Previously, the television was not filled with the most expensive and “smart” series, which were designed for a mass picky audience. They had enough simple stories and not the most intelligible acting. But those days are long gone. Now, in order to surprise the audience, it is necessary to come up with something truly unusual and that makes you break your head while watching. It is for this reason that many channels began to compete in creating increasingly tense intellectual series that could surprise even the most sophisticated viewer. Here is a list of the most noteworthy ones. Our rating of intellectual series is very conditional, since everyone has different tastes and everyone can correct it at their discretion.
1. Fargo
Our list of intellectual series opens with one of the most unusual dramatic projects of the last ten years. It is a kind of free interpretation of the events of the film of the same name, which was released in the early 1990s. As then, events unfold on the territory of a small town in which strange events begin to occur. It is noteworthy that each subsequent season has little to do with the previous one. Moreover, in each of them a huge number of famous actors starred, known to the audience. Connoisseurs of atmospheric and fairly leisurely dramatic crime stories “Fargo” will definitely like it.
2. "Mr. Robot"
For many years, intellectual films and series about hackers left much to be desired. Either it was cheap thrillers with a battered plot, or science fiction, which has nothing to do with the real world. However, just a few years ago, the series "Mr. Robot" was released, which suddenly became a hit on the air. It showed the everyday life of a brilliant hacker who occupies the post of security specialist during the day, while at night he begins to fight injustice on the Internet. The young man brings to the open water not ordinary bandits, but real officials and rich people who, thanks to their influence, evade punishment over and over again. The series keeps in suspense from the very beginning, so even those who are not very disposed to this topic will like it.
3. "Underground Empire"
Continues our top intellectual series "Underground Empire". It was created by the studio involved in the production of the cult "Clan Soprano". The film crew and cast included many famous personalities of that project. Also, production seats were replenished with such colorful personalities as Martin Scorsese and Mark Wahlberg. So such an ambitious project simply could not fail. Events unfold during the adoption of Prohibition in America. The protagonist is a local respected entrepreneur and part-time leader of a criminal group who successfully manages to combine a variety of areas of activity. Steve Buscemi successfully displayed on the screen a man with incredible resourcefulness and intelligence. Thanks to eloquence, he is able to find an approach to any person, and also in the most emergency situation to make the only right decision.
4. "House of Cards"
Political thriller, which in recent years managed to make a lot of noise in society. The thing is that the "House of Cards" shows the inside-out of modern American politics, in which few people think about the welfare of their citizens. Instead, government officials are doing everything they can to keep their place. And for this they are even ready to start large-scale wars. Often, those events that were described in the series, eventually became a reality. So viewing the "House of Cards" will delight every viewer who misses smart and topical stories.
5. Hannibal
The series "Hannibal" is a kind of rethinking of a series of books about Hannibal Lecter. Many mistakenly begin to compare this series with the famous film trilogy. However, this is certainly not worth doing, since in this case the emphasis was not so much on the detective component and shock elements, but on psychology. As you know, the main character of the film is a talented psychotherapist who has counted a lot of awards. But no one even realizes that he is also a serial killer and cannibal. A lecturer does not cost anything to penetrate the subconscious of his next victim. He also has incredible persuasive skills. All this you can see on the example of the talented detective Will Graham, who became the next patient of a ruthless, but at the same time brilliant psychotherapist.
6. The Black Mirror
Black Mirror is one of the most unusual series in history. The events of this project unfold today. As you know, almost every inhabitant of the earth is now completely dependent on all kinds of gadgets, such as smartphones, tablets and laptops. And we cannot spend a day without going into a social network. This series shows what consequences all this can lead to. It is noteworthy that each subsequent series is in no way connected with the previous one and seems to be quite an independent work. The cast also consisted mainly of major world stars, which you probably know.
7. "Knickerbocker Hospital"
Medical topics in modern TV series are not so rare. There are such projects as Doctor House, Clinic, and Ambulance, which were extremely popular among the mass audience. Here are just the events of these series unfolding in our days, when medicine has already managed to achieve serious progress. Knickerbocker Hospital is distinguished by the fact that it describes the events of ancient times, when doctors took only the first steps in the field of surgery. Many diseases in those years simply did not know how to treat, so doctors had to risk everything in order to save another patient. It is worth noting that the scenes of operations in the series are shown quite realistically and can scare away an unprepared viewer.
8. "Lie to me"
Another popular series, which in no case should be skipped. The main role in it was played by the brilliant Tim Roth, who appeared before the audience in the guise of an experienced professor studying human lies. In almost any situation, he is able to recognize the lie of his interlocutor, thanks to which he built a brilliant career. Soon, he managed to recruit a team of no less talented guys, with whom the protagonist began to investigate quite large cases that were related to litigation, political intrigues and killings. You are waiting for an incredibly intense and original story that will delight all connoisseurs of intellectual detective series.
9. "True Detective"
Another sensational intellectual detective series, which is intended primarily for an adult target audience. The first season has become a true standard of the detective genre, not without some influence from other popular trends. It is full of difficult plot moves that make you pretty much break your head while watching. But the main advantage of True Detective is the presence in the cast of such stars as Matthew McConaughey. Thus, the first season was perfect in every way. However, the second part did not appeal to everyone. Very soon, we will be waiting for the next, for the third time in a row season. It is possible that the producers will take into account their mistakes of the past.
10. Twin Peaks
Completing our list of the best intellectual series is one of the most mysterious projects in the history of American television. The first season of the legendary “Twin Peaks” was released back in 1990. At first glance, it might seem that this is a classic detective story, which deals with the investigation of the murder of a young girl. But with each subsequent series, what is happening on the screen began to more and more resemble a surreal dream, which is logically almost impossible to understand. No wonder the creator of the series, David Lynch, is a master of puzzles over which even the most intelligent viewers are puzzled. More recently, the long-awaited sequel, the events of which unfold 25 years after the original, also appeared on the screens. It would seem that there Lynch will finally explain to the audience what exactly happened in the final of the second season. But no, instead he left even more puzzles that literally blew up the Internet. At the moment, there are about 30 various theories in which fans try to logically analyze the whole sur and give it meaning. But just which of these theories is true - we will never know. The plot is centered on an experienced FBI agent named Dale Cooper, who arrives in a small American town to tackle the mysterious murder of Laura Palmer. Every day he learns more and more strange details about both local residents and the gloomy past of the city itself.
Total
In this list, each viewer will be able to find something suitable for evening viewing. And be sure, the sight that takes place on the screen will drag you from the very first scene.