7 Best TV Shows Like Yellowjackets To Watch Next

Yellowjackets (2021) became widely known because it blends survival horror, psychological drama, and coming-of-age trauma into a single gripping storyline. The series stands out with its dual timeline structure, showing both the brutal wilderness survival of a teenage soccer team and their disturbing adult lives decades later. This mix of mystery, emotional damage, and hidden secrets created a unique viewing experience that quickly gained a global fanbase. In this article, we will explore tv shows like yellowjackets and break down the best series that deliver similar tension, survival themes, and psychological depth. We will also introduce best shows like The Last of Us (2023), which shares similar emotional intensity and post-apocalyptic survival storytelling.

1. The Last of Us (2023)

Taste Match: Drama + Post-Apocalyptic + Survival + Emotional Thriller

Best For: Viewers who enjoy emotional survival stories with strong character development

Expectation: A heartbreaking journey through a ruined world filled with danger and humanity

The Last of Us (2023) is a post-apocalyptic drama based on the famous video game. The story follows Joel and Ellie as they travel across a destroyed America filled with infected creatures and hostile survivors. What makes this series powerful is not just the survival aspect but the emotional bond that slowly forms between the two main characters. Every episode combines tension, action, and emotional storytelling in a balanced way. The series is often considered one of the strongest modern survival dramas ever produced.

Rotten Tomatoes:

• Critics Score (Tomatometer): 96%
• Audience Score (Popcornmeter): 89%

imdb: The Last of Us (2023)

2. Severance (2022)

Taste Match: Psychological Thriller + Sci-Fi + Mystery

Best For: Fans of mind-bending corporate mystery stories

Expectation: A slow-burning psychological puzzle with disturbing revelations

Severance (2022) takes place in a world where employees undergo a procedure that separates their work memories from their personal lives. This creates two versions of the same person who never truly meet each other’s reality. As the story unfolds, the characters begin to question the truth behind their workplace and their own identities. The series builds tension slowly but constantly, keeping viewers trapped in a feeling of uncertainty. Its unique concept makes it one of the most original psychological thrillers of recent years.

Rotten Tomatoes:

• Critics Score (Tomatometer): 97%
• Audience Score (Popcornmeter): 86%

imdb: Severance (2022)

3. Stranger Things (2016)

Taste Match: Sci-Fi + Horror + Mystery + Adventure

Best For: Fans of supernatural mystery mixed with nostalgia

Expectation: A thrilling mix of friendship, monsters, and government secrets

Stranger Things (2016) is set in a small American town where a young boy mysteriously disappears, leading a group of kids to uncover a hidden parallel dimension called the Upside Down. The series mixes supernatural horror with emotional friendships and 1980s nostalgia. As the seasons progress, the threats become bigger and more dangerous, involving government experiments and powerful creatures. The show balances emotional storytelling with suspense and action. It remains one of the most popular mystery series globally.

Rotten Tomatoes:

• Critics Score (Tomatometer): 91%
• Audience Score (Popcornmeter): 90%

imdb: Stranger Things (2016)

4. Dark (2017)

Taste Match: Sci-Fi + Mystery + Time Travel + Psychological Drama

Best For: Viewers who enjoy complex storytelling and timelines

Expectation: A deeply layered story about time loops and destiny

Dark (2017) is a German sci-fi thriller centered around a small town where missing children reveal a time-travel conspiracy spanning generations. The series is known for its complex narrative structure and interconnected timelines. Every character is linked in unexpected ways across different eras. The show requires close attention but rewards viewers with a deeply satisfying story. Its dark atmosphere and philosophical themes make it highly unique in the genre.

Rotten Tomatoes:

• Critics Score (Tomatometer): 94%
• Audience Score (Popcornmeter): 95%

imdb: Dark (2017)

5. The Leftovers (2014)

Taste Match: Drama + Mystery + Psychological + Supernatural

Best For: Fans of emotional and philosophical storytelling

Expectation: A slow emotional exploration of grief and unexplained loss

The Leftovers (2014) begins after 2% of the world’s population suddenly disappears without explanation. The series follows those who remain and struggle to understand life after this global event. Instead of focusing on answers, the show explores grief, faith, and human behavior under pressure. Its emotional depth and symbolic storytelling make it highly impactful. The series is often praised for its powerful performances and thought-provoking themes.

Rotten Tomatoes:

• Critics Score (Tomatometer): 91%
• Audience Score (Popcornmeter): 90%

imdb: The Leftovers (2014)

6. Lost (2004)

Taste Match: Mystery + Survival + Adventure + Drama

Best For: Fans of island survival and long-running mysteries

Expectation: A survival mystery with deep character backstories

Lost (2004) follows survivors of a plane crash stranded on a mysterious island filled with secrets and unexplained phenomena. Each character has a complex backstory revealed through flashbacks. The island itself holds scientific and supernatural mysteries that unfold gradually. The series combines survival drama with puzzle-like storytelling. It became one of the most influential mystery shows in television history.

Rotten Tomatoes:

• Critics Score (Tomatometer): 86%
• Audience Score (Popcornmeter): 85%

imdb: Lost (2004)

7. Sharp Objects (2018)

Taste Match: Psychological Thriller + Crime + Drama

Best For: Fans of dark psychological character studies

Expectation: A slow and intense emotional mystery with dark themes

Sharp Objects (2018) follows a journalist who returns to her hometown to investigate a series of murders. As she digs deeper, she is forced to confront her own traumatic past. The story focuses heavily on psychological tension and emotional damage. The atmosphere is dark, slow, and deeply unsettling. It is more about mental breakdowns than traditional crime solving.

Rotten Tomatoes:

• Critics Score (Tomatometer): 93%
• Audience Score (Popcornmeter): 92%

imdb: Sharp Objects (2018)

MovieTaster Taste Map for Yellowjackets

Beginner Mystery & Survival: Lost (2004) → Stranger Things (2016)

Psychological Depth: Sharp Objects (2018) → Severance (2022)

Emotional Survival Stories: The Last of Us (2023) → The Leftovers (2014)

Complex Mind-Bending Experience: Dark (2017)

Final Note from MovieTaster

If you enjoyed Yellowjackets, you are likely drawn to stories where survival is not just physical but deeply psychological. The shows listed above expand that feeling in different directions—some focus on emotional trauma, others on mystery, and some on complete reality breakdowns. The best experience comes from mixing emotional survival dramas like The Last of Us with complex mysteries like Dark or Severance. Each series in this list offers a different layer of tension and human behavior under pressure. Watching them in combination will give you a full spectrum of what makes tv shows like yellowjackets so addictive.