If You Love 'Euphoria', You Need to Watch These 5 Provocative TV Series, Ranked by RT
These projects are a blend of visual perfectionism, honesty, and psychological tension.
Euphoria is to teen dramas what The Sopranos was to gangster films: it broke all the rules, exposed what was traditionally hidden, and turned the aesthetics of pain and heavy makeup into cultural phenomena.
We've rounded up five equally provocative series that fearlessly depict the dark side of youth, addiction, trauma, and growing up.
5. 'Skins', 2007-2013
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 69%
Set in Bristol, the series follows the everyday lives of high school students. It consists of three groups, each spanning two seasons plus an epilogue.
The characters have different personalities and social statuses, but they all face similar challenges, such as sexual identity, family conflicts, and mental health issues.
Many say that Euphoria wouldn't exist without Skins – the British series became a cult classic, setting the tone for teen dramas for years to come.
4. 'Heartbreak High', 2022-2026
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 78%
Australian schoolgirls Amerie and Harper don't have particularly exciting personal lives, but they are interested observers of their peers.
Eventually, the girls draw a huge chart outlining all of the teenagers' sexual encounters. When the map catches the principal's eye, Amerie soon becomes an outcast.
Heartbreak High could be called a mix of Euphoria and Sex Education.
3. 'Baby', 2018-2020
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 78%
Chiara and Ludovica are schoolgirls from wealthy Roman families who are tired of socializing with their peers and dealing with parental pressure. They begin dating older men and soon become involved in sex work.
The Italian series is partly based on a real-life scandal dubbed Baby Squillo by the press. It shows the dark side of elite society, exposing its hypocrisy, permissiveness, and double lives.
2. 'I May Destroy You', 2020
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%
Arabella is a writer who rose to fame after publishing her first book, which was based on stories from her social media accounts. Arabella goes to a bar and only comes to her senses the next morning.
She gradually remembers that someone slipped something into her drink and raped her. This event forces Arabella to rethink her entire life.
I May Destroy You combines frank topics and a story about the dark side of human nature with aesthetically pleasing visuals.
1. 'Mood', 2022
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
After arguing with her parents and breaking up with her boyfriend, aspiring singer Sasha leaves home. A friend introduces her to social media promotion, particularly through explicit content.
Sasha thought she could earn money and promote her music, but she found herself increasingly drawn into the sex industry.
Nicôle Lecky wrote and stars in the series. Mood candidly tells the story of the challenges of social media popularity and self-promotion through sex, which inevitably leads to complications.
