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CNET
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CNET
I'm Still Obsessed With This Cult Conspiracy Thriller and Now It's on Netflix
Every once in a while, a TV show comes out of nowhere and changes the very fabric of the medium. Off the top of my head, I can think of five: Twin Peaks, Lost, The Sopranos, Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad. After Vince Gilligan's hit drug drama ended in 2013, I wondered what series would capture the cultural zeitgeist next. The answer came in the form of an edgy show about the internet, of all things. It starred a relatively unknown character actor as a flawed, neurodivergent hacker genius who gets sucked into a shadow government conspiracy. The show was lifted up by solid performances, relevant themes, slick writing, epic world-building and enough twists and turns to keep you guessing week in and week out. The program I am talking about is an Emmy-winner, a game-changer and one of the best thrillers to ever hit television. Now, for the first time ever in the United States, it is available to stream in full on Netflix. This is Mr. Robot. Read more: Netflix Review: Our Top Pick in a Sea of Streaming Choices Rami Malek plays Elliot Alderson in the hacker drama Mr. Robot. USA Network "Hello, friend," Rami Malek's hacker antihero Elliot Alderson says in the opening moments of the pilot episode. He's talking to the audience. But moreover, I took it to heart that he was talking to me. As someone who related to his antisocial, black hoodie-wearing, outcast vibe, it felt as if Elliot was the TV embodiment of me -- if my goth outcast phase of the '90s and '00s never ended. Without getting too into the weeds here, Mr. Robot follows Elliot, a computer programmer who works for a giant company, named E-Corp (or Evil Corp, depending on who you ask) by day and flexes his chops as a hacker at night. He gets recruited by a mysterious Anonymous-like organization that wants to crash corporate America. The only issue? He works for the company at the top of the greedy corporate food chain. That's the nutshell explanation but there's more going on here than that. Add in a V for Vendetta-style anarchist cult, a mysterious mentor figure (conveniently named Mr. Robot) and a complicated mental health struggle and you have one heck of a layered onion to unpeel. Mr. Robot is an absolute banger of a TV show. It was different from anything else on television (and pretty much, still is). It was clear from the jump that this series was going to move the needle; it was a programming paradigm shift and it had a lot to say. Christian Slater plays Mr. Robot opposite Rami Malek as Elliot Alderson in Mr. Robot. USA Network Christian Slater plays Mr. Robot, whose recognizable cadence and smirky, sardonic delivery make Elliot's sidekick a compelling character who can be charismatic and abhorrent in the same breath. Cocky, confident, and a bit sociopathic, Slater's Mr. Robot is the antithesis of Malek's Elliot. Their relationship dynamic is reminiscent of the one between Brad Pitt's Tyler Durden and Edward Norton's Jack in David Fincher's 1999 cult classic, Fight Club. Mr. Robot explores a slew of heavy themes that can be tough to stomach. It's the rare occurrence where the use of voice-over narration elevates the whole story instead of feeling like a storytelling shortcut. Elliot regularly addresses the viewer and his narration is never ham-fisted. Carly Chaikin as Darlene and Rami Malek as Elliot in the hacker drama Mr. Robot. USA Network In fact, Malek is on another level here. Emotionally resonant, intense, vulnerable -- his range runs the gamut -- and he's simply enthralling as Elliot. As his world unravels and he's forced to question the chaos happening around him, he regularly breaks the fourth wall to talk with us at home -- which is welcoming and unnerving -- and invites us deeper into his reality. In the series' opening moments, all it took was hearing him say, "Hello, friend," and I was fully invested in the slippery slope of insanity that followed. Mac Quayle's Emmy-winning, techno-laden score kept me nodding my head, even during the show's twistiest twists. Rami Malek as Elliot and Joey Bada$$ as Leon in Mr. Robot. USA Network Slater and Malek are the powerhouses here, and their characters' storylines are the lifeblood of Mr. Robot. The supporting players also bring their A-games. Carly Chaikin, Portia Doubleday, Martin Wallström, BD Wong, Michael Cristofer and Joey Bada$$ deliver memorable performances that succeed in building out Esmail's sleek yet bleak world. The aforementioned hip-hop artist is an absolute delight. Recently, I wrote about FX's Legion and the ways in which that Marvel series pushed the envelope with what can be done on basic cable. Esmail did the exact same thing with Mr. Robot (on the USA Network, no less) by infusing style elements into the city streets and cold buildings, reminiscent of the aesthetic the Wachowskis brought to The Matrix. Elliot (go with me here) can even be viewed as a Neo but without all the supernatural sci-fi minutiae that came with that story. As kooky and bizarre as things get, Esmail manages to keep things grounded and believable. His attention to authenticity, like using real Linux code every time Elliot is seen typing on-screen, is on point. I said earlier that this was a TV show about the internet and, really, it's probably the most accurate-feeling representation of the dark web subculture I have ever seen on television. A hacker series winning Emmy awards? Yes, that happened. Yet, Mr. Robot was anything but mainstream, which, funnily enough, is what made it mainstream. Rami Malek won an Emmy for his performance as Elliot Alderson in hacker drama Mr. Robot. USA Network Even though things get pretty dark, Esmail came prepared. There is a surprising amount of humor threaded throughout the series that helps to offset the bleak nature of the show's looming dystopia. He uses pop culture nostalgia and disruptive production techniques to keep us on our toes. One specific episode featured a reality-altering flashback, curious visuals and an iconic '80s sitcom alien that made me sit up and yell at the television like Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. It's been a decade since the conspiracy thriller first hit the USA Network. It was a time before TikTok, misinformation, deep fakes and AI. Yet, through all these social media and technological advancements, the show holds up. In fact, the overarching themes like political corruption, corporate greed and untreated mental health issues, somehow make Mr. Robot even more relevant today. If I'm being honest, friend, I really can't think of anything I'd rather binge this Fourth of July holiday weekend.
