7 Mind-Bending Shows to Watch After Severance

Apple TV+’s unique and thought-provoking series, Severance, swiftly gained recognition for its distinctiveness among television shows. The concept of memory partitioning between work and life serves as an intriguing base to delve into topics like corporate dominance, identity division, and the depersonalization in contemporary work environments. Over two seasons, it has earned a spot in the ranks of intelligent sci-fi that harmoniously blends intellectual concepts with deep character explorations. What sets Severance apart is its skillful reflection of the ever-blurring lines between professional and private life, while subtly weaving social critique into meticulously designed scenes and a gradually revealing mystery that leaves viewers questioning their perception of reality.

If you’re a fan of the intricate storytelling in ‘Severance’ and are seeking another captivating TV series, here are seven mind-bending sci-fi options that delve into themes like reality, identity, and control. These shows are perfect for fans of ‘Severance’:

1. Stranger Things
2. Westworld
3. The OA
4. Dark
5. Mr. Robot
6. Altered Carbon
7. Legion

Black Mirror

As a passionate cinema enthusiast, I’d say that Charlie Brooker’s anthology series “Black Mirror” serves up potent shots of tech-induced unease through self-contained episodes that probe into how new technologies could reshape our lives in unsettling ways. Each episode introduces distinct characters and settings, but the show consistently carries a haunting atmosphere as it ponders on the idea that our inventions can swiftly transform into prisons. For instance, “The Entire History of You” envisions a society where every memory is recordable, while “White Christmas” delves into consciousness duplication and solitude, touching upon questions about what truly defines us when memories and perception can be tampered with.

Furthermore, the show’s artistic style emphasizes a simple, sleek design, which makes the portrayed technological terrors even more unsettling due to their ordinary appearance. Unlike the series Severance, Black Mirror doesn’t provide extensive character development over multiple episodes. Instead, it offers standalone, profound tales that are individually engaging, making it ideal for viewers seeking diverse perspectives on similar themes.

Counterpart

In this undervalued series, J.K. Simmons showcases remarkable dual acting skills as Howard Silk, an employee of the United Nations who stumbles upon a secret door to a mirror dimension. When he encounters his doppelganger from the other side – identical in looks but contrasting greatly in character and life history – he’s pulled into a chilling conflict between two worlds that have subtly yet significantly diverged.

The show delves into the idea of duality, showing how two identical characters can end up vastly different due to their experiences and decisions, offering an intriguing exploration of nature versus nurture. In ‘Counterpart’, Howard must navigate a complex conspiracy that spans across multiple worlds, unaware of the forces controlling his actions. This series blends the vintage feel of spy thrillers with advanced sci-fi concepts to create a chilling yet captivating atmosphere. The pacing is gradual, but it pays off for those who are patient as the show progressively builds its mythology while keeping the human element at its core.

Mr. Robot

The TV show “Mr. Robot,” created by Sam Esmail, revolves around the character of Elliot Alderson (played by Rami Malek), a cybersecurity expert who secretly operates as a hacker. Struggling with dissociative identity disorder, he finds himself entangled with an anti-establishment hacking group known as “f society.” This alliance leads him to participate in a plan to eliminate global consumer debt through the sabotage of one of the world’s leading corporations. The series delves into themes of fractured identities and subjective perception, causing viewers to question everything they witness from Elliot’s point of view, much like “Severance.” Esmail’s unique approach to visual storytelling includes non-traditional camera angles, disorienting transitions, and narrative asides that immerse us in Elliot’s tormented mind. The series investigates the connections between technology, mental health, and corporate influence, hinting that our digital lives have evolved into extensions of ourselves, offering both freedom and confinement.

Devs

Alex Garland’s limited series revolves around software engineer Lily Chan (played by Sonoya Mizuno), who suspects a quantum computing firm of her boyfriend’s disappearance and decides to investigate. Once she gains access to the company’s mysterious “Devs” division, she uncovers a project with significant implications for the concepts of free will and determinism. The CEO of this tech company, Forest (portrayed by Nick Offerman), has developed a quantum system that can perfectly replicate reality based on cause-and-effect relationships, making it possible to peer into the past and predict the future with alarming precision. Garland’s detailed visual aesthetic creates both captivating and eerie settings, especially the quantum computing facility located within a flawlessly symmetrical structure maintained by electromagnetic fields.

