(Credit: Netflix)

When it comes to producing bold, jaw-dropping sci-fi content, Netflix is the undisputed champion. For years, the platform has quenched the thirst of its curious minds by releasing shows that make the viewers question the world around them. Thankfully, the platform has only gotten better with time.

From dystopian futures to multiverse mayhem, Netflix has it all. While other genres may dominate the charts, sci-fi silently keeps on challenging, provoking, and blowing minds.

With each release, the platform blurs the lines between imagination and possibility. It is safe to conclude that sci-fi shows have found their home at Netflix.

So it is high time that you grab your TV remotes and pace yourself to watch some of your all-time favourite sci-fi shows on Netflix. The following list is not about the obvious choices but about those shows that leave you meandering down Reddit threads at 2 AM, wondering what happened!

Five sci-fi shows for the weird, the wild, and the wildly intelligent

5. Black Mirror (Charlie Brooker, 2011-)

If the constantly upgrading world of technology ever needed a PR nightmare, it would be called Black Mirror. This anthology series explores the dark side of modern-day tech, one story at a time. From AI-driven chaos to digital afterlives, each episode shows us the mirror reflecting our worst futuristic fears.

The most haunting thing about this show is its closeness to reality. It projects the horrifying realities we are living in by taking them up a notch. Be it the algorithm-driven culture or exponential development in AI, the show mixes speculative science with the alarming trends of the current world.

4. Stranger Things (Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer, 2016-)

Stranger Things has got to be one of the most deservedly hyped shows Netflix has ever produced. The show is set in the 1980s in America, where a town called Hawkins encounters the case of a missing boy. The story develops with interesting twists as his friends go on a quest to find him. In the process, they encounter supernatural monsters, an underground world of secret experiments and open the portal to a horrifying realm called the “Upside Down.”

However, the story isn’t limited to finding the missing boy and unravelling the dark truths of the experiments. It is about friendship, bravery, and a bunch of teenagers saving the town with their quick wits. The show is so well written that it has now become a global phenomenon. The fifth and final season of the show is coming soon on Netflix.

3. Dark (Baran bo Odar, Jantje Friese, 2017-2020)

About eight years ago, Netflix dropped the trailer of Dark, with a hint of the realisation that it would become one of the most talked about shows in the history of sci-fi shows. This show, too, begins with the disappearance of a boy in the town of Winden, but then goes on to become a saga of time travel, family secrets, and quantum entanglement. It doesn’t just focus on what happened but makes you question why, when, and how it happened.

The scientific backbone of Dark is what sets it apart. It isn’t just a tale about a child going missing, but also introduces the concept of the bootstrap paradox and deterministic timelines. Every character is entangled in a timeline they can’t escape. This show is a must-watch if you are long overdue for a mental workout.

2. 3% (Pedro Aguilera, 2016-2020)

If you are bored with the constant mainstream show suggestions on Netflix, 3% is an underrated gem. Set in Brazil, the show explores how only 3% of the population is allowed to live in a utopian society. It then becomes a competition between young candidates in a ruthless selection process called “The Process”. Imagine The Hunger Games meeting Black Mirror, but with a lot more social realism and fewer special effects.

Along with science, the show also explores the concept of social science by portraying systemic inequality, psychological manipulation, and class-based access to technology. The show’s production value might be less, but the concept speaks louder.

1. Rick and Morty (Justin Roiland, Dan Harmon, 2013-)

Enough said about the live-action shows; it is time for some witty animation. When it comes to sci-fi in cartoon form, Rick and Morty ticks every box. It might look like Saturday morning telly on acid, but beneath the chaos is some of the sharpest, strangest science fiction on screen. With multiverses, time paradoxes, and just enough nihilism, this Netflix favourite could make Einstein cry.

What makes the show stand out is not just the wild humour but the way it smoothly reels in the real scientific concepts. Each episode in the show flirts with chaos caused by science, and the social commentary keeps the fans coming back. The 8th season of the show will be debuting soon on Netflix.