thriller. The dramatic tension used to create the thrills in the show adds meaningful layers to the main characters. Such a premise could easily pave the way for a violent, action-heavy sci-fi show, but instead, it takes a subtle approach to the story, along the lines of the novel. The central character’s conflict in priorities between his mission and the life he makes for himself in the 1960s is explored in great detail.
When George Lucas first madeStar Warsin the 1970s, he was inspired by famous Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, particularly hisThe Hidden Fortress, which is one ofthe best martial arts adventure movies. The adaptation of the hero’s journey and the gritty and ragtag world design are clearly inspired by Westerns too. So, despite being a space opera set in a futuristic world with impressive technology, the world ofStar Warsis dusty, rusted, and jaded, and its story unfolds through the eyes of its two seemingly least influential characters.
The later movies, especially the prequel trilogy, shifted focus to a shiny world and, soon enough, the focus on the grassroots people took a backseat in the franchise.Then came the anthology animeStar Wars: Visions, comprising short episodes following unknown charactersin the far reaches of the universe. With adiverse group of characters and storytellers, it broadens the lore of the world with its exploration of how regular people are affected by the events of the movies, although it’s unfortunately not canon. At less than five hours, it’s perfect for a single session.
6Childhood’s End (2015)
Three 80-Minute-Long Episodes
Based on Arthur C. Clarke’s novel of the same name,Childhood’s Endcomprises three practically feature-length episodes and is ideally watched in one sitting. It tells the story of a well-intentioned alien overlord who turns Earth into a utopia, but unfortunately ushers in a reign of chaos and terror when he reveals his true identity to the world. The novel was once considered impossible to adapt to the screen, and while it fails to live up to Clarke’s work, the show is still impressive as an adaptation.
Before this miniseries, various creatives had tried their hands at adapting Clarke’s novel for the screen, including Stanley Kubrick, but legal difficulties with contracts and budgetary concerns kept getting in the way until the Syfy Channel moved ahead with production of the miniseries in 2013.
While there are pacing issues in the storytelling itself, the episodes, despite their extended runtime, never drag. The visuals are also riveting, especially considering the nature of the designs that Clarke envisioned in his writing. While hardcore fans of the novel will find problems with the show’s simplistic approach to the narrative that lacks the nuance of the source material,Childhood’s Endis anunderappreciated sci-fi TV show.
Starring Natasha Lyonne and Charlie Barnett,the underrated Netflix original sci-fi showRussian Dollfollows two people who are stuck in a time loop where they die at the end of the day.With an excellent mystery at its heart, which is developed through a hunt for answers, it explores existential questions by making the characters confront themselves and their life choices. The contrasting personalities of the two people forced to work together create a hilarious dynamic that’s infectious and will keep viewers glued to their screens.
Russian Doll Season 3 Gets Morbidly Hilarious Yet Hopeful Update From Star
Russian Doll star and co-creator Natasha Lyonne strikes a hopeful, yet morbid tone when asked if the Netflix series will return for season 3.
Lyonne’s abrasive and rash character is the quintessential New York millennial, the life of the party with her dark sense of humor and jaded worldview, deeply untrusting of people and circumstances, and always ready with five self-deprecating jokes. In contrast to her, Barnett’s character is a quiet, sensitive, and highly organized man who has almost too much faith in the good in people and enjoys spending time indoors alone. While the story is well and truly concluded within a little over seven hours, their dynamic will leave you wanting more after you’ve binge-watched it all in one sitting.
The characters go on a genre-hopping adventure through various versions of themselves and their lives as part of the healing procedure. The trippy visual aesthetic and the intricate character writing will keep a viewer hooked until the end. Every episode adds a new twist to the world, and in many ways,Maniacis similar toSeverance, which is regularly gaining traction among sci-fi TV fans today. Also quite underappreciated, and clocking in at about six and a half hours, it’s a unique show that deserves binge-watching at least once.
Frequent director-actor collaborators Alex Garland and Sonoya Mizuno are the showrunner and lead actress for the Emmy-nominated sci-fi miniseriesDevs. In fact, they worked together on their latest film as well, and people who enjoyedCivil Warwill enjoyDevs. It’s set in a world where technology exists that can change everyone’s lives. A tech thriller with a short and crisp runtime of less than eight hours, it explores the consequences of the cult-like devotion of customers to corporations.
Nick Offerman plays a tech guru who is the CEO of the fictional Amaya Industries, and he embodies corporate greed while exuding messiah energy. He’s a great satirical representation of the CEOs of the biggest tech companies today, who have loyal supporters around the world. Mizuno is the protagonist who investigates the Devs department in Amaya where her boyfriend died on his first day on the job. With shocking twists and a gritty exploration of a real-world concern,it’s hard to pauseDevsmid-binge.
After serving as the de facto showrunner on the beloved Netflix crime seriesMindhunter,David Fincher, along with directing Netflix original movies as part of his growing repertoire, has been executive producingLove, Death & Robotssince 2019.An anthology of short films with an overarching theme of science fiction, it is one of the most imaginative works in the genre in recent years. With unique stories that deal with one or more of the themes in the title, the “episodes” aren’t linked beyond their thematic connection.
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Apart from one sequel to a pilot season episode in its latest season, all the episodes are set in different worlds, mostly created and written by different crews. The anthology is an exploration of science fiction as a genre itself, delving into the various conundrums that actual scientific innovation beyond our imaginations might create, like aBlack Mirrorwith short films. At about less than four hours, it’s easy to watch in one go and will leave you craving the next season that has been confirmed but is yet to get a release date.
Station Elevenis based on Emily St. John Mandel’s novelof the same name, set in a world where a disease pandemic has permanently changed life as we know it. With almost no functional electronic technology, people have had to learn natural survival skills. The central characters are the members of a traveling symphony who perform Shakespeare for different towns. Ironically,Station Elevenwas hit with production delaysduring the COVID-19 pandemic, and the crew’s experiences impacted the story.
Station Eleven Cast & Character Guide
HBO’s Station Eleven subverts the post-apocalyptic genre in interesting ways, thanks to the performances of its talented ensemble cast of actors.
The significance of art in people’s lives is a central theme of the series, as it explores how the titular graphic novel shaped some of the characters. Moreover, the act of performing Shakespeare all year round as a means of preserving theatrical culture says a lot about what humanity values. The series doesn’t shy away from exploring intense scenarios, and some of its harshest moments hauntingly resemble what the world went through with COVID-19. It’s a meaningful and grippingsci-fistory with a rich emotional arc but might be too heavy for a binge.
