Entertainment
Prime Video’s $72M Alt-History Thriller Is One of Its Best Original Shows on Any Streaming Platform
In the struggle of trying to find something decent to watch in the world of streaming, it’s better to acknowledge that some of the best shows premiered years ago. 2015 was still in the heyday of the Golden Age of television, which had some of the most innovative and relevant shows to hit the small screen. Prime Video had one of its best in the Philip K. Dick adaptation, The Man in the High Castle.
Airing for four seasons, the alternate history series envisions a terrifying reality of what would happen if the Nazis won World War II. Many alternate history shows revolve around this period, but The Man in the High Castle was specific and set a mirror to society. In the series, Nazis have taken control of the East Coast of the United States, creating The Great Reich. On the West Coast, Imperial Japan has set up its control. In the middle, there is a neutral zone where many rebels fight for a better world. Even ten years ago, The Man in the High Castle was significant, and since it started streaming on Netflix, it has become even more so.
‘The Man in the High Castle’ Is Premium Television At Its Best
No matter how much streaming content gets churned out, The Man in the High Castle still stands above the rest. While it differs from Philip K. Dick’s novel — as so many of his adaptations do — it was for the better. The Prime Video series updated the philosophical story to administer real-life consequences.
The series begins in 1962, when most of the United States has settled into a world of occupation. That is, until Juliana Crain (Alexa Davalos) receives a film strip showing the Allies winning World War II. Suddenly, her acceptance of this reality is shaken as she risks everything to discover who is making these films. The Man in the High Castle is a prime example of how to use source material to expand on an idea that makes it even better.
Dick’s book allows Juliana to consider the prospect that there are other realities than her own, but the Prime Video series goes the extra mile. Even before the perfect Andor, The Man in the High Castle makes an effort to show the price of rebellion. It follows through on Dick’s original idea and elevates it for a modern audience.
If The Man in the High Castle had come out today, it could be accused of being too on the nose, but that is exactly what makes it so great. When it initially premiered in 2015, it was a warning against fascism — a warning that modern politics has proven to be extremely necessary. More than that, it shows that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Throughout the series, Juliana maintains a level of hope that is rare. She believes that there is a better way forward and wants to create a reality that is not dominated by hate.
The Man in the High Castle continues to be incredibly topical for this reason. It isn’t just about the literal depictions of authoritarianism, but how optimism and belief in people are their own superpower. There is a reason why it’s doing extremely well on Netflix, over a decade after it first premiered. The Man in the High Castle is television done right and has risen above the white noise of a million different streaming services.
- Release Date
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2015 – 2019-00-00
- Network
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Prime Video
- Showrunner
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Frank Spotnitz
- Directors
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David Semel, Daniel Percival, John Fawcett, Alex Zakrzewski, Karyn Kusama, Nelson McCormick, Brad Anderson, Bryan Spicer, Charlotte Brändström, Chris Long, Colin Bucksey, Daniel Sackheim, David Petrarca, Ernest R. Dickerson, Fred Toye, Jennifer Getzinger, Ken Olin, Michael Rymer, Michael Slovis, Paul Holahan, Richard Heus, Deborah Chow, Steph Green, Meera Menon
- Writers
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Wesley Strick, Rob Williams, David Scarpa, Erik Oleson, Jace Richdale, Rick Cleveland, Thomas Schnauz, Mark Richard, Chris Collins, Kalen Egan, Elizabeth Benjamin, Emma Frost, Eric Overmyer, Eric Simonson, Julie Hébert, Walon Green, William N. Fordes, Evan Wright, Lolis Eric Elie, Francesca Gardiner, Dre Ryan, Chris Wu
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