Shows Like Dark Matter
Apple TV+’s nine-episode, sci-fi thriller, Dark Matter premiered May 8th with the first two episodes. Based on the book by acclaimed, bestselling author Blake Crouch, the series stars Joel Edgerton (Master Gardener, The Gift), Jennifer Connelly (Top Gun: Maverick, A Beautiful Mind), Alice Braga (Queen of the South, A Murder at the End of the World), Jimmi Simpson (Westworld, Pachinko), Dayo Okeniyi (Rise, Fresh), and Oakes Fegle (Pete’s Dragon, Wonderstruck).
Dark Matter follows physicist Jason Dessen (Edgerton) who one night while walking home is abducted into an alternate version of his life. Things quickly turns to nightmare when he tries to return to his reality amid the mind-bending landscape of lives he could have lived. In this labyrinth of realities, he embarks on a harrowing journey to get back to his real family and save them from the most terrifying, unbeatable foe imaginable: himself. Reelgood recently reported that between May 8th and 15th, Dark Matter was the #1 series among all major streaming platforms.
If you’re looking for shows like Dark Matter to watch while you wait for new episodes to drop, check out these 8 recommendations.
Counterpart (2017-2019)
Cast: J. K. Simmons, Olivia Williams, Harry Lloyd, Nazanin Boniadi, Sara Serraiocco, Ulrich Thomsen, Nicholas Pinnock, Betty Gabriel, Mido Hamada, James Cromwell, Sarah Bolger,
Synopsis: “Howard Silk (J.K. Simmons) is a lowly cog in the bureaucratic machinery of a Berlin-based United Nations spy agency. When Howard discovers that his organization safeguards the secret of a crossing into a parallel dimension, he is thrust into a shadow world of intrigue, danger, and double cross… where the only man he can trust is his near-identical counterpart from this parallel world. The show explores themes of identity, fate and lost love, posing the eternal question, “what if our lives could have been different”?”
Where to watch: Apple TV, Prime Video
Devs (2020 miniseries)
Cast: Nick Offerman, Sonoya Mizuno, Jin Ha, Zach Grenier, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Cailee Spaeny, Karl Glusman, Alison Pill,
Synopsis: “Devs follows the story of a young software engineer, Lily Chan, who investigates the secretive development division of her employer which she believes is behind her boyfriend’s murder.”
Where to watch: Hulu
The Leftovers (2014-2017)
Cast: Justin Theroux, Amy Brenneman, Liv Tyler, Christopher Eccleston, Chris Zylka, Margaret Qualley, Carrie Coon, Annie Q., Janel Moloney, Regina King, Ann Dowd, Michael Gaston, Jovan Adepo
Synopsis: “Three years after the disappearance of 2% of the global human population, a group of people in a small New York community try to continue their lives while coping with the tragedy of the unexplained nature of the event.”
Where to watch: Hulu, Max
The Lost Room (2006 miniseries)
Cast: Peter Krause, Elle Fanning, Chris Bauer, Dennis Christopher, Julianna Margulies, Kevin Pollak, Peter Jacobson, Margaret Cho
Synopsis: “A mysterious event at the Sunshine Motel caused ordinary things in Room 10 to transform into indestructible objects with extraordinary powers. Detective Joe Miller (Peter Krause) discovers the dangerous potential of these objects when his daughter becomes lost in the room. His only hope of saving her is to find The Key, but shadowy figures will stop at nothing to keep it – and the other objects – for themselves.”
Where to watch: Freevee, Plex, The Roku Channel, Tubi
Maniac (2018 miniseries)
Cast: Emma Stone, Jonah Hill, Justin Theroux, Sonoya Mizuno, Gabriel Byrne, Sally Field, Billy Magnussen, Julia Garner, Jemima Kirke, Kathleen Choe, Danny Hoch
Synopsis: “Tells the stories of Annie Landsberg (Emma Stone) and Owen Milgrim (Jonah Hill), two strangers drawn to the late stages of a mysterious pharmaceutical trial. Things do not go as planned.”
Where to watch: Netflix
Orphan Black (2013-2017)
Cast: Tatiana Maslany, Dylan Bruce, Jordan Gavaris, Kevin Hanchard, Kristian Bruun, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Evelyne Brochu, Michael Mando, Ari Millen, Josh Vokey, Inga Cadranel, Skyler Wexler
Synopsis: “A streetwise hustler is pulled into a compelling conspiracy after witnessing the suicide of a girl who looks just like her.”
Where to watch: AMC+, Spectrum
Severance (2022 – )
Cast: Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Patricia Arquette, Zach Cherry, Tramell Tilman, Jen Tullock, John Turturro, Dichen Lachman, Michael Chernus, Christopher Walken, Yul Vazquez,
Synopsis: “Severance centers around Mark Scout (Adam Scott), a leader of a team of office workers whose memories have been surgically divided between their work and personal lives. This experiment in ‘work-life balance’ is called into question as Mark finds himself at the center of an unraveling mystery that will force him to confront the true nature of his work… and of himself.”
Where to watch: Apple TV+
The Signal (2024 miniseries)
Cast: Florian David Fitz, Peri Baumeister, Yuna Bennett, Hadi Khanjanpour, Sheeba Chaddha, Katharina Schüttler, Nilam Farooq, Uwe Preuss, Meret Becker
Synopsis: “A missing astronaut sets her family on a frantic hunt for answers. But the more they uncover, the greater the threat becomes to them — and the world.”
Where to watch: Netflix
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