Stephen King Thought This Trippy, Mind-Bending Sci-Fi Show On Netflix Was Terrific

Stephen King has written many, many, many books and is one of the most celebrated and prolific authors alive. His work has not only inspired countless other authors but plenty of adaptations and homages, too.

Somehow, in between writing numerous works of fiction, King also finds time to enjoy the work of others. An ardent fan of movies and TV in general, the author often shares his recommendations on social media, whether that means praising horror films like Scott Derrickson's "The Black Phone" or calling attention to big action movies, blockbusters, and even indie flicks or international projects.

Among the titles King has shouted out is "Dark," a mind-bending sci-fi show on Netflix that can be more than a little difficult to understand. As the author wrote on Twitter/X, "'DARK' (Netflix) is dark and complex ... and ... well ... very German. Terrific show. If you get confused, go to MetaWitches and check out Metacrone's recaps. Detailed and helpful."

"Dark" is indeed a "very German" streaming series. Created by Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, the show follows four families in the fictional town of Winden, Germany, as they unravel a time travel conspiracy spanning generations after a local child mysteriously disappears.

At least, that's how it begins. "Dark" starts out like the German version of "Stranger Things," but it's really a show that's all about examining the existential meaning of time and its effect on people, even as its story deals with paradoxes and parallel worlds. It's a breathtaking, time-hopping spectacle.

It's easy to see why Stephen King appreciated "Dark." The show shares a knack for creating an eerie sense of atmosphere and lore-building with the author. It opens with a suicide by hanging and somehow gets even bleaker from there. Kids start vanishing from the sleepy German town of Wilden, and when a body shows up, it belongs to a boy from a different time period. One of the kids who goes missing even winds up going back in time and encountering younger versions of his parents and other townspeople. It's like a depressing and much darker version of "Back to the Future."

"Dark" is also quite expressionistic, focusing more on creating mood than providing quick answers to its mysteries. As you watch it, the show makes you feel like there's always something terrible hiding just out of sight. More than that, creators Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese really know how to craft a compelling (if convoluted) mystery in a way that suggests they knew where they were going all along, with every payoff and clue arriving just when you're starting to feel exasperated.

This isn't a show that spells things out or holds your hand. Rather, it encourages you to decipher its deeper thematic meaning for yourself. Similarly, the series only raises more questions every season, with its final batch of episodes coming to an astounding conclusion that still manages to bring some closure to its greater narrative.

As good as "Dark" is, unfortunately, Netflix canceled Odar and Friese's follow-up series "1899" after just one season. Still, there's nothing stopping you from streaming it on the service while it remains available, along with "Dark" itself.