5 Must-Watch Sci-Fi Shows on Netflix You’ll Binge in a Week, Chosen by Reddit

Netflix has released dozens of sci-fi shows, but not all of them are worth watching. Therefore, Reddit users have collected only the best of the best – those that changed the rules of the genre and surprised with their unexpected plot twists.

1. Altered Carbon, 2018-2020

When acclaimed Hollywood screenwriter Laeta Kalogridis read Richard K. Morgan's cyberpunk novel Altered Carbon, she decided to turn it into a blockbuster. But the story did not fit into an hour and a half hours, so Kalogridis decided to turn the project into a television series for Netflix.

Altered Carbon is about a future world in which people can live forever, moving their consciousness from body to body and creating digital copies in case of sudden death or murder. The richer a person is, the better his immortality is guaranteed and the more often he can change bodies.

2. Dark, 2017-2020

2019, the quiet German town of Winden. On a gloomy fall evening, a schoolboy disappears after a walk in the woods. The search is unsuccessful; instead of the boy, rescuers find the body of another child who disappeared in the same place 33 years ago.

Dark became the first series produced by Germany for Netflix and the third non-English original Netflix show. Dark is carefully written, talentedly acted and thoroughly staged, the characters are revealed, the mystery captures the imagination and the dark forests are truly frightening.

3. 1899, 2022

Nearly one and a half thousand passengers and crew members are sailing from Europe to the US on a ship called Kerberos. Each of them has their own secrets, and each is running from their past. Suddenly they pick up a signal from a ship that disappeared a few months ago – Prometheus, identical to Kerberos, that was built and launched by the same company.

As the characters swim to the silent steel ship and climb aboard in search of answers, a chain of dark events begins that is impossible to predict.

The creators of the series, Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese (the same ones who made Dark), allow the viewer to discover some of the secrets of the plot themselves. Those who are particularly attentive will notice the clue in the song from the opening credits. And those who know the meaning of the names of the two ships – Kerberos and Prometheus – will better understand the meaning of what is happening.

4. Arcane: League of Legends, 2021-...

The city of progress, Piltover, is on the verge of a great discovery. Jayce Talis is about to find a way to use technology to control magic – he has obtained special energy crystals to do so.

Meanwhile, across the river in the smoky slums of Zaun, orphaned sisters Vi and Powder struggle to survive. During one of their forays, they steal crystals, unaware that they have attracted the attention of not only the local police, but also a ruthless criminal.

Arcane proved to be so successful that it managed to set a record for Netflix, entering the top 10 series in 52 countries. This result allowed the producers to renew the show for a second season. Arcane strikes the perfect balance between technological advancement and the sheer fabulousness of the animated fantasy world, and if you've never played League of Legends, don't worry – the animated show is a completely self-contained story.

5. The OA, 2016-2019

Seven years ago, a blind girl went missing and now returns with her sight restored and an important mission. The girl says nothing to her parents or the authorities, but opens up to local schoolchildren and their teacher. The girl asks her listeners to trust her and help open a portal to another dimension.

Like Firefly, The OA is a show that has developed a cult following due to its untimely demise. Like most successful sci-fi projects, the series constantly reinvented itself and transcended the confines of a single genre. It seems that the fact that the show was canceled too early helped The OA become one of the most important science fiction shows of the 21st century.