“Severance” follows Lumon Industries employees who have undergone a scientific procedure known as “severance”. The process separates their personal memories from those related to work. As a result, employees cannot access their personal memories while at work and vice versa. However, Lumon employee Mark Scout encounters a former colleague whose presence puts Mark on the right track to unraveling a conspiracy within Lumon and confronting the true nature of his job.
The gripping thriller series is created by Dan Erickson and mixes clever social commentary with a mind-bending concept that will appeal to a wide range of viewers. If you love the show and fancy something similar, we’ve compiled a list of shows that will keep you entertained as well. You can stream most of these shows like “Severance” on Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu!
7. Black Mirror (2011-2019)
“Black Mirror” is an anthology drama series created by Charlie Brooker. Each episode follows its own unique narrative thread and delivers a mind-blowing story that forces the audience to introspect certain aspects of life, society, morality, and more. technology to comment on the life of the company. Viewers who like the concept of “Severance” but appreciate shorter, smaller content will appreciate the opportunity to explore various mind-blowing ideas in “Black Mirror.”
6. Vanguards (2019-)
‘Beforeigners’ (also known as ‘Fremvandrerne’) is a Norwegian series created by Eilif Skodvin and Anne Bjørnstad. It revolves around the mysterious appearance of people from different eras in the present day. A gripping murder mystery lies at the center of the conflict as two detectives try to understand the confusing concept of “time migration”. The series introduces viewers to a complex scientific concept that has various facets and is explored through the eyes of an intriguing set of characters similarly to “Severance”.
5. Counterpart (2017-2019)
“Counterpart” from creator Justin Marks is a sci-fi thriller series that follows Howard Silk, a bureaucrat who works for a Berlin-based United Nations agency. Soon, Silk realizes the true nature of his work and discovers a parallel dimension where his “counterpart” resides. The complex narrative takes the world of bureaucracy and gives it a sci-fi twist like “Severance” does the corporate world. The protagonists of both shows struggle to come to terms with the true nature of their work, raising moral and ethical questions for viewers.
4. Company (2018-2020)
Pat Bishop, Matt Ingebretson and Jake Weisman have joined forces to create the satirical comedy “Corporate.” The series follows the daily lives of two downtrodden employees of Hampton DeVille, a multinational corporation. The series uses dark humor and satire to highlight the pain and misery of living a corporate life. If you enjoy the underlying humor in the fate of the characters in “Severance” but don’t care for the sci-fi elements, “Corporate” will be more to your liking!
3.Westworld (2016-)
“Westworld” is a sci-fi drama series set in the titular western-themed park where advanced AI-powered androids entertain wealthy guests who fulfill their fantasies. Based on the 1973 film of the same name, the series is created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy. It received positive reviews from critics and features compelling performances from Evan Rachel Wood, Jeffrey Wright and Anthony Hopkins. Similar to “Severance”, the high-level sci-fi elements allow the protagonists to discover the true nature of their work and existence.
2. Download (2020-)
Created by Greg Daniels, “Upload” is a comedy-drama series that follows computer programmer Nathan who is uploaded into a type of digital heaven after his death. The show’s narrative is powered by futuristic technology, much like “Severance.” It takes an in-depth look at how humans interact with technology and its emotional impact. Compared to the serious story of “Severance”, “Upload” offers light entertainment with the same basic themes. Plus, creator Greg Daniels’ experience weaving workplace comedies adds a unique aesthetic to the show.
1. Developers (2020-)
‘Devs’ revolves around Lily Chan, a young and intelligent software engineer who becomes embroiled in the murder mystery of her boyfriend’s death. The series is created by Alex Garland and heavily subverts sci-fi and thriller tropes like “Severance.” In both shows, a mysterious and shady organization hides dark secrets while the protagonist tries to uncover the truth. Besides the narrative similarities, the two shows also share the aesthetic of corporate life and deal with themes such as free will and determinism.
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