'Dark' and 4 Other Sci-Fi Shows for Christopher Nolan Fans With 80% & Higher RT Scores

If you're a fan of Christopher Nolan and his signature style – complex plots, time-bending games, and philosophical dilemmas at the intersection of science and humanity – then this list is for you.

These brilliant sci-fi series explore similar topics with equal depth and ingenuity.

5. 'Awake', 2012

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%

A police detective Michael loses a loved one in a car accident. However, he suffers a double grief: the world splits into two parallel realities. In one reality, his wife has died, in the other, his child has died.

Michael begins waking up in one world, then the other, trying to understand what's happening and cope with his double grief while saying goodbye to his two loved ones.

Compared to Nolan's work, Awake is a much more emotional and psychologically intense project. However, the series' elegant play with narrative structure makes it an intellectual quest.

4. 'Dark Matter', 2024-...

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%

The plot revolves around a not-so-successful physicist and family man. One day, he wakes up in an alternate reality where his family doesn't exist, but he has made a scientific breakthrough.

He must figure out how to use a device that can travel between worlds while an alternate version of himself lurks in his own reality with unclear and potentially dangerous intentions.

Like Nolan's best works, Dark Matter is built on a grandiose, sci-fi premise that gives rise to complex moral and philosophical dilemmas.

3. 'The Leftovers', 2014-2017

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%

In an instant, about 2% of the world's population disappears without a trace. The world is frozen in shock and confusion. No one knows where they disappeared, what caused it, or if it will happen again.

Damon Lindelof, creator of Lost, worked on the project, which is a sign of quality in itself. At times, he seems like the lost brother of Christopher and Jonathan Nolan, as he boldly experiments with form and content.

At its core, though, The Leftovers is a profound exploration of the nature of faith. Rather than providing easy answers, the show forces the viewer to seek them out for themselves.

2. 'Person of Interest', 2011-2016

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%

The show tells about a presumed-dead CIA agent who is hired by a mysterious billionaire to work with advanced artificial intelligence. Their mission is to prevent crimes before they happen.

This premise exudes the Nolan signature style: it incorporates the aesthetics of Inception, the temporal paradoxes of Tenet, and a philosophical discussion of the consequences of technology similar to that in Oppenheimer.

The series asks two central questions: what if AI develops a mind of its own? Are sacrifices on the path of progress justified if the ultimate goal is to save humanity?

1. 'Dark', 2017-2020

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%

If you loved Nolan's Tenet, you'll definitely want to check out Dark. Like Nolan's movie, Dark is a stylish, complex story revolving around time.

The plot begins with the disappearance of a teenager in a small German town but quickly escalates into something grander. Dark plays with temporal paradoxes and creates one of the most touching and emotional family dramas in TV history.

Dark is a standalone masterpiece that is worth watching in any context – it will stay with you long afterward.