Supacell
If you want grounded tales of superheroes, you can’t go wrong with Netflix’s surprise hit series. It’s a classic setup as a group of Londoners suddenly gain superpowers with the unique touch that it’s based on each having sickle cell disease. The powers are handled realistically with a super-speedster wanting to become Internet famous, a gang leader using invisibility for robberies, and a woman who wants nothing to do with this.
There are touches of a sinister company hunting them down and a time travel trip showing a threat from the future. The show excels for its top-notch writing and cast that make the series work and feel more heartfelt than just special effects work. A second season is coming, meaning it’s a great time to check it out for one of the better new super-powered human shows on the block.
Streaming on Netflix.
Wu Assassins
Another mystical martial arts adventure with comic book leanings, Wu Assassins aired on Netflix to amass a cult audience. Kai (Iko Uwais) is a San Francisco chef who learns he’s the last of a line of warriors meant to stop five evil warlords from amassing limitless power. A good touch is that each warlord possesses powers based on a different element, so Kai has to change how he fights each.
The action scenes are well done, and there is a pleasing supporting cast, including Katheryn Winnick as a cop who gets involved in things. The supernatural aspects work just as well to spark the story more. It had one season and a wrap-up movie so while not a long watch, it still fits for lovers of wilder martial arts action that feels like a comic book world.
Streaming on Netflix.
Kin
To wrap it up, here’s another Charlie Cox crime thriller series that deserves a watch. Airing from 2021-22, Kin has Cox as Michael Kinsella, a recently paroled criminal returning to his Dublin crime family. His homecoming is ruined by an incident that puts them at war with a rival family, and Michael has to step up as a new leader to protect his clan.
The story itself can be somewhat predictable and by the numbers. It’s made up for by boasting a murderer’s row of Irish actors that includes Aidan Gillen, Ciarán Hind, Maria Doyle Kennedy, and more. Cox’s performance is captivating by how mostly silent but deadly before getting meatier material in the latter episodes. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel of crime dramas but is worth watching to see Cox in a non-heroic turn in a dark crime world.
Streaming on AMC+.