5 techy TV shows to binge-watch this Halloween: recommended by our team

Black Mirror (2011)

The truth is that using technology in this world can sometimes lead to devastating consequences. So, if you want to see what the dark tech future might look like, then one of the Netflix masterpieces, “Black Mirror,” is the TV show you should stick around this Halloween.

This science fiction TV show explores a dystopian near-future of modern technology, where humanity's greatest innovations backfire on their creators and society as a whole. It touches nearly every aspect of tech and the dangers it can pose - from ransomware and cyberbullying to people and data surveillance, uncontrollable AI, and more. And the best thing about this TV series is that the order of the episodes doesn't matter. Each of them tells a different story and covers different technologies and characters. So if you're up for science fiction drama that will thrill you to the bones, go for it.

3 interesting facts about “Black Mirror”:

1. TV show creator Charlie Brooker is not a horror writer. He’s a comedian.

2. Some of the tech featured on the TV show exists in real life.

3. The series premiere, "The National Anthem," predicted a future story in British politics.

“I really liked this TV show, and it caught my attention from the very first episode. It shows the terrible things technologies and innovations can do to our privacy, actions, and even our existence. And the best part is that every episode is like a mini-movie. There is no storyline that you have to follow and remember. So if you like tech and are curious about the dark side of it, I definitely recommend watching this series during Halloween,” Rugilė Karengaitė, Junior .NET developer at NordVPN.

Westworld (2016)

Have you ever dreamt of being in a game and experiencing it firsthand? Well, that's what our second recommendation for Halloween is about. HBO's "Westworld" is a neo-Western TV show about a tech corporation Delos which runs a digital theme park, "Westworld." There, wealthy fun-seekers live out their wildest fantasies among human-like robots. And these dreams are definitely brutal and unforgiving at times until some of the robots take over the wheel, and things start to turn against the people themselves. So if you want to watch a series about artificial intelligence and man versus machine interactions full of gore this Halloween, this is the perfect pick for you.

3 interesting facts about “Westworld”:

1. The cost of admission for Delos park is $40,000/day, and that’s for the minimal package.

2. The “Vitruvian man” scene featured in the show's intro was inspired by a car factory.

3. Video games like “Red Dead Redemption” and “Bioshock: Infinite” heavily inspired the world of “Westworld.”

“Westworld” shows the darker side of humanity and the horrifying possibility of trusting advanced and powerful AI, goals of which might not align with our own,” Aivaras Saulius, a Low-Level developer at NordVPN.

Mr. Robot (2015)

We can't hide that this techy TV show is closest to our hearts - it's about Elliot Alderson, a cybersecurity engineer in the cybersecurity firm "Allsafe." During the day, he’s all about doing his regular job, but at night - he’s a vigilante hacker trying to take down one of the largest companies in the world. The series explores his life and actions triggered by drug addiction and dissociative identity disorder. It's a dark, suspenseful, and spine-tingling TV show, full of mind-melting twists and turns that will definitely stick you to the screen this Halloween.

3 interesting facts about “Mr. Robot”:

1. The hacks are real! They were carried out with the help of cybersecurity experts.

2. In the scenes where the main character Elliot was shown sniffing drugs, he was actually sniffing vitamin B.

3. The main character’s fish is called QWERTY, which happens to be one of the most commonly used passwords.

“The "hacker drama" is one of the reasons why I liked the "Mr. Robot" series. Another reason is that it perfectly portrayed hacking scenes that I, as a person working in cybersecurity, can tell were well made. In general, computer hacking is terrifying, especially if you come from a tech background and are well aware of the consequences. And what could be scarier for a tech person than that? Nothing! So this is why MR. Robot series is the perfect choice for the Halloween period,” Franco Ghazaleh, Senior Backend Engineer at NordLayer.

YOU (2018)

Don't get fooled that this TV series is for girls only. Although it has a love story, it's about a New York-based book manager who turns out to be an innocent-looking serial killer persecuting the people he loves or wants to get out of his way. And he does all this by stalking them live or using technology. This series perfectly illustrates the importance of not oversharing on social media, as wrongdoers can take advantage of it. So if you want to know where it can lead, watch "You." As this TV show has many spine-chilling twists and crimes committed, it will certainly set the right mood for Halloween.

3 interesting facts about “YOU”:

1. The word "you" was repeated over 3,800 times in the first and second seasons alone.

2. A “blood machine” was used for the gory scenes. The blood was made out of sugar and red dye.

3. Viewers are meant to reflect on their social media usage and the data they share after watching this series.

“I liked "You" because this TV show is totally different from the series I have seen before. In this series, a truly charming personality combines both psychopathy and loveliness. Also, at some point, "You" perfectly reflects all of us - we are stalking people on social media, of course, not as drastically as in this TV show, but we watch them every day. Isn't that right? This TV show is perfect for Halloween if you are tired or bored of ghosts, witches, and pumpkins. And it has a lot of bloody elements, which is why I kept hiding under the blanket while watching it. So, as tech and blood are closely related in this TV show, that is a perfect choice for your spooky steaming on Halloween,” Gabrielė Ambrazevičiūtė, Senior QA Engineer at NordVPN.

Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams (2017)

"Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams" is a tribute to the past's classic space operas and forward-looking tales from a disturbing and surveillance-obsessed near future. And it's terrifying to think this could be our future if technology gets out of humankind's control. So if you're up for experiencing that, dip your toe into this provocative sci-fi TV show with the episode "Real Life." We're sure you'll be hooked on it.

3 interesting facts about “Electric Dreams”:

1. Most of the things shown in the series came from Philip K. Dick's short stories written between 1953-1955.

2. The series features a large cast of well-known actors, such as Steve Buscemi, Richard Madden, Bryan Cranston, Liam Cunningham, and more.

3. The same writer created other well-known stories that were turned into such movies as “Blade Runner,” “The man in the castle,” “Total Recall,” etc.

“It's an excellent TV show for all Sci-Fi lovers where technology is used as a source of paranoia, triggering society's hectic state of mind. The episodes are short and unrelated to each other, so you can watch them randomly. If you liked the "Black Mirror" series, this TV show is one of the best alternatives you can watch next, especially on All Hallows eve. "Electric Dreams" makes you think it could be our future, and that future can be horrifying,” Daniil Zaitsev, Lead Architect at NordVPN.

Well, there you have it, hope you’ll find one of these recommendations as a perfect TV show to spook you out this Halloween. Enjoy!