Forbes
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
One Of The Best TV Shows Ever Made Lands On Netflix Today, A Must-Watch Thriller
Mr. Robot Netflix Evil mega-corporations, brilliant hackers, mind-bending twists and nefarious conspiracies. If you enjoy this kind of thing, you're in luck. One of the best thriller TV shows ever made just landed on Netflix, and you absolutely need to watch it ASAP. Created by Sam Esmail, Mr. Robot tells the story of brilliant hacker, Elliot Alderson (Rami Malek). Elliot is the tech security version of Superman: By day, he works at cybersecurity firm Allsafe. By night, he hacks wrongdoers. Elliot is recruited by a mysterious anarchist hacker known only as Mr. Robot and begins working with a group of hacktivists called fsociety, whose singular goal is to bring down mega corporation E Corp (referred to as Evil Corp by the hackers). Elliot ends up joining the hacker group and things quickly get wildly out of control. From here, things take . . . some very interesting and surprising turns. If Fight Club had been more about hacking than, well, fighting and blowing stuff up, you'd have a sense of what this show is about. Twisty, unexpected, and deeply creative, each season throws you for a new loop. The story can be downright confusing at times, but it's tightly written and the cast is exceptional. Just when you think nothing is making sense, a new revelation ties it all together. This is a great fan-made 'Cinema Style' trailer that really captures the vibe of the show without giving away any major spoilers. Give it a watch: Christian Slater plays the mysterious Mr. Robot, a character whose true identity is central to the plot and to Elliot's trajectory. Carly Chaikin plays Elliot's sister, Darlene, a founding member of fsociety. Martin Wallström takes on the role of corporate villain, Tyrell Wellick, an enigmatic and shadowy figure. Other cast members include Portia Doubleday, BD Wong and Grace Gummer. Fans of political thrillers and sci-fi who want something genuinely unique, that explores heavier themes like mental illness, near-future dystopian technology and surprisingly creative cinematography and narrative structure, will find a lot to love in Mr. Robot. Add to this the exceptional original score by Mac Quayle, and you have one of the best shows on Netflix period. Actually, I need to use this as background music for a tabletop cyberpunk RPG. It's been years since I've watched it, and I think it's time to watch it all over again now that all four seasons are streaming on Netflix. Have you seen Mr. Robot? What did you think? Let me know on Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky or Facebook. Also be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me here on this blog. Sign up for my newsletter for more reviews and commentary on entertainment and culture.
Forbes
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Everything Coming To Netflix In July, 2025 And What To Watch
Here's what's coming to Netflix in July. Another big month of new streaming content is just around the corner. Netflix has announced its July offerings which include a raft of movies at the beginning of the month, a handful of sequels including one decades in the making, as well as more WWE content, anime and more. Before we get to the big list, here are some of the main attractions. I still haven't watched the first film in this Charlize Theron action vehicle, but it got pretty good reviews (especially for a Netflix Original action movie) so I may have to do that before The Old Guard 2 releases next month. Theron plays Andy, the leader of a group of immortals battling a powerful enemy. Fantasy author Neil Gaiman has been embroiled in scandal and controversy recently, and a lot of his projects have been cut short or canned. Good Omens at Prime Video is ending and Disney's adaptation of The Graveyard Book has been halted. Now we're nearing the final season of The Sandman on Netflix, a series based on Gaiman's popular graphic novels. I admit, I just couldn't get into this one despite my love of fantasy. I couldn't get into American Gods on Starz, either. Go figure. If you want a really terrific, twisty-turny dystopian sci-fi-ish show, look no further than Mr. Robot. The cyber-hacker conspiracy series stars Rami Malek as Elliot Alderson, a super-hacker vigilante trying to take down a nefarious super-corporation. It's really mind-bending stuff and one of the most unique TV shows made in recent years. One of the greatest action movies ever filmed, Mad Max: Fury Road is an absolute visual feast, a high-octane, pulse-pounding chase through an apocalyptic desert that words simply cannot describe. It's also the second movie on this list starring Charlize Theron, who plays Furiosa. Her co-star Tom Hardy takes on the role of Max (filling Mel Gibson's boots admirably). It's genuinely one of my favorite action movies of all time. Just be sure to watch it on the best screen you can find. I'm not a huge anime fan, but this one really jumped out at me. Leviathan's entire aesthetic and time period really remind me of the Valkyria Chronicles video game franchise, which I really enjoy. Set in an alternate steampunk past, the story follows a fugitive Austrian prince and a Scottish airman as they set out on a quest to prevent a World War. I'm not sure what to think of Happy Gilmore getting a sequel. It's been almost 30 years since the original came out, and Adam Sandler is still going strong. The trailer, however, makes me worried that this will be mostly nostalgia-bait and references to the original. A lot of the original cast returns, including Julie Bowen as Virginia (who is even more beautiful now than in the original), Christopher McDonald as pro-golfer antagonist Shooter McGavin, and Ben Stiller as the nursing home attendant with anger issues. Unfortunately, some of the OG cast have shuffled off this mortal coil, including Bob Barker and Carl Weathers. Newcomers include Margaret Qualley, Sunny Sandler and a bevy of cameos from various celebrities. (P.S. Ben Stiller was not credited in the first film. He's credited as Hal L. in the sequel, which really feels like an innie name from Severance). Those are the highlights. Here's everything coming to Netflix in July, 2025.
Metro
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
One of the 'greatest sci-fi series of all time' premiered 10 years ago today
As cyber warfare and the looming threat of artificial intelligence continue to cloud our daily lives, Sam Esmail's sci-fi series is as relevant as ever on its 10-year anniversary. Mr Robot charts the journey of paranoid hacker Elliot Alderson (Rami Malek) who is recruited by an anarchist known as 'Mr Robot' (Christian Slater) to a group of hacktivists called 'FSociety'. Battling a multinational conglomerate, the group aims to destroy all debt records by encrypting E Corp's financial data. Slater has said himself that the 'show was ahead of its time' in an interview with Gold Derby last week. But despite the show first being released 10 years ago today, its warnings about the influence of big tech corporations in our lives and Big Brother politics make it a critical watch. Many fans praised the series on X for boasting one of the most thrilling storylines they have ever seen. @Shin_078 commented online that it is 'one of the greatest shows ever', while @TheGwilliam added: 'Four near perfect seasons. A true must watch.' @RacingBedgood wrote that Mr Robot is 'such a good series', and @badfkninfluence similarly claimed that Esmail's show is 'one of the best TV series ever.' @Billy_Kunta echoed this by defiantly writing: 'Peak TV right here!' Previously, fans have pointed out how seasons 3 and 4 tailed off compared to the beginning two. Our TV reporter Milo Pope shares his thoughts on the potential problems behind Mr Robot still being so unique… It's quite astounding to think that 10 years after Mr Robot aired, there truly has not been anything like it on our screens. As the phrase goes – 'good artists copy, great artists steal' – television has long had this wonderful ability where it can inspire similar projects and in turn, a collection of shows can spur on a movement and create real change. Think of It's A Sin and the conversations it has sparked around HIV and the LGBTQ+ community. I'd argue it certainly had an influence on shows such as What It Feels Like For A Girl, which came out earlier this month. But following the season finale of Mr Robot in December 2019, issues of cyber warfare, ransomware and hacking have largely been ignored across the TV landscape. Of course, Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror delves into the darker side of technology and its potential misuses. Silicon Valley also opts for a comedic take on the tech industry. But with the recent heightening tensions in the Middle East and the retail cyber attacks on stores such as M&S and Harrods, the world today seems to be crying out for a show like Mr Robot that shines a light on the dangers of hackers who can effectively cripple economic systems and bring the world to a standstill. @ks_moody added that Mr Robot has one of the best starts 'and then it did a slooooooow steady decline into nothing'. But the show has also received high praise for featuring a main character who has social anxiety disorder, clinical depression, and dissociative identity disorder. As @mrsxkati writes, that 'Mr Robot has hands down the best representation of mental illness', fans are still reminiscing about this unique take on a vigilante hacker. More Trending Earlier this year, rumours about Mr Robot returning for a fifth and final season started to circulate online. Although there might not be any shows like Mr Robot that delve into the dangers of hacking and big tech companies, there are certainly some that mirror its grittiness as a suspenseful crime thriller. If you're looking to see the dark underbelly of a criminal world or an activist group take down a larger power, add these to your watchlist: Barry – Sky Comedy Slow Horses – Apple TV Plus Dark Matter – Apple TV Plus Black Mirror – Netflix Severance – Apple TV Plus Westworld – Sky Atlantic The Leftovers – Sky Atlantic Twin Peaks – Paramount Plus However, this was confirmed to be false by the show's creator, who intentionally decided to end the series after four seasons to prioritise storytelling over longevity. The USA Networks series ended in December 2019 as one of the most critically acclaimed series ever produced. View More » Mr Robot is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: How to stream Sleeper Cell TV series that left viewers 'in constant state of suspense' MORE: Amazon Prime quietly drops all episodes of 'brutal' drama with Game of Thrones star MORE: All Neighbours spoilers for next week as legend resigns
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rami Malek and Christian Slater on the relevance of ‘Mr. Robot' at 10: ‘Is technology bridging us, or driving us further apart?'
Mr. Robot was plugged in from the get-go. By the time it premiered on USA Network on June 24, 2015, the pilot episode of the Sam Esmail-masterminded series about a paranoid hacker (Rami Malek) battling a nefarious multinational conglomerate had already been available online for a month, streamed more than 2.6 million times. 'That show was ahead of its time, man,' Christian Slater, who played the eponymous character, recently told Gold Derby, alluding to the current state of Big Brother technology and politics, especially given the rise of artificial intelligence. More from GoldDerby 2025 Emmy nomination predictions: Favorites, underdogs, and possible snubs as voting wraps Carrie Coon talks 'Gilded Age' Season 3: 'We are leaning into the fun parts' Rashida Jones raises the bar in 'Black Mirror' - and deserves an Emmy nomination for it Or as Malek once told us: 'It astonishes me how well Sam Esmail, our brilliant creator, can foresee the future. But that's also troubling.' A brief recap of the show's premise: Slater's Mr. Robot recruits Malek's gifted but troubled cybersecurity whiz Elliot as a modern-day Robin Hood to take down E Corp, which they call E Corp — and which could stand in for any number of tech companies with long-reaching tentacles, then or now. (We'll leave it there; but if you want to know more, like how Mr. Robot is really a manifestation of Elliot's dead father via one of Elliot's alternate personalities, we recommend you start bingeing the show for free on Tubi.) 'It felt special from the beginning,' Slater says today. 'It started off with me and Rami sitting in the Wonder Wheel [at Coney Island] doing all those scenes together. And that was the perfect way to start it. It put us together in close quarters where we couldn't help but get to know each other and how it was we both like to work. So that was a wonderful accident. 'It was exciting. And it just drew the two of us together. So I think it just helped with our chemistry throughout the show.' READ: Mr. Robot was an immediate sensation; aside from its instant online following, critics were universal in their praise, with the pilot, titled 'eps1.0_hellofriend.mov,' scoring a 100 percent 'fresh' rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The show would go on to earn 13 Emmy nominations between 2016 and 2020, winning three. USA Network 'It struck a nerve with people,' Malek told Gold Derby after that first season, which still speaks to the show's prescience a decade on. 'I don't know what everybody's yearning for, but it's something they could identify with. This cause. I think an unlikely hero in these times is something people wanted to connect to and were ready for. 'The show offered many characters who were on the fringes of society trying to find their way in, and I think that's something people just got charged by.' During the course of the show's four seasons, Malek said that its too-close-to-reality storylines made him wary of technology – especially when it came to discussing top-secret plot points. 'There are days when I haven't gotten on the phone to share my notes with Sam. I'm that paranoid now that might even call him from a landline somewhere. Sometimes I'll see if I can find a random New York payphone to use. I'm not so paranoid that I go to those lengths every day, but I'm often questioning my method of communication.' USA Networks Malek also revealed that it was vital to Esmail and the cast to tackle cutting-edge issues that they saw were only getting more divisive. 'We talked about it on set quite a bit: we wonder if people are going to get turned off by technology by the end of the show. It does ask you if you're connected or if you're disconnected, or is this world that you live on – that we we all live on – sitting behind a monitor, is this bridging us, or is this driving us even further apart?' Ten years later, and Mr. Robot remains as relevant as ever. 'It was a show that got delivered to me as this hacking story,' Malek told us after that first season, for which he earned the Emmy for Best Actor in a Drama Series. 'But before all of that, it's the story about how we connect as humans and how difficult it can be for some people.' As for Slater, who won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for the series, he still views Mr. Robot as a highlight of his storied career. 'I was definitely proud of the show," he says, looking back. "It was wonderful to be on that ride.' Best of GoldDerby Everything to know about 'The Pitt' Season 2 Adam Brody, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, and the best of our Emmy Comedy Actor interviews Kristen Bell, Tina Fey, Bridget Everett, and the best of our Emmy Comedy Actress interviews Click here to read the full article.
