Altered Carbon is currently streaming in Australia on Netflix, and in the US on Netflix, and it earns its premise rather than just borrowing genre trappings. The 2-season run is exactly the right length for what it is doing. 2,302 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Watch it for Anthony Mackie — the performance elevates material that could easily tip into self-seriousness. Put it on tonight on Netflix and see for yourself.

Altered Carbon arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. What makes Altered Carbon work is that the ideas never crowd out the people having them. After 250 years on ice, a prisoner returns to life in a new body with one chance to win his freedom: by solving a mind-bending murder. Anthony Mackie and Renée Elise Goldsberry lead a cast that keeps the bigger ideas grounded in something human. Across 2 seasons (2018–2020), it never lost the thread that made it worth starting. What separates Altered Carbon from lesser genre entertainment is a willingness to let the concept cost the characters something. The consistency throughout is what elevates it — not every moment is the best, but none of them are a reason to stop watching.

For late-night viewing or a proper weekend binge, Altered Carbon fits the bill. Fans of Orphan Black will recognise the sensibility here immediately. The complete run is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Watch for Anthony Mackie in particular — the performance elevates the material. Satisfying on multiple levels.

Altered Carbon was cancelled in 2020, created by Laeta Kalogridis — and 2 seasons are available to watch from start to finish. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.