Terminator Zero

Available on Netflix

The Terminator franchise has laid dormant since 2015’s Genisys, a film that was atrocious enough to be considered the death knell for James Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd’s once great series. Thankfully, Netflix’s burgeoning propensity for creating stellar anime series has breathed life into a tale that feels uniquely suited to our times, given its prophetic focus on the rise of artificial intelligence and the potential existential threat it poses to humanity. 

Developed by Mattson Tomlin, Terminator Zero is free of the baggage associated with its live action predecessors (namely, Arnold Schwarzenegger and his iconic-but-wearisome catchphrases) but nonetheless serves as an adroit continuation of their legacies. Tomlin’s focus is predominantly on technology and how its differing usages elicit contrasting emotional reactions from those who are confronted by it. Similarly, the series posits the question of whether it is actually us who pose a greater threat to the planet than our robot counterparts, eliciting memories of the early seasons of Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy’s Westworld while doing so.

Like much of Netflix’s recent anime series, the show is also gorgeously animated and well performed by a voice cast that includes a number of household names. Although its connection to prior Terminator films means that some of its plot points occasionally feel rehashed, the new terrain the show inhabits, coupled with its well-considered narrative, means this is a highly rewarding watch for long-term fans and newbies alike.