There is something about the dystopian genre that has us excited and intrigued. These shows tend to be set in the future, in a world very unlike our own. In some cases, we’re watching zombies take over in the near future, and in others, we see what life is like after an apocalypse.
Not all dystopian worlds are suitable for children. Yet, this is a genre that you want to introduce them to. Here are three shows that are great for teens and are sure to get them into “what could happen” futures.
Snowpiercer
If you have older teens in the house, Snowpiercer is the dystopian world to start with. This is set seven years after an ice event happens. The world is now unliveable. The only way for people to survive is to live on a train that has to keep moving around the Earth to generate heat and power.
It’s not an easy life. It’s made all the harder due to stowaways getting on the train before it took off. Those people are known as Tailies, and they’re struggling to survive, but they have created a family among themselves. When there’s a murder in the other parts of the train, Snowpiercer needs the help of a Tailie detective called Andre Layton (Daveed Diggs), and it’s sure to change everything for everyone forever.
Snowpiercer Seasons 1 to 3 are on AMC+. Season 4 premieres on July 21 on AMC and AMC+.
The 100
While Snowpiercer is good for older teens, you may want something for the tweens and the 13 to 14-year-olds. The 100 is the first show to turn to. This is based on the YA book series of the same name, and it follows a group of teenagers who are prisoners on an ark in space. It’s a century after nuclear bombs were released on Earth, and these teenagers are sent back to Earth to see if people can survive down there yet.
What nobody realizes is that people did survive after the nuclear bombs. Some survived in shelters, while others were able to find a way to survive the radiation on Earth. How was it possible? That’s what your kids will want to know.
The 100 is on Netflix.
The Society
How about a dystopian world that brings an element of Lord of the Flies? The Society follows a group of teenagers who head out on a class field trip. However, they are sent back home. At least, that’s what they think. When they get home, they realize that their whole town is empty.
Something strange is going on. The town is surrounded by forests, and now the group of teenagers need to figure out how to survive while trying to figure out what’s going on. What type of political society works, and what happens when they all have different opinions and needs?
The Society is on Netflix.