Five must-watch series for those who enjoy gripping tales of endurance in a dystopian reality

Survival in a dystopian future is a hotcake genre right now, perhaps a postmodern influence. If you enjoy the tenacity of humans in the face of adversity, then these 5 shows are your cup of tea.

3%, The Last of Us, The Purge, The Handmaid's Tale, The 100.

Post-apocalyptic and dystopian media is in trend right now, especially as an aftermath of the world wars and the recent pandemic. Several species have faced extinction since the origin of species; however, humans are still doing well only because of their adaptability and survival instinct. If wondering about surviving hostile landscapes and chaotic societies is your deal, if you appreciate tales of toil and endurance, then these five shows must be ticked off your watchlist.

3%

This Brazilian dystopian thriller is one of the most well-made shows on Netflix right now. Premiering in 2016, 3% ran for four seasons before concluding in 2020. The series shows a dystopic future in which the world is divided into two parts, the Inland and Offshore. The inhabitants of the former live in dire poverty, while those of the latter live in a futuristic paradise. Every year, all twenty-year-olds are given a chance to pass a series of tests called The Process. If they succeed, they get to live in Inland forever.

The Last of Us

This post-apocalyptic HBO series is based on the titular 2013 game that was a massive hit. It follows twenty years into a post-pandemic future in which a massive fungal infection has turned most humans into zombies and destroyed society. The show begins with a smuggler Joel, who has lost his daughter to the zombies, and his journey across an infested United States as he escorts an immune teen Ellie to safety, to develop a potential vaccine.

The Purge

This popular action horror series shows the nadir of cruelty and chaos to which humanity can descend, when the restraints of law and order are lifted, and no consequences are involved. Based on the titular Blumhouse and Universal pictures’ dystopian media franchise, the basic outline of the show is simple- a totalitarian government in a dystopian reality yearly allows a Purge Night, in whose 12-hour period all crimes are legal. As sadists, vandals, rapists, murderers, arsonists, thieves, and vandals of all kinds gather to wreak havoc, the inherent animalism of humanity is revealed when politeness and formality is no longer applicable. It is currently available on Prime Video.

The Handmaid’s Tale

Based on Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel of the same name, The Handmaiden’s Tale follows the life of Offred as a ‘Handmaid’ who lives in a theonomic, totalitarian state where fertility rates are at an all-time low, so the government decides to torture and brainwash most women who defy the laws of ‘Sons of Jacob’ by turning them into natal slaves subjected to ritualistic rape for the ruling elite. A dark and haunting tale of survival and tyranny, this series cannot be missed by lovers of dystopian media and is available on Prime Video.

The 100

The 100 is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi series that premiered in 2014 on The CW and ran for 7 seasons before concluding in 2020. It follows the story of a group of next-generation post-apocalyptic inhabitants of a space station, who are sent to the earth to determine if it is habitable after a nuclear apocalypse forced most humans to either flee to space or perish. On arrival, the hundred juvenile delinquents discover that the earth is far from empty, full of radioactive perils and hostile nuclear disaster survivors.

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