You’re in need of a dystopian series binge watch.
Are you in need of a dystopian series to binge-watch? Trust me, you are. The thrill, the entertainment, the excitement, and the obsession many have for dystopian series runs strong. Who doesn’t love a book-to-movie dystopian series with a badass female protagonist? (Cough, cough, Katniss Everdeen and Tris Prior own the word badass). Or even the curiosity of what life would be like if our world turned upside down with little hope of returning to normality? I, for one, love the dystopian fandom. Dystopia is defined as an imaginary place, often set in the future, where society suffers oppression and injustice due to intense control and restricted freedom. Sounds pretty awful, right? But let me tell you, if you have ever watched or read a dystopian series, I bet you were intrigued, or maybe even obsessed!
In the mid 2010’s, dystopian series were the rave. Though many novels have been around for years, such as 1984 by George Orwell, or Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, many young adult series were on the rise. The Hunger Games, Divergent, The Maze Runner, and more are few of many dystopian series that ruled half the 2010’s, and for good reason. Watching or reading a series where you get obsessed with characters (even if their untimely death sparks tears) is all a part of loving the fandom. Young adults and teens love dystopian series so much and watching teenagers fight for what they believe in a cruel world, through acts of rebellion. There is no moment in time where you don’t despise the Capitol (The Hunger Games) or want to lash out in disbelief of Gilead’s barbaric rules (The Handmaid’s Tale). Keeping us on the edge of our seats is one thing dystopian series never fail to do.
Now, would you believe me if I told you that after all the love these series receive, barely anyone is creating more like it? Simply, there hasn’t been a series quite like the ones mentioned above. Either they are unbeatable, or dystopia lost the trend in writers and movie makers. Young adults are drawn to dystopia, and if a new series emerged with a controlling government and a renegade who stands up for their own society, we would be on it faster than you can say ‘Mockingjay’. Dystopias haven’t just brought out our obsession for Peeta Mellark (The Hunger Games) or Bellamy Blake (The 100), but they show a real importance. Series such as The Hunger Games are so pivotal in exploring real issues like poverty, power, survival, unfairness, and injustice; because from first glance, we are shown problems many face today, and potential ones in the future. Series like these can shed light on destructive political issues that, if voted against or for, could possibly strip certain rights away from us and lead the government to become more and more controlling. Dystopian series exhibit possible fears we may have about our society’s future, and how if power ends up in the wrong hands, our world today could face injustices across the board.
Are you ready for that binge watch now? I bet if you read all The Hunger Games books and watch the movies about five times each, you’ll be just in time for the new movie coming out in November, 2023!