The show masterfully blends complex science fiction ideas with deeply emotional human drives, as we discover Forest’s objective is significantly more intimate than his corporate aspirations might imply. Devs offers a rich viewing experience for those who enjoy contemplating existential themes like free will, fate, and the essence of self, all while keeping its secrets until the climactic disclosures. Thus, it serves as an excellent continuation to Severance.

Maniac

In this film titled “Maniac,” Emma Stone and Jonah Hill portray two individuals who meet while participating in a pharmaceutical test for a drug touted as a cure-all for mental afflictions. This innovative treatment pushes patients to confront their past traumas by reliving them via a sequence of manufactured dreamscapes, producing shared hallucinatory encounters where the subjects assume diverse roles across various genres and eras. Director Cary Joji Fukunaga masterfully blends 1980s tech with futuristic developments to form an unnerving yet visually captivating setting. As Annie (Stone) and Owen (Hill) advance through the stages of this trial, their subconscious minds start to intertwine in extraordinary ways, forging links that surpass the experiment’s spatial constraints.

The show delves into how past traumas mold an individual’s sense of self and investigates if technological quick fixes for mental health can truly substitute the raw, essential journey of emotional development. Maniac skillfully blends its dreamlike aspects with profound emotional resonance, notably in depicting Annie’s sorrow and Owen’s battle with schizophrenia, which gives a sense of reality to its imaginative scenes through authentic human emotion.

Orphan Black

The captivating performance by Tatiana Maslany as various clones uncovering their origins drives the show Orphan Black, which delves into themes of identity and corporate manipulation. When street con artist Sarah Manning observes a woman who resembles her commit suicide, she assumes the dead woman’s persona, eventually learning that she is one of numerous genetically identical individuals produced illicitly for a cloning project. As Sarah encounters more of her “sisters,” each with unique characteristics and lives, she becomes entangled in a plot involving biotech companies, extremist groups, and military forces, all vying for control over the clones’ fate.

In a natural and easy-to-read manner,

Eugenie Maslany’s talent for portraying multiple, entirely unique characters using the same face, even in shared scenes, gives authentic human drama to the intricate concept of the series. As it progresses, the show delves into themes like bodily autonomy, ethical dilemmas in science, and the debate between nature and nurture. Although the plot’s conspiracy aspects become more convoluted, the emotional focus stays on the relationships formed between these women who find sisterhood in extraordinary situations. The blend of profound philosophical explorations with intricate character development makes Orphan Black a great fit for fans of Severance.

Westworld (Season 1)

In the initial run of HBO’s groundbreaking series, Westworld, we find ourselves in a technologically advanced amusement park populated by realistic robots known as “hosts”. These hosts cater to the whims of human visitors, living out their fantasies. However, as certain hosts start showing signs of malfunction, such as retaining memories that should be erased and pondering the authenticity of their world, they embark on personal quests that disrupt the very foundations of the park’s authority. The storyline spans various timeframes, focusing on host Dolores Abernathy (portrayed by Evan Rachel Wood) as she gradually discovers the truth about her reality, and Bernard Lowe (Jeffrey Wright), a park programmer, whose exploration into the hosts’ growing self-awareness unveils startling revelations about his own persona.

As a devoted cinephile, I find myself captivated by the way Westworld seamlessly blends its physical landscape with symbolic undertones. The meticulously crafted Wild West tales in this park echo our innate human desire to spin narratives from our lived experiences, finding meaning where there was once chaos.

Sadly, the initial season of Westworld was unexpectedly cut short, leaving a myriad of enigmas unanswered. Yet, fear not! The first season stands tall as a self-contained masterpiece, offering a compelling solo act that’s more than worth your investment.

2025-04-02 20:17