If Disney+’s *Andor* resonated with you as profoundly as it did with me — I’ve even labeled it [one of the best shows of the decade](https://bgr.com/entertainment/5-reasons-why-andor-on-disney-is-one-of-the-best-tv-shows-of-the-past-decade/) — then let me suggest a lesser-known streaming gem that could satisfy the same dystopian cravings. It’s not a recent release (in fact, it debuted a decade ago), but it’s a remarkable Prime Video drama that far too many viewers overlooked initially: It’s [*The Man in the High Castle*](https://www.primevideo.com/detail/The-Man-in-the-High-Castle/0T1R1MXA75ZCR0C3247CHPIS3X), adapted from Philip K. Dick’s [novel](https://www.amazon.com/Man-High-Castle-Philip-Dick/dp/0547572484?tag=b0c55-20&asc_source=web&asc_campaign=web&asc_refurl=https%3A%2F%2Fbgr.com%2Fentertainment%2Fthis-underrated-prime-video-resistance-drama-is-a-must-watch-for-andor-fans%2F) bearing the same title. The series envisions an alternate version of history, in which the Allies were defeated in World War II, leaving the US divided among the Axis powers, and I’d like to argue why *Andor* enthusiasts should definitely explore it.
The show isn’t flashy, which likely contributes to the fact that so many people may not know about it. However, for those who connected with *Andor*’s realistic tone and its atmosphere of unease, *The Man in the High Castle* delivers an equally impactful narrative: A dystopian tale that portrays rebellion as a gradual response born of fear, loss, and sacrifice, rather than explosive action.
Much like *Andor*, this series revolves around individuals striving to coexist within the shadow of an empire. Some seek to vanish into ordinary lives. Others choose collaboration, while a courageous few believe that the truth is worth every risk, even if it means standing solitary.
This year also commemorates the 10th anniversary of *The Man in the High Castle*, which was among Prime Video’s early efforts to create the sort of prestige television that would come to characterize streaming services. Notably, the series still enjoys respectable Rotten Tomatoes ratings from critics and audiences (84% and 79%, respectively). Moreover, the cast features the consistently impressive Rufus Sewell, who portrays an SS officer tasked with pursuing resistance members.
As for the series itself, it unfolds in a fractured post-war America — with the Nazis dominating the East and the Japanese the West, separated by a so-called “neutral zone” — crafting a reality where propaganda reigns and resistance often feels pointless (does this sound familiar, *Andor* fans?). But then, a curious event transpires: A film emerges that reveals an alternative history, one where the Nazis … *lost* the war. An alternative history of an already alternate history, if you will.
Just as *Andor* Season 2 marked a dramatic rise in the exploration of fascism’s mechanisms — highlighted by the methodical horror of the Ghorman massacre and the deployment of a false-flag operation to “justify” the act — *The Man in the High Castle* traverses similar thematic territory. What strikes me most is how both series treat the truth as something delicate and at risk. In *Andor*, Sen. Mothma cautions that “the loss of an objective reality is perhaps the most dangerous” thing imaginable. Prime Video’s drama takes that notion a step further.
It envisions what unfolds when reality itself is supplanted by an untruth so colossal that no one dares to challenge it. Because that falsehood is enforced by guns, tanks, and mass surveillance.
