The Post-Apocalypse Martial Arts Series Leaving Netflix You Need To See

By Britta DeVore | Published

into the badlands

As many of our readers will know, the first of the month means one thing – streamers shake up the lineup of content, swapping out the old with the new. While it’s still a month away, Netflix will be dropping the martial arts sci-fi series, Into the Badlands on November 1, meaning that if you haven’t checked out the post-apocalyptic drama, you’ll want to get your binging in before it’s too late.

Into the Badlands will be streaming on Netflix only until November 1

Just as they previously hit the nail on the head with shows including Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, AMC delivered once again in 2015 when they gave their audiences a fresh bit of sci-fi mixed with high-octane karate skills.

For three seasons, viewers tuned in for adventure after adventure through Into the Badlands which took the apocalyptic premise of shows like The Walking Dead and completely flipped them upside down.

In Into the Badlands, the clock is turned 500 years into the future after a global war has destroyed everything that we know in the present day. Through all the bloodshed and brutality, firearms have become an obsolete thing of the past, with those left behind relying on old-fashioned weapons to protect themselves.

Like we’ve seen in other post-apocalyptic productions like the aforementioned The Walking Dead or The Last of Us, those left in society have broken off into different groups, with an area known as the Badlands the hub for them all.

In Into the Badlands, the clock is turned 500 years into the future after a global war has destroyed everything that we know in the present day.

Unfortunately for those who would hope that the end of the world as we know it would bring about a societal shift, that certainly isn’t the case for Into the Badlands. While everyone was set back, a group still managed to rise to prominence and control the surrounding land. Fighting for their rights to a better life, the oppressed people create their own units for survival.

into the badlands

Starring in Into the Badlands is a call sheet that includes Daniel Wu (American Born Chinese), Sarah Bolger (Once Upon a Time), Orla Brady (Star Trek: Picard), Oliver Stark (9-1-1), Aramis Knight (Centurion: The Dancing Stallion), Emily Beecham (Little Joe), Marton Csokas (Kingdom of Heaