The Next Big Thing from Netflix Is a Dystopian Thriller Called "3%"

In a post-apocalyptic world cruelly divided between progress and devastation, you only get one chance to improve your lot - and only 3% will succeed. A world divided into progress and devastation. The link between the two sides – Offshore and Inland – is a rigorous and painstaking system called The Process. Everyone in Inland has a chance to go through The Process to live a better life in Offshore. But only 3% make it through.

By this point, American audiences have seen pretty much every kind of dystopia: The Walking Dead's zombie apocalypse, The Hunger Games' gladiatorial combat, The Planet of the Apes' monkey revolution, everything. But every now and then, something comes along that changes the game. The Brazilian dystopian thriller series, titled 3%, may be that "something." The concept is simple, but chilling—here's the synopsis Netflix provided for the show:Netflix ordered one season of the show back in 2015, but today we got to see the first trailer. The Process, as the trailer shows, is like a mix of IQ puzzles and psychological tests that pit candidates against one another in a desperate, frenzied competition where the rules can change in an instant:There's a bunch of things that make 3% stand out right off the bat. First is the Brazilian cast and production—it's the first Netflix show produced in a language other than English. Second, the character in the wheelchair—one of the 'interviewers' tells him straight out that there are no special inclusivity laws in the Offshore (or the Process). Few recent shows have had a disabled character with so much emphasis placed on their disability, which makes it interesting to see how he'll deal with other, able-bodied candidates when some of the Process introduces physical violence. Third is the sheer ruthlessness of the whole show—people are already scheming against one another, punching each other in fist fights, and devolving into a Hobbesian nightmare. We may be getting a subtle look at a theme of the Process: what level of humanity and compassion would you give up in order to have a better life?The whole premise is relatively simple, with a lot of room for twists and human drama. It sounds a lot like a science-fiction short story, similar to The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas. All in all, it's an exciting addition to Netflix's already stellar lineup, and we're looking forward to finding out more about the show.3% will be released on Netflix on November 25th, 2016 in eight, hour-long episodes.