7 TV shows and movies you shouldn't miss if you loved Severance 

Severance leaves a mark because it never plays safe. It turns a strange idea into something uncomfortable but hard to look away from. The show pulls you in with questions about who you are when you strip away half your life. It doesn’t rely on flashy twists or cheap thrills. It forces you to sit with the thought of losing control over your own mind.

That feeling sticks long after the final episode ends. You might be surprised if you finished it and felt nothing else could match it. Other shows and films go down the same unsettling path. Some focus on memory and identity. Others dig into corporate systems that treat people like machines.

All of them leave you asking the same hard questions about freedom and control. You won’t find easy answers in any of them. What you will find is the same sense of unease and curiosity that makes Severance stand out. Each one is worth watching if you want stories that get under your skin. Here are seven shows and movies you shouldn’t miss if Severance kept you thinking.

Disclaimer: This piece reflects the writer's opinions.

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TV shows and movies you shouldn't miss if you loved Severance

1. Black Mirror (TV Series)

Black Mirror deserves a spot because it questions how technology controls identity and freedom. Episodes like White Christmas show consciousness trapped in digital spaces which reflects how Lumon traps the innies. Nosedive focuses on systems assigning value to people through ratings which parallels Lumon treating workers like products.

Both shows focus on people stripped of autonomy and forced to perform roles under the illusion of choice. What sets Black Mirror apart is its anthology format where each story stands alone. Unlike Severance which builds long-term emotional investment over one storyline, Black Mirror resets its world every episode.

Another key difference is tone. Black Mirror leans heavier into dark tech dystopias while Severance mixes absurd workplace satire with psychological unease. Still, both leave you thinking about how much control anyone really has when systems reduce people to parts instead of whole human beings.

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2. The Prisoner (1967 TV Series)

The Prisoner belongs on this list because it traps its protagonist inside a carefully controlled environment stripped of identity. The Village forces the unnamed man to live under constant surveillance while hiding who controls it. This reflects Lumon’s severed floor where workers have no idea who runs their lives. Both shows use authority figures who speak in riddles and confuse personal freedom with loyalty.

Each story focuses on a man trying to resist while surrounded by people who have accepted control. What sets The Prisoner apart is its use of surreal imagery and more abstract episodes. It leaves some questions unanswered while Severance develops character relationships with more emotional clarity.

Also, The Prisoner has less focus on corporate culture and more on political power though the larger themes of manipulation and identity loss line up closely with what Severance explores.

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3. Dark City (1998 Movie)

Dark City earns its place because it deals with memory manipulation and the loss of personal identity. The story follows a man who wakes up with no memory in a city run by shadowy beings who erase and rewrite lives every night. This mirrors Lumon’s severance process where workers have their lives split to serve a purpose.

Both stories use dark, oppressive environments and maze-like spaces to reinforce the sense of being trapped. Characters in both stories struggle to understand who they are when outside forces control everything they remember. Dark City differs in style. It uses more visual spectacle and faster pacing compared to Severance’s slow psychological tension.

Dark City focuses more on action and noir mystery, while Severance focuses on corporate absurdity and subtle character breakdowns. Still, both deliver the same warning about systems that strip away identity to maintain control.

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4. The Platform (2019 Movie)

The Platform belongs on this list because it presents a rigid, hierarchical system where individuals have little control over their circumstances. The film takes place in a vertical prison where food descends level by level, forcing those at the top to thrive while those below starve.

Like Lumon’s severed floor, the characters are trapped in an environment designed to strip away autonomy and pit people against each other. Both stories highlight how systems control not just actions but the very survival and behavior of individuals. The confined, repetitive structure mirrors the dehumanizing routine seen in Severance.

What differs is tone and setting. The Platform leans into horror and physical survival, using violence and scarcity as tools, while Severance focuses on psychological control within a sterile corporate world. Still, both reveal how easily people can be reduced to functions within oppressive systems.

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5. Brazil (1985 Movie)

Brazil earns its place because it dismantles bureaucratic systems that crush individuality. The film follows Sam Lowry, who is stuck in an endless machine of paperwork, rules, and surveillance. His life becomes a nightmare because no one questions the system’s purpose, much like Lumon’s employees, who blindly accept their severed lives.

Both stories use cold office settings mixed with outdated technology to highlight how absurd control can be. Characters are reduced to parts of the machine rather than full people. What sets Brazil apart is its visual chaos. The film uses surreal dream sequences and exaggerated designs where Severance stays grounded with subtle workplace tension.

Also, Brazil leans heavily into dystopian satire and overt social commentary while Severance focuses more on character-driven emotion. Still both leave you with the same takeaway. Systems built for efficiency often erase the very people they rely on.

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6. Counterpart (TV Series)

Counterpart deserves attention because it explores identity split across two versions of the same person. The series follows Howard Silk who learns a parallel world exists where every person has a double shaped by different life choices. This connects to Severance where the innie and outie versions of characters live separate lives without knowledge of each other.

Both shows dive deep into how much control people have when systems dictate who they are. Each uses secretive organizations to trap characters inside rigid roles. What makes Counterpart different is its focus on espionage and political conflict.

It leans into spy plots and high-stakes action while Severance keeps the tension within workplace absurdity and emotional breakdown. Still, both shows deliver the same hard questions. What defines you when your life is split and someone else decides which part of you gets to live freely?

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7. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004 Movie)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind belongs here because it explores how memory shapes identity. The film follows Joel and Clementine who erase memories of their relationship. Like Lumon’s severance procedure, this raises the question of whether removing parts of yourself makes life easier or emptier. Both stories show characters losing control over their own minds and dealing with the emotional fallout.

They use clinical cold settings during the procedure that feel detached from real emotion. What makes Eternal Sunshine different is its focus on romance and personal heartbreak.

It zooms in on two people trying to escape pain while Severance critiques broader corporate systems stripping away autonomy. Still, both leave you wondering the same thing. If you erase the hardest parts of life do you lose what makes you whole or just end up trapped in a different kind of emptiness?

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