Supacell, the new sci-fi drama where a group of black south Londoners suddenly develop superpowers, is getting great reviews. It currently has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, which means it has a strong case for being added to your best Netflix shows roundup.
Writing in The Guardian, Leila Latif says that: "This is not your typical superhero origin story, where preserving truth, justice and the American way is the primary concern. Instead, the characters are operating in a society where the odds are stacked against them, and they are all struggling to make ends meet and avoid violence." It's "an absolute riot, strikingly performed and bracingly plotted to a sensational soundtrack".
The show has been compared to Channel 4's irreverent action comedy Misfits, which sadly isn't available on Netflix but US readers with a Hulu or Peacock subscription will be able to watch it (if you're in the UK, it's streaming on Channel 4; while those in Australia can catch it on Stan). But Netflix has plenty more stunning sci-fi shows for you to enjoy.
Travelers
In the far future, the few surviving humans discover how to send their consciousness back in time and into the brains of people in the 21st Century. These travelers work in secret to help avoid a terrifying future, and while the show gets off to quite a slow start it's had people utterly hooked. I can't tell you much more about the premise because I don't want to spoil any surprises, but the three seasons of the show are consistently entertaining without getting bogged down in time travel clichés. It's a shame that there are only three seasons: Netflix canceled the show after the third.
Scavengers Reign
Like Supacell, this animated sci-fi show is currently sitting with a 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating. Originally made for Max and then saved from cancelation by Netflix, Scavengers Reign is an eco-horror set on a dangerous planet on which a damaged deep space freighter's crew find themselves stranded. The New Yorker says it's "a triumph of imagination, using animation to bring wondrously unfamiliar flora and fauna to life". According to Slant magazine:" "So many alien worlds of similar films and shows feel dispiritingly limited in their imagination. Scavengers Reign, though, abounds with invention of the kind that only animation can bring to life. It has no illusions that its singular world is the real star, and what a star it is."
Resident Alien
Although not exclusive to Netflix, the streamer has the first two seasons of SyFy's amusing science fish-out-of-water fiction show. When an alien crashes on Earth, he does what any self-respecting alien would do and immediately poses as the local doctor while plotting to murder all humans. But his diabolical plans hit an enormous obstacle in the form of a nine-year-old boy who can see right through his disguise. According to the LA Times it's "an amusing trip to Spielberg country, where ETs live in our midst". It harks back to classic comedies such as My Favorite Martian and movies including The Man Who Fell To Earth and delivers plenty of warmth and good humored gags. The Los Angeles Times says there's more than a hint of Northern Exposure to it.
