Parasytew: The Grey
Alien spores rain down on Earth, releasing aggressive larvae driven to burrow into other creatures’ heads, devour the brain, and take control of the body. Once in possession, these parasites are indistinguishable from regular people—apart from the ability to warp the flesh and bone of their hosts’ head into terrible weapons, which they use to hunt and consume humans from the shadows. Su-in Jeong (So-nee Jeon) almost became one of them, but when the parasite trying to take control of her exhausts itself saving her from a violent attacker, she’s left sharing her body with an increasingly self-aware monster. Helmed by Train to Busan director Sang-ho Yeon, this Korean drama expands the world established in Hitoshi Iwaaki’s sci-horror manga Parasyte, building on its social and environmental themes even as it delivers a terrific, and often terrifying, slice of body horror.
The Gentlemen
Created by Guy Ritchie, and loosely following his 2019 film of the same name, this darkly comedic series follows Eddie Horniman (Theo James), a former British Army officer, after he inherits the family estate and title of Duke following his father’s death. Oh, and the massive cannabis farm hidden beneath the grounds. Drawn into a literal criminal underground, Eddie finds himself having to deal with his family’s legacy, his only real support coming from Susie (Kaya Scodelario), who’s been running the drug empire. With a cast bolstered by Ray Winstone as Bobby Glass, Susie’s incarcerated father and criminal kingpin, and Giancarlo Esposito as Stanley Johnston, an American investor with his own designs on the Horniman estate, The Gentlemen is a violent and blood-splattered crime caper in the heart of the British aristocracy. Consider it the antithesis of The Crown—or not far removed from it, depending on your stance on the British Monarchy.
One Day
Sex Education
Talking about sex with your parents is always awkward, but for teenager Otis (Asa Butterfield) it’s even worse: His mother Jean (a captivating Gillian Anderson) is a renowned sex therapist who won’t stop talking about sex, leaving Otis himself ambivalent toward it. Still, something must have sunk in, and after helping a fellow student navigate a sexual conundrum, Otis finds himself almost accidentally running his own sex therapy clinic on campus. While the situations are often played for laughs, over its four seasons Sex Education thoughtfully explores intimacy, sexuality, and relationships in tender and even profound ways. With a fantastic ensemble cast including incoming Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa as Otis’ best friend Eric and Emma Mackey as love interest Maeve, this UK-set and Welsh-filmed coming-of-age dramedy has proven itself one of Netflix’s best series.
La Révolution
In a triumph of on-the-nose conceptualizing, La Révolution spins an alt-history romp in on-the-cusp-of-revolt France, where the cruel aristocracy become literal “blue-bloods,” thanks to a contagion that turns them into inky-veined, dandyish fiends ravenous for human flesh. A plucky reformist contessa who sympathizes with the commoners’ plight—first being exploited by the ruling class, and then being eaten by them—allies with forces both rebel and supernatural as she tries to prevent the undead disease spreading from the elite of Versaille to the whole of France’s upper crust. The melding of surprisingly great production values and a cast that’s clearly enjoying themselves elevates this above your standard zombie nonsense—and it’s subtitled, which definitely means it’s art house, right?