Fans of the cult hit Black Mirror have been urged to tune into another Netflix series that’s got viewers wishing it had more episodes.
Oats Studios, which originally aired between 2017 and 2020, made its way onto Netflix in 2021. Echoing the format of Black Mirror, Oats Studios presents a collection of sharp, concise stories, with each episode lasting anywhere from four to 20 minutes.
The official description teases: “Director Neill Blomkamp produces a series of experimental short films that envision post-apocalyptic worlds and nightmarish scenarios.”
Despite not being widely known, some may recognise the South African director Neill Blomkamp for his critically acclaimed film District 9. Blomkamp launched the anthology as a means to test out story ideas with the potential of developing them into full-length movies later on.
The anthology spans ten episodes and boasts a stellar cast including the likes of Sigourney Weaver, Dakota Fanning, and Toby Hargrave, reports the Daily Record.
On Reddit, cinephiles have recently been singing the praises of this horror anthology after a user sought assistance in recalling the show’s name. The post read: “My dad is here for the night, and I desperately want him to watch an episode of this show I can’t remember the name of!” The Redditor described the episode in question, prompting a swift identification by another user.
The helpful response was: “Oats Studios! If anyone here enjoys Black Mirror, Love/Death/Robots, Alice in Borderland, and other series along those lines, you might enjoy Oats Studios! It’s agonizingly short, but for what we do have? An absolute delight.”
Reddit users are raving about Neill Blomkamp’s Oats Studios on Netflix, with comments like: “Neill Blomkamp’s Oats Studios on Netflix is a similar vibe to LDR [Love, Death and Robots] and Black Mirror and you should all check it out.”
Praise has been flowing in on IMDb as well, with reviewers giving Oats Studios an average rating of 6.3 out of 10. An excited fan expressed: “Excellent. Horror and sf [sci-fi] from the curly mind of Blomkamp.” Adding a cautionary note, they warned: “You must be prepared for a few twisted scenes, but also a lot of good fun. I particularly like the episodes God, Firebase and Zygote. Recommended.”
Another viewer confessed their admiration, writing: “I love this wish it was longer! I am absolutely blown away by this and the directing is phenomenal. The graphics are exceptionally good. The stories are creative, which is awesome because so many people redo stories over and over again and there is a lack of uniqueness nowadays in horror-type films.”
On Rotten Tomatoes, the show, while less-reviewed, still garners high praise, with a keen viewer sharing: “This is an amazing series, I’ve watched it several times. It’s an anthology and I’m heartbroken they aren’t making more seasons at this time. The animation alone is worth watching it for, but there are certain haunting concepts that have lived rent-free in my head since this came out several years ago.”
Oats Studios is available to stream on Netflix.
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