Think

Watch science fiction movies & TV of 2016.

Equals

Can you imagine not being able to feel emotions like love, affection, and longing – the very sentiments that shape the human experience? Equals is set in a futuristic dystopia, where all men and women are high-functioning members of society, unencumbered by anything so trifle as emotion. When certain genetic aberrations cause a rare few to become “switched on,” they are rounded up and institutionalized. Black Mirror Black Mirror has long been lauded for dissecting and satirizing the technological anxieties pervading our lives today. Just take the first episode, ‘Playtest,’ which depicts an implant that can layer lifelike images and sounds into users’ perceptions of the world. But when the episode’s protagonist begins testing out a new horror game, reality starts to slip and he’s no longer sure what’s real and what’s just the imaginings of a fevered brain.

Ghostbusters

2016’s remake of the classic 1984 film is a hilarious mix of corny jokes, action sequences, and over-the-top CGI effects. The all-female squad provides a refreshing take on the original, fueling all that ghostbusting action with something other than testosterone. This funny tale of the battle against spectral entities will have you laughing throughout, and warm your heart with its depiction of friendship and loyalty.

Black Mirror

Black Mirror has long been lauded for dissecting and satirizing the technological anxieties pervading our lives today. Just take the first episode, ‘Playtest,’ which depicts an implant that can layer lifelike images and sounds into users’ perceptions of the world. But when the episode’s protagonist begins testing out a new horror game, reality starts to slip and he’s no longer sure what’s real and what’s just the imaginings of a fevered brain. Ghostbusters 2016’s remake of the classic 1984 film is a hilarious mix of corny jokes, action sequences, and over-the-top CGI effects. The all-female squad provides a refreshing take on the original, fueling all that ghostbusting action with something other than testosterone. This funny tale of the battle against spectral entities will have you laughing throughout, and warm your heart with its depiction of friendship and loyalty.

Orphan Black

Orphan Black chronicles the lives of multiple clones, some of them aware of their clone status, some not. But as the organization that created them chases them down and tries to take control of their lives, they must band together and battle for their own agency. Oh, and the clones with their disparate personalities and accents – think soccer mom and Russian assassin – are all played by the same actress.

Arrival

Star Trek Beyond

Passengers

Colony

In a dystopian near-future Los Angeles now ruled by extraterrestrials, humans are subjugated by the invading force, despite seemingly still living lives of normalcy. Those who break the rules are shipped to a facility called the “Factory” to serve as slave labor, the sick are culled, and there is pervasive electronic surveillance. Just the environment needed to cook up a compelling narrative of valiant resistance and other shenanigans.

The Expanse

Two hundred years in the future, humanity has finally colonized the Solar System. A tenuous peace exists between Earth, Mars, and the asteroid belt, but an unexplained disappearance and an industrial accident turn out to be part of a larger conspiracy that threatens everything. For some delicious mystery, elaborate world-building, and ‘hard’ sci-fi, look no further than The Expanse.

Westworld

No review of the year’s best serials would be complete without a mention of Westworld. Billed as the next Game of Thrones, it follows the dawning of sentience and awareness among androids in a Western-themed amusement park. Visitors to the park act out the basest of emotions and desire on these androids, and the presumptive revolution at hand is a tale to watch for science fiction buffs.

PICTURES A24, SONY PICTURES, PARAMOUNT PICTURES, CHANNEL 4, BBC AMERICA, NBC UNIVERSAL, SYFY, HBO.