If the enduring appeal of The Handmaid’s Tale proved anything, it’s that audiences have an appetite for shows that are uncomfortable, urgent, intelligent, and just a little too close to reality. With The Testaments arriving as the long-anticipated follow-up, returning us to the fractured world of Gilead, it seems like we're hungrier than ever for dystopian storytelling.
So while we wait for more episodes of this addictively dark series to drop, here are six other shows that match the same dystopian energy.
Years and Years
Follow the lives of one British family over 15 years as the world changes around them, and Britain slowly but surely turns into a dictatorship. Political upheaval, economic collapse, and technological disruption force them to make impossible choices, but it’s a gripping portrait of how personal lives intersect with history-defining moments.
Where to watch: Netflix
Black Mirror
Black Mirror has had us nauseatingly on the edge of our seats for seven seasons now. Each episode presents a self-contained story about technology’s impact on society. From social media controlling status to AI challenging morality, the show explores how people react when their world — which is alarmingly similar to the one we live in now — suddenly turns against them.
Where to watch: Netflix
The Leftovers
When 2% of the world’s population mysteriously disappears in a n event called the “Sudden Departure, those left behind struggle to rebuild life. The series follows Kevin Garvey, a police chief in a small town, and the families around him as they struggle with grief and guilt, exploring how people cling to hope and human connection when the life they knew has been erased.
Where to watch: HBO Max, Amazon Prime
3%
In this dystopian future, society is split between the impoverished “Inland” and the wealthy “Offshore.”Every year, 20-year-olds from the Inland undergo a rigorous and often brutal selection process to earn a place in the Offshore. The series follows candidates as they face physically and mentally demanding tests, form alliances, and confront betrayals. It's reminiscent of The Hunger Games but in a less far-off setting.
Where to watch: Netflix
Station Eleven
When a deadly flu wipes out most of humanity, survivors navigate a world of scarcity. Central to the story is a traveling theatre troupe, performing Shakespeare for scattered communities, and the people connected to them before the collapse. The series moves between pre-pandemic life and the post-pandemic world, showing how art and human connection can sustain hope even amid devastation.
Where to watch: Stan
The Man in the High Castle
In an alternate history where the Axis powers won World War II, America is divided into Japanese-controlled Pacific States, a Nazi-controlled East, and a neutral zone in the middle. The story follows characters who uncover a series of mysterious films that could change history and inspire rebellion.
