We may earn a commission from links on this page.Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan's new series Pluribus has earned a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes. It's just an excellent show, featuring an end-of-the-world science fiction story with a wildly inventive apocalypse: instead of zombies or nuclear bombs, Pluribus' world ends with humanity literally coming together. Through a transmission from space, everyone on Earth is melded into a single consciousness, so there's no more conflict or hunger, but there's no more individuality, either. Mysteriously, a handful of people were left out of the great melting, including Carol (Rhea Seehorn) a cynical, hard-drinking writer who refuses to give in to the collective. The only thing I don't like about Pluribus is that I can't watch all the episodes right now. If you're in the same place, below are 15 movies and TV shows you can watch while you wait for the new episode of Pluribus to drop on Friday. Invasion of the Body Snatchers If you like fiction where everyone has been taken over by a collective, you have to start with Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The 1950s red scare paranoia-fest created the blueprint that's been followed since. Snatchers is rebooted every few decades, with the pod people representing a different cultural fear—they were communists in the original, "Me Generation" therapy addicts in the 1978 version, and suburban normies and military types in 1993's Body Snatchers—but the core "I'm the only individual left and everyone is out to get me" undercurrent is consistent and fits in perfectly with Pluribus. Where to stream: Prime, MGM+Breaking Bad Vince Gilligan created Pluribus and Breaking Bad, and while the two series are very different on the surface, they share a surprising amount of DNA. Gilligan's gritty "science teacher makes meth" series and his sci-fi "author is the last human on Earth" series both are meticulously plotted but unpredictable stories set in sun-blasted middle-of-nowhere locations where morality is a complicated gray area. Where to stream: NetflixMrs. Davis We might all be linked together as a hive mind like Pluribus, but Mrs. Davis is evidence that there's something to the idea of a collective consciousness. It was developed at the same time as Pluribus by another famous show creator (Damon Lindelof, father of Lost) and features a similar central plot device: an AI has taken over and everyone on Earth does its bidding in exchange for peace and prosperity. Mrs. Davis feels like a first draft of Pluribus, before the creator decided to make the tone more serious and take out all the goofy claptrap about The Holy Grail. Where to stream: PeacockThe Leftovers Like Pluribus, The Leftovers features ordinary people navigating a world-altering catastrophe. The catastrophe in The Leftover is the sudden, inexplicable disappearance of 2% of the world's population. Like Pluribus, the human drama is as important and weighty as the sci-fi premise, and both series are driven by "what does this all mean?" energy. Where to stream: HBO MaxChildren of Men The gigantic, mysterious event at the center of Pluribus makes the world a better place in a lot of ways, but when women inexplicably become infertile in Children of Men, the result is bleakness and chaos. If you like a combination of action and philosophical questions, watch (or re-watch) Children of Men. Where to stream: Rent or buy on Prime or YouTubeBlack Mirror Pluribus could be an extended episode of Black Mirror. The British anthology series came out of nowhere in 2011 and captured the world's imagination with its speculative, near-future (usually) sci-fi stories that explore the point where technology meets humanity. Standout episodes for Pluribus fans include S3, E6 "Hated in the Nation," in which Autonomous Drone Insects start murdering people based on a hashtag; S6,E1, "Joan is Awful" with its black comedy vibe and maximum paranoia premise; and S7, E4's "Plaything," in which a nerdy writer's obsession with a 1990s video game sets off a world-altering technological revolution. Where to stream: NetflixThe Twilight Zone Pluribus could be also be an extended episode of the original Twilight Zone, a series that used science fiction and fantasy to explore human ethics and morality before most Pluribus fans were born. If you can put up with the stage-like vibe of the show, there are a lot of great episodes that cover the same ground as Pluribus, like S1, E22, "The Monster Are Due on Maple Street," in which a nice suburban community unravels over fear of a alien invasion; and S5, E20, "Stopover in a Quiet Town" a darkly funny episode in which an ordinary couple confronts an all-encompassing mystery. Also, don't miss S1, E21, "Mirror Image." It doesn't have a lot to do with Pluribus, but it's the creepiest, most suspenseful television episode ever made and I think you should watch it.Where to stream: Tubi, Prime12 Monkeys 12 Monkeys pairs perfectly with Pluribus. In it, a virus wipes out most of humanity, and one man is sent back in time to stop the end of everything. Like Pluribus, it’s a carefully plotted story rife with moral ambiguity, dark humor, and characters struggling against forces far bigger than themselves. Where to stream: Available to rent or buy on PrimeThe Prisoner The Prisoner was way ahead of its time, and its portrayal of an MI5 secret agent trapped in a mysterious town for reasons unknown is a perfect precursor to the existential paranoia and surveillance-heavy themes in Pluribus. A mash-up of spy thriller, psychological drama, and allegorical science fiction, The Prisoner's exploration of the tension between individuality and conformity still works. Plus, it's occasionally unhinged in that specific 1960s way that Austin Powers parodied.Where to stream: PrimeHer It hasn't taken long for real life to catch up with 2013's Her. This strange rom-com details the relationship between nerdy everyman Theodore and the AI he falls in love with. Like Pluribus, Her questions how technology and modernity are changing our idea of what it means to be human, but Her is intensive instead of extensive, deeply exploring one person's (and one bot's) story without as much focus on the larger world.Where to stream: Available to rent or buy on Prime and Apple TV+Severance One of the things I like about Pluribus is that it's clear Vince Gilligan was provided with the resources, freedom, and time to fully realize his vision, a luxury that seems to be becoming increasingly rare in entertainment. Severance is another example of a high concept, intelligent science fiction story that feels creatively free. Its exploration of alienation and identity is a perfect match with Pluribus. Where to stream: Apple TV+The Man Who Fell to Earth Modern science fiction shows like Pluribus and Severance remind me of the heady, pre-Star Wars sci-fi of the 1970s, where science fiction tropes like spaceships and aliens were used to explore philosophical and cultural ideas in ways realism can't reach. The Man Who Fell to Earth takes on big ideas like isolation, the corrupting influence of capitalism, and what it means to be human (or not human) while wrapping them in a surreal, otherworldly story. Plus, it stars David Bowie as an alien, so it's a must-watch. Where to stream: Tubi, Pluto TV.Russian Doll Russian Doll follows Nadia, an average, urban woman stuck in a time loop. She repeatedly dies and wakes up at her birthday party, like an edgier version of Groundhog Day. Like Pluribus, Russian Doll blends high-concept science fiction with dark humor and explorations of identity, choice, and the meaning of life. The show is clever, fast-paced, and smart—perfect for viewers who like their fantastical stories with a side of introspection and absurdity.Where to stream: NetflixThe Good Place There haven't been many (or maybe any) straight-up comedies that explore philosophical ideas like The Good Place does, so it's hard to believe that its big ideas and sit-com style jokes could blend together so smoothly. But they do, and the result is a wholly original show. If Pluribus was played strictly for laughs instead of partly for laughs, it might look something like The Good Place. Where to stream: Apple TV+Ex Machina Ex Machina is a cerebral thriller about a young programmer administering the Turing test to an AI-powered robot named Ava. Like Pluribus, it explores big questions about consciousness and free will, while also playing with the blurred lines between creator and creation. This smart, stylish flick is a must-watch for anyone interested in the philosophical side of sci-fi.Where to stream: Buy or rent on Prime or YouTube