Under your duvet, last night, you may have enjoyed the last episode of an apocalyptic series on Netflix. These devastated and disturbing universes are growing, from The Last of Us to Brea, including collapse and The Rain. But why are we so many of us to immerse ourselves in these ends of the end of the world? Amélie Boukhobza, clinical psychologist, answers.
Catastrophe scenarios that captivate
Whether they are deadly viruses, zombies or natural disasters, apocalyptic series often rest on the same recipe: a weakened humanity, survivors left to themselves and a society to be rebuilt. They stage economic, political or climatic crises, sometimes amplified by imaginary threats, where chaos is inevitable. This extreme decor makes it possible to confront the characters with their limits and to expose the most radical human choices.
Some works use this framework to criticize our current societies. The scarlet servant, for example, describes a future where women are reduced to reproductive slavery, an icing but strangely familiar world for spectators. Black Mirror, on the other hand, questions the growing place of technology in our lives, pushing its drifts to the extreme.
When fear becomes a mirror
For Amélie Boukhobza, the success of these stories is due to a universal mechanism. “”The apocalyptic series like The Last of Us or the Brea captivate because they awaken something very human, namely our relationship to fear and survival. Behind the zombies, the giant chasms etc., what we look at is above all ourselves, immersed in the extreme“She explains.
These stories use our current anxieties – whether climate, pandemics or the collapse of systems – but they offer us a form of escape. “”They stage devastated worlds where, paradoxically, hope persists. It is still more than current! In these stories, we find heroes who resist, who recreate links in impossible conditions … which is good for morale! These are reconstruction stories“, She adds.
A catharsis in front of modern anxieties
Beyond the thrill, these series offer a cathartic experience: they transform our fears into a palpable scenarios, where an outcome remains possible. “”We project ourselves into situations where our fears become concrete, but where, in one way or another, we always find a way out. However, we all need to believe in a possible outcome! It is very reassuring to see that, even after the end, something can be reborn“Underlines the specialist.
They also work as a reflection. “”They question our humanity of course, but also our choices, our priorities. What remains when everything collapses? They show us that the main thing is not so much the major institutions or systems, as relationships, solidarities, and what we are ready to sacrifice to preserve them. In summary, what attracts us and fascinates us above all, is not so much the end of the world in itself, but rather the possibility of reinventing the world“.