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5 high-concept animated science fiction shows for grown-ups
How filmmakers are using a different medium to bring visionary science fiction to life
Science fiction might be the most expensive genre for studios to produce. So it's no surprise that choosing animation over live action is becoming a popular way for filmmakers to extend the cinematic universes of valuable franchises like Paramount+ has done with the animated Star Trek spinoff "Lower Decks." But the past few years have seen a flowering of completely original animated science fiction as well. These are a few of the best.
'Common Side Effects' (2024–)
Common Side Effects | Official Trailer #2 | Adult Swim Europe - YouTube
Max's quirky science fiction thriller follows the Lebowski-like hippie Marshall (Dave King), who discovers a Peruvian mushroom that cures all ailments and can even bring people back to life. But he doesn't anticipate hot pursuit from a pair of hilarious feds, Agents Harrington (Martha Kelly) and Copano (Joseph Lee Anderson) and the possibility that the discovery might destabilize the global order. The series, which Max has renewed for a second season, is a "compelling blend of suspense, spirituality, understated comedy and just enough mystery dangling on the hook," said The AV Club.
'Scavengers Reign' (2023)
Scavengers Reign | Official Trailer | Max - YouTube
When an interstellar freighter, the Demeter, breaks apart over the uncharted planet Vesta, a handful of survivors, including Ursula (Sunita Mani), are scattered at different landing sites. The plot is driven by the survivors' quest to meet at the main crash site, but the series' gorgeous animation "inspired by the art of Moebius and Hayao Miyazaki" ultimately "allows the real star of the show — its world — to flourish," said The Ringer. Unfortunately for the protagonists, that world is full of menacing alien life, making the series a white-knuckle road trip that combines science fiction, body horror and naturalism. The show has yet to be renewed for a second season, even after its bummed-out creators produced a teaser trailer.
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"Pantheon," a perfect show for our age of artificial intelligence anxiety, revolves around "Uploaded Intelligence," a kind of immortality for those who agree to have their brains scanned and their consciousnesses stored in the cloud. The sprawling story follows high schooler Maddie (Katie Chang), who receives a strange chat message from her father, David (David Kim), whom she believed had died years earlier. But in a Black Mirror-esque twist, David's consciousness had been secretly uploaded by executives at his firm, Logorhythms. Driven by a "heady mix of ideas," the series shines when it grapples with the "meaning of life and how technology has shaped the way we experience and appreciate existence," said Brian Tallerico at Roger Ebert.
Using "rotoscoping, a process by which actors are filmed on sets, then drawn over by animators," Prime's trippy science fiction drama is a "frequently beautiful and thought-provoking ride," said Vox. After Alma (Rosa Salazar) survives a serious car accident, she begins seeing her father, Jacob (Bob Odenkirk), who has been dead for two decades. He tells her that she can manipulate time and space, and asks her to help solve his own murder. The big question is whether her experiences are "due to schizophrenia or because she's some sort of time wizard," a dilemma that creates an "unexpectedly rich character piece about processing mental illness," said Slant.
'Love Death + Robots' (2019-2025)
LOVE DEATH + ROBOTS | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube
This genre-bending Netflix anthology series tackles everything from comedic shorts about Earth's conquest by a super-intelligent yogurt strain or robots touring a post-apocalyptic city to longer, more somber stories, including "How Zeke Got Religion," about a B-17 sent to bomb a church in Nazi-occupied France that gets besieged by a demon. The mix of animation and storytelling styles means that you "don't always know what to expect — and not everything is brilliant — but you're guaranteed to experience something interesting," said The Verge.
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David Faris is a professor of political science at Roosevelt University and the author of "It's Time to Fight Dirty: How Democrats Can Build a Lasting Majority in American Politics." He's a frequent contributor to Newsweek and Slate, and his work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New Republic and The Nation, among others.
