Prizmi Tripathi
Peacock’s ‘Brave New World’ is a science fiction drama series that follows a group of inhabitants living in New London, a utopian society where everyone is happy all the time, that is, until they are refilling their body with a drug called soma, at regular intervals. The order of their Shangri-La is disrupted when one of the Savages, that is a person belonging to the poor working class accidentally arrives in New London. Chaos ensues. The David Weiner creation is probably not the first adaptation of the eponymous classic by Aldous Huxley, but it is probably the most lavish and complex, as far as the production values and twists are concerned.
It premiered on NBC Universal’s Peacock on July 15, 2020. It opened to a mixed-to-positive response from the critics and audiences. However, the dystopian drama garnered the love of fans for its swanky set design, costumes, edginess, and staying true to the source material, for the most part. If you’re on the lookout for more shows like this, we have got your back! Here’s a list of shows similar to ‘Brave New World’ that you’ll thoroughly enjoy. Most of them are available on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or Hulu.
7. Upload (2020-)
Created by Greg Daniels, ‘Upload’ is a sci-fi satire dramedy series that centers upon a computer programmer, Nathan, who meets with a deadly accident. His overbearing girlfriend gives him two choices – to either die like a mortal or upload his consciousness to a digital afterlife. Upon reaching Lakeview, Nathan realizes that the paradisiacal afterlife is as bleak and exasperating as the mortal life. Although it’s a light watch, just like ‘Brave New World,’ the show packs a lot of gut-punches that reflects the cynical manipulation of the world in the Peacock original.
6. The Good Place (2016-2020)
Before you dismiss this entry just by its name, know that ‘The Good Place’ is the exact opposite. Eleanor enters a heaven-esque afterlife following her death but before she could enjoy the perks of the place, she discovers that she has been sent to The Good Place instead of The Bad Place. As she spends more time, Eleanor begins to question the true intentions of the administration of the place that conditions people to be satisfied with the place, society, jobs, and life partner, who is basically a stranger. Just like John the Savage grows suspicious of the idyllic New London and embarks upon a mission to unearth the truth, Eleanor bands together with a few like-minded ones to get to the bottom of The Good Place.
5. The 100 (2014-2020)
Based on Kass Morgan’s eponymous novel series, ‘The 100’ chronicles the lives of 100 young delinquents who are sent down to earth from space, 97 years after a devastating a nuclear apocalypse wreaked havoc on the planet. They aim to find out whether it’s suitable for habitation. Upon landing, the group gains knowledge of the fact that a lot of survivors have formed separate clans and can go to any length to protect their territory. The hostility between the clans bears a striking resemblance to the power struggle between the New Londoners and the folks of the Savage-land.
4. 3% (2016-)
In the Brazilian dystopian thriller, several poverty-laden individuals in their 20s gain the opportunity to upgrade to Offshore, an elite society, after performing various challenges that test the endurance and psyche of the person. The catch is – only 3% of the total candidates make it to the other side. Netflix’s first Portuguese-language original has been created by Pedro Aguilera, starring João Miguel and Bianca Comparato. Similar to ‘Brave New World,’ ‘3%’ displays the blatant discrimination between the rich and the poor making it a tough but interesting watch.
3. Altered Carbon (2018 –)
Set over 360 years in the future where a person’s consciousness can be transferred to a seed coat-esque stack, ‘Altered Carbon’ features the last rebellion Envoy, Takeshi Kovacs, who is released from his prison by Meth Laurens Bancroft. Meth offers Takeshi a chance to lead a normal life if he manages to find the perpetrators responsible for Bancroft’s murder. Based on Richard K. Morgan’s eponymous novel, the futuristic set design, one against collective arc is quite similar to that of ‘Brave New World.’
2. Westworld (2016-)
Created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, ‘Westworld’ is a succulent blend of science-fiction, western and dystopian genre. It is set in a Wild-West-themed amusement park, where android hosts are recruited to fulfill the desires of the affluent guests. No matter how ferocious, the hosts are prevented from hurting the guests. Suspicions are raised when a few hosts start developing human emotions, following a malfunction. The whole utopian theme-park trope that undertakes Carnival-esque activities including going to any lengths to satiate one’s desire, falls in the same vein as ‘Brave New World.’
1. Snowpiercer (2020-)
The dystopian thriller is based on the critically acclaimed eponymous film that etched the name of ‘Parasite’ director Bong Joon-ho into the list of pop-culture classics. It is set seven years after the failed geoengineering resulted in the planet becoming a Snowball Earth. The survivors are onboard a globe-spanning titular train that is divided into different sections, depending on the social status of the passengers. If you love ‘Brave New World,’ you will thoroughly enjoy ‘Snowpiercer’ as the underlying central premise of both the shows is the demonstration of the class divide due to social stratification, resulting in an uprising by the lower-class people.
Read More: Where is Brave New World Filmed?
