Black Mirror fans have been told to watch another dystopian Netflix series that viewers ‘wish was longer.’
Originally released from 2017 to 2020, Oats Studios landed on the streaming platform in 2021. Similar to Black Mirror, it is an anthological collection of succinct stories, with episodes spanning from four to 20 minutes long.
The official synopsis reads: “Director Neill Blomkamp produces a series of experimental short films that envision post-apocalyptic worlds and nightmarish scenarios.”
Although the series has stayed under the radar, viewers may recognise the South African filmmaker for his Oscar-nominated action flick District 9. Blomkamp created the anthology to gauge interest in storylines before expanding them into feature films.
Across its ten episodes, the sci-fi compilation features an impressive cast including Sigourney Weaver, Dakota Fanning, and Toby Hargrave.
Moviegoers on Reddit recently gathered to praise the horror collection after someone shared a post asking for help identifying the show. The user said: “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 TV fan went on to describe the episode, and someone quickly figured it out.
They responded: “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.”
Another person on Reddit urged people to tune in and penned: “Neill Blomkamp’s Oats Studios on Netflix is a similar vibe to LDR [Love, Death & Robots] and Black Mirror and you should all check it out.”
Meanwhile, on IMDB, Oats Studios has an average 6.3 out of 10 rating. “Excellent. Horror and sf [sci-fi] from the curly mind of Blomkamp,” one enthused reviewer penned.
However, 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.”
A second said: “Spectacular. Netflix has something with this short stories series.” While a third wrote: “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.”
Over on Rotten Tomatoes, where less than 50 people have reviewed the little-known show, one person shared: “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.