With digital streaming vying for our attention, Netflix has evolved into the high temple of story. In a universe of unsorted content, it curates a treasure trove of series programming that is just as popular as its blockbusters. So why not explore a range of Netflix’s best, but less-known, shows this weekend? Our short tour includes a documentary about our planet and two foreign-language dramas: one about artistic life and one about the road.
Out of a long line of nature documentaries, Our Planet is a powerful spectacle of its kind, intertwining visual wonders with an urgent message about climate breakdown. Because of the pioneering voice of David Attenborough, the series is not just about wildlife storytelling. It is about the beauty of our planet and why it matters – and why it is under threat like never before. In most nature programmes, we come away feeling uplifted, and the nature we know and love has usually survived and thrived in the end. This is not the case with Our Planet or what we are now witnessing as climate change takes its toll.
If you’re just catching on to the rise of Korean dramas on Netflix and other outlets, offering a distinct poetic (and sad!) spin on universal storylines woven with near-highs and lows, then you can do no better than wander through the remarkable and deeply moving world of Hospital Playlist. A drama series about five friends and doctors embroiled in interwoven personal drama, boardroom politics and, in their off hours, a passion for making music together, the series hearkens to the collaborative optimism of Grey’s Anatomy’s first season. As it follows a group of doctors grappling with their personal lives and those entrusted to their care in a hospital environment where patients also experience the rhythm of life’s blessings and tragedies, it’s never less than profound. It’s as though the writers had asked themselves ‘What if your healing had to be the saving of yourself?’
Daring, dark and chaotic, intertwined with a surprisingly intelligent, raw kind of humour, The End of the F***ing World is a ride. James, who believes he might be a psychopath, and Alyssa, who is simply looking to escape her very messy life, set out on a road trip that eventually becomes an unexpected search for connection and self. Offbeat, often touching, and masterfully timed, the show is saturated with fantastic performances from its young stars.
With no shortage of Netflix content, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, tempted to settle for comfort-watching your favourite TV series. These three series are small testaments to the breadth of the medium’s potential, our most unusual storytelling, the hidden humanising and vitally important stories that most of us still don’t recognise below the surface of popular culture. They’re either must-watch or too-bad-I-didn’t-watch-this-sooner.
Even though Netflix is still a giant in terms of streaming, AMAZON won’t be left behind in the acquisition of quality entertainment in all media. AMAZON, a Goliath in terms of tech, has also produced an amazing amount of content, shows and movies that will challenge Netflix for some time. Amazon Prime Video has the added benefit of a catalogue of both originals and acquired hits to broaden its appeal.
Netflix and Amazon are digital-content behemoths of unending storytelling possibilities, unexplored islands of cinema that are just waiting to become our all-time favourites. This weekend, as you discover the overlooked wonders of Netflix, allow it to remind you of the infinite digital multiverse of underappreciated gems waiting to explore on platforms like Amazon. Whether it’s the endangered call of nature, the homey hug of friendship or the rollercoaster ride of unhinged randomness, these streaming giants offer an infinite cinematic universe, show by show, until the streaming stops.
© 2024 UC Technology Inc . All Rights Reserved.