15 shows on Netflix to watch if you love Star Wars

LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 01: The Cast Of “Altered Carbon” pose for a photo at the Premiere Of Netflix’s “Altered Carbon” at Mack Sennett Studios on February 1, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Earl Gibson III/Getty Images)

9. Altered Carbon

We all know how the blue text reads: Star Wars happened “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.” While Netflix’s original sci-fi drama Altered Carbon takes place in the future rather than in the past, I think you’ll find that the two projects still have a lot in common.

This dystopian cyberpunk series is set in the year 2384, when rich humans have basically transcended death by creating new synthetic bodies for themselves called “sleeves.” One such sleeve-user is Laurens Bancroft, one of the wealthiest men alive. He’s taken on his newest sleeve not due to old age, but because his previous form died. Bancroft has been told that he killed himself, but he’s not convinced that he wasn’t murdered. He resleeves and hires political operative Takeshi Kovacs to tackle the case.

While Altered Carbon is certainly a very different story than Star Wars, the two are not without some major similarities. For one thing, there’s the heavy sci-fi tone of it all. Both projects deal in new technology and even alien life. If you’re looking for a new world to get lost in, then Altered Carbon should prove a very natural next step for the kind of SW fan that craves another obsession.

Then there’s the clear inspiration that Altered Carbon took from its predecessor in the genre. Fans of the series have noted specific shots that hark back to classic SW footage and many viewers have pointed out similar character types and ideas.