This week, Netflix’s new lineup is a study in contrasts, offering a diverse range of shows that highlight the incredible breadth of modern television. From the lavish opulence of a 19th-century period piece to the gritty reality of a dystopian survival game, there is a stark and fascinating contrast in the stories being told.
On one end of the spectrum is House of Guinness, a sumptuous eight-part drama from the creators of Peaky Blinders. This series is a world of extravagant costumes, grand estates, and boardroom power plays, as the wealthy Guinness family battles for control of their empire in the 1860s. It’s a look at the lives of the powerful and privileged.
In stark contrast is the third season of Alice in Borderland. This Japanese sci-fi series is a gritty, visceral story of survival on the streets of a deserted Tokyo. Here, the characters are not concerned with inheritance but with their next breath, as they are forced to compete in a series of brutal and deadly games.
The contrasts continue with the gothic fantasy of Interview With The Vampire (Season 2 arriving September 30), a world of immortal beings and dark romance, versus the stark, modern-day reality of Angela, a six-part Spanish thriller that grounds its suspense in the terrifyingly real issue of domestic abuse.
Finally, the highly controlled and artificial environment of the Love is Blind pods (Season 9 premiering October 1) offers a fascinating contrast to the messy and unpredictable reality of the relationships that form outside of them. This week, Netflix invites you to explore a world of fascinating contradictions.