There’s not a lot of good sumo representation out there. The ancient Japanese sport is often caricatured for laughs; in fact, it has a rich and complex history spanning centuries. It’s cultural but questionably brutal, revered but unable to compete against newer combat sports. And while sumo negotiates its role in an increasingly modern world, its participants continue to rely on it for a living, making it at once outdated and necessary.  

Enter Sanctuary, a Japanese Netflix original that captures all this nuance to the best of its ability. The drama is a gritty and realistic behind-the-scenes look at the sport, a raw portrait of all the literal blood, sweat, and tears that go into it. If you can stomach a fair amount of violence and gore, then you’ll appreciate what Sanctuary tries to do, which is smartly reintroduce sumo to a new generation.

Originally released as a film, War Sailor tells the oft-forgotten tale of the Norwegian merchant sailors who were required by law to take part in the battle against Axis forces. Reluctantly but bravely, they rose to the challenge and became part of a valiant effort that unfortunately went under the radar because of their civilian status.

The extended three-part series on Netflix gives these war sailors their due by telling their story in rich detail and epic proportions. It goes even deeper to explore the aftermath of war and its harrowing toll on survivors. The storytelling is grand, but it’s important to note that War Sailor is less interested in heroics than it is in humanity—it has the characters questioning the purpose of fighting a war they know little about and dives deep into their lives post-war, where even then peace still seems elusive.

It’s a sprawling story so the pacing can get sluggish, but if you don’t mind the occasional overlong take, then War Sailor pays off immensely.

Dirk Gently is not an easy watch. Right from the get-go, it comes bursting with wild mysteries, supernatural elements, cartoonish developments, and very loose ends. But there’s something to be said about its inexplicability. It doesn’t dumb things down or mold itself into anything recognizable, and that ambitious feat alone makes it a standout in a sea of TV replicas. It is its own weird thing, and it’s hard not to like that about the show.

The characters seem random at first, but they will disarm you with their unexpected humanity. The titular Dirk Gently, for instance, initially comes off as a Doctor Who-like know-it-all, but underneath his chirpy facade is a hurt man who longs for connection. Inversely, his accomplice Todd Brotzman may seem like a typical nice guy, but his darker nature reveals itself incrementally and rather smartly. 

This is a show that requires you to trust the process, to believe in “holism” as they say (aka the interconnectedness of everything, even the most seemingly random thing), and the sooner you submit to that belief, the easier and ultimately enjoyable the show gets. 

1899 is for viewers who love twisty big-budgeted shows in the vein of HBO’s Westworld and Amazon Prime’s Peripheral. It’s set in the titled year and follows migrants from all walks of life as they set sail for New York, the land of opportunity. There’s a priest from Spain, a couple from France, and a performer from China, all aboard a ship run by Danish sailors and a German captain. It’s a multilingual feat, but the twisty part arrives when they stop to help a steamship that’s been stranded for months. One horrific, mind-bending event follows another as they race to solve the mystery within the ship.

1899 comes from the creators of Dark, the German sci-fi hit that won critical acclaim for its originality and craftsmanship.

Set in 2032, The Peripheral finds a protagonist in Flynne Fisher (Chloe Grace Moretz), a cash-strapped but ambitious woman who gets stuck between alternate timelines and realities after testing out an experimental gaming device. She stays for the money and safety promised to her, but quickly finds out that she’s getting more than what she bargained for in this twisty, action-packed thriller. 

The Peripheral is worth a try if you enjoyed HBO’s Westworld (whose creators also serve as producers in this show), or if you’re just generally intrigued by all thing tech and sci-fi. The world-building is complex, sometimes to the point of confusion, but Moretz is a pro at grounding scenes and making sure she brings us along on the ride. If you’re looking to get lost in a realm at once real and unreal, then this show could be for you.

This satire takes place in the year 2033 when it’s possible to “upload” oneself to a specific software-powered afterlife. In the variety of afterlives possible, there is no heaven or hell. Instead, class struggles persist: ads are everywhere, you have to pay for data, and there are many levels of luxury available.

Created by Greg Daniels (The Office, Parks and Recreation), Upload is an easy and funny show with an interesting and relevant premise. If you liked The Good Place, Silicon Valley, or Black Mirror, you will surely love this.

Set in the seemingly idyllic town of Three Pines in Quebec, Canada, Three Pines the series follows Chief Inspector Armand Gamache (Alfred Molina) as he attempts to solve a string of murders and disappearances in the area. It’s a classic whodunnit that doesn’t try too hard to be twisty and complicated; instead, it lays out its clues neatly and cleverly without giving too much away, all while digging deep into local issues such as the institutional neglect of indigenous people.

There’s no shortage of mysteries and crime thrillers on TV at the moment, but what makes Three Pines stand out is its seemingly virtuous lead. “You look for good even in the worst of humanity, don’t you?” says one witness about Armand, but it will be interesting to find out just how far his well-meaning ways can go.

These days, pandemic stories can go either of two ways: horribly or profoundly. The realism may be too much to bear, causing so-called pandemic fatigue, or it can compel you to move in the world in kinder, more self-aware ways.

Thankfully, HBO’s overlooked Station Eleven falls under the latter category. Epic, poignant, and lighthearted, the ten-episode miniseries (adapted from the bestselling novel of the same name) is one of the few pandemic-set, post-apocalyptic shows that takes a closer look at the kind and creative ways humans approach survival.

In Under the Banner of Heaven, Andrew Garfield plays Detective Jeb Pyre, a devout Mormon whose faith is shaken when he takes up a violent case that involves his church. When he discovers the gruesome death of a fellow worshipper and her 15-month-old child, he is driven mad by the choices he needs to make about his faith, his family, and the threat of fundamentalism these two pillars present. Terrifying and compelling, Under the Banner of Heaven is not for the weak-hearted, but it is recommended to anyone up for a good, challenging watch. 

From Mike Flanagan, creator of The Haunting anthology, comes Midnight Mass, a miniseries that is just as gory, unsettling, and supernaturally twisted as any Flanagan horror flick. The series follows an ex-convict who returns to his small town just upon the arrival of a mysterious but alluring priest. As inexplicable events start to happen, the townsfolk hang onto the churchman’s words, seeking reassurance where they can. 

With lots to say about religious fanaticism and perpetual grief, Midnight Mass is part of a new wave of layered and thoughtful scary stories currently dominating the genre. While its stately and meditative pace can be overbearing sometimes, it never runs out of things to shock and unnerve the soul.