“Maniac” – This psychological trip of a show is by far one of Netflix’s best productions of 2018. Jonah Hill exhibits top performance alongside Oscar nominee, Emma Stone. With the former playing a paranoid schizophrenic and the latter a character emotionally scarred beyond repair (or so she believes). The series follows these two protagonists in what seems to be an alternate universe set in an ’80s dystopian future. The show revolves around a central theme: fixing deeply rooted psychological problems pharmaceutically. If you like mind bending paradoxes that explore the human mind, along the lines of “Inception” or “Memento,” then you will love “Maniac.”
“The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” – Set in the same cinematic universe as “Riverdale,” “Chilling Adventures” is the CW’s newest addition to the live action Archie Comics adaptations. It follows the horrific adventures of Sabrina, a teenage witch living in the mysterious mining town of Greendale. This is a dark coming-of-age story that came out just in time for the fall season. Although it may seem innocent judging by the title, it actually has elements of horror that are extremely graphic and an overall dark theme that will stay with you even after the credits start rolling.
“Daredevil” (season 2) – After the catastrophe that was Marvel’s “The Defenders,” it’s nice to see that one of Marvel’s best series is back on track…and possibly even better than before. Following Matt Murdock into this season, the masked devil starts down an even more brutal path. Shedding the overt Daredevil armor, Murdock reverts back to the original ominous black garb he wore before he became the Daredevil. Nothing can stand in his way this time. Just blood, fists and lots of unnecessary flips (no complaints here).
“Ozark” (season 2) – This gritty piece of television is geared more toward those who enjoy cold logic and a bit of good old-fashioned Mexican drug lord action/mystery. The characters are chalk full of cold calculated logic, and it is refreshing. Jason Bateman compellingly plays a dirty accountant laundering money for the biggest cartel in Mexico while raising a family simultaneously. Need I say more?
“BoJack Horseman” (season 5) – The self-loathing horse is back for a fifth season and with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 92 percent, he isn’t doing too bad for himself (or for the show). Why care about an animated horse turned movie star with deeply rooted problems? Well, without watching the previous four seasons, it might be difficult, but the character development is incredible. Kate Purdy, Joanna Carlo and Mehar Sethi, the show’s writers, create such depth to their characters that it is hard not to relate. There are layers upon layers of emotion to each character in a well-rounded manner that doesn’t dip into chaos. Check out “BoJack Horseman,” it is worth it.