10 More Dystopian Carriages
1001 carriages long, the Snowpiercer continues to steam around the globe, whipping up a blend of murder mystery, thriller and outright action set pieces. Split across two seasons, this sci-fi series doesn’t look like slowing down any time soon. If you’ve finished this one and are looking for something similar, we’ve combed through the archives and saved you the hassle with our top 10 picks for alternate viewing. To keep things simple for skim-readers we’ve added what similarities these have. Of course for all the shows we’ve reviewed, we’ve also added a handy link so you can check out our full thoughts on that series and see if it’s something you want to invest your time with. So without further ado, we present 10 TV shows that should whet the appetite when you’ve finished streaming Snowpiercer.
The 100
Similarities – Forced To Work Together
The 100 is set 97 years after a nuclear war has destroyed civilization. A spaceship housing humanity’s lone survivors happens to be humanity’s last hope for survival. With that in mind, 100 juvenile delinquents are thrown back to Earth, crash landing in the hopes of re-populating the planet. There’s a teen-drama affair with this one, featuring plenty of relationship issues and a suitably campy tone through much of its run-time. This is definitely one worth sticking with though and after a relatively wobbly first season, The 100 starts to find itself a lot more. With 7 seasons to get through and lots of drama along the way, this one should keep you very busy.
Black Summer
Similarities – Action & Survival
Black Summer is an interesting take on the downfall of humanity, sticking much closer to the days following the infection rather than cutting forward to a bleak post-apocalyptic wasteland straight away. Despite some strange stylistic choices and questionable character logic, Black Summer maintains a consistent danger throughout and its large ensemble of characters are constantly thwarted by intelligent, fast zombies. There’s an extremely tense atmosphere gripping most of the season and while many people remain torn over this one, we were definitely fans of this. You can read our thoughts on Black Summer in our full season reviews here!
The Barrier
Similarities – Dystopian Setting
On the surface, this Spanish dystopian series doesn’t have an awful lot in common with Snowpiercer. Where it does strike some similarities though – at least with season 1 – is with its oppressively regime and close-knit family working together to try and survive. The story takes place in a near-future Spain with humanity gripped by the tyrannical oppressors running the country. With class divides throughout, Hugo and his family do their best to survive this bleak new world. Only, when their daughter Marta is kidnapped, they scramble to try and find what happened to her. Although more political charged than one may expect, if you enjoyed the race to find the missing kids, The Barrier may be worth checking out. You can read our thoughts on The Barrier in our episode reviews here!
Colony
Similarities – Characters
Another cancellation casualty, Colony is a sci-fi series with a lot of promise that’s only partially explored. The main premise takes place in the near future with an occupied LA. on the brink of chaos. In the midst of all these simmering tensions, a family is forced to make difficult decisions as they balance staying together whilst trying to survive. While the show is predominantly sci-fi in nature, it’s also one of those shows that really leans into its character drama. Given this is a USA Network product, there’s lots of familial issues but this complements the tone of the piece perfectly. With 3 seasons to get through, Colony serves up plenty of twists and turns along the way, making it well worth checking out.
The Last Ship
Similarities – Isolation
The Last Ship is a surprisingly underrated hit. It’s a show that tackles an outbreak that decimates most of the world’s population but from the confines of a naval destroyer out at sea. While the crew do dock at various different locations, there’s an intriguing main premise at work here that feels suitably claustrophobic for parts of its multi-season run. Split across five seasons, The Last Ship does feel like it runs out of steam after season 3 but somehow manages to deliver something wholly fresh and exciting in the midst of a sea of other outbreak-related shows. If you’re looking for post apocalyptic content that’s a little bit different to the norm, this one may be worth checking out.
The 3%
Similarities – Sci-Fi & Drama
Featuring a bleak, dystopian future and a Hunger Games-esque premise, Netflix’s first Brazilian show could be mistaken for simply playing copycat with what’s come before. However, The 3% is not one to miss. With a conclusive four-season arc, there’s no danger of this one being left incomplete and the blend of mystery and sci-fi elements are definitely worth watching. The story takes place in a bleak vision of Brazil in the future, with the world divided between those who have and those who have not. The 3% refer to the lucky few isolated away from the ravaged mainland and living in paradise. The rest of the people live in squalor, fighting to survive. Every year a competition begins to choose 2 lucky people to join those elite numbers. Only, they’ll have to run the gauntlet first. With a rebel force operating in the shadows and lots of interesting ideas about class divides, 3% touches on some intriguing themes after a relatively tepid first season, making for quite an absorbing watch. You can read our thoughts on The 3% in our full season reviews here!
Attack On Titan
Similarities – Humans Forced To Work Together
Attack On Titan is a gorgeously rendered, surprisingly well written anime following the remaining fragments of humanity as their future hangs in the balance. Monstrous creatures called Titans roam the land, eating anyone in their wake. The remaining pockets of humanity remain huddled together within a hierarchical city, reinforced with three layers of wall. In the town of Shiganshina, located on the edge of the outermost Wall Maria, a boy called Eren Yeager is thrust into a conflict that’ll change his life forever. When Titans attack and kill his Mother, Eren begins a blood-lusting tale of revenge as he vows to gain revenge on the Titans – seemingly led by two new types called the Colossal and Armored Titans. Across the four seasons, the story grows and evolves before eventually changing the game at the end of season 3. Spoilers aside, Attack On Titan is definitely worth checking out. You can read our thoughts on Attack On Titan in our full season reviews here!
The Handmaid’s Tale
Similarities – Dystopian World & Class System
Expertly written and artistically presented, The Handmaid’s Tale is a surprisingly robust dystopian sci-fi series. Boasting strong narration from lead protagonist June to help get us accustomed to this nightmarish world, the world building throughout the show is incredibly stylish, using a clever blend of flashbacks and modern-day drama to tell this harrowing tale. With all identification and any semblance of human rights for women destroyed overnight, what follows is a shocking, realistically depicted decline of society into a nightmarish dystopian hell. Within this bleak darkness of despair, hope begins to blossom from a small group of rebels who aim to overthrow the fundamentalist theocratic dictatorship and relinquish their grip over America. Split across three seasons and with a fourth on the horizon, The Handmaid’s Tale is one of the more unique shows in this category and should whet the appetite for anyone after a compelling story. You can read our thoughts on The Handmaid’s Tale in our full season reviews here!
Brave New World
Similarities – Sci-fi & Drugs
Based on the 1932 novel of the same name, Brave New World is a brave re-imagining of that book which will inevitably divide the fan-base between those who like and those who loathe this series. If, however, you fall into the former then you’re sure to have a good time. The story takes place in a near-future dystopia known as New London. At first glance, the city looks like a Utopian paradise with three main rules governing everyone – no privacy, no family and no monogamy. This city operates on a basic hierarchical level of command with the Director and Alphas in control while the Epsilon workers and Gamma serve those above them. All of this operates flawlessly thanks to a constant stream of emotion-inhibiting pills known as Soma. While the majority unquestionably follow these rules, the faint glimmers of a rebellion start to appear. When an upper-Alpha member known as Bernard is called to a crime scene, he immediately starts to question everything around him. The series merges some interesting ideas alongside a compelling enough 9 episode first season. There’s something endearing about this world that keeps you watching through some of the slower moments, making it well worth sticking it out for the long haul. All of this crescendos nicely into a decent finale that leaves the door wide open for a second season. You can read our thoughts on Brave New World in our full season review here!
Into The Night
Belgium’s first Netflix original Into The Night is a tense and fast paced sci-fi thriller. The series is the perfect binge-watch thanks to its interesting premise and shorter episodes, each clocking in at around 35 to 40 minutes. Struggling after the loss of her boyfriend, the story begins with Sylvie determined to board a flight to Russia while Terenzio arrives in Brussels and appears desperate to get on any planes due west. After going through security, he storm a plane heading to Russia (the same one as Sylvie) with a stolen gun and demands they change its direction. Claiming there’s a deadly phenomena caused by the sun, a race against time ensues. The show centers around this foreboding cataclysmic event, as a group of survivors are forced to work together as they face multiple obstacles, desperately running away from this deadly threat. This one’s a great sci-fi thriller with plenty of twists and turns along the way, guaranteed to keep you at the edge of your seat just like our survivors during their nail-biting journey! You can read our thoughts on Into The Night in our full season review here! So there we have it, our 10 TV show alternatives to watch when you’re finished with Snowpiercer on Netflix/TNT. What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!
Click Here To Check Out More TV Show Recommendations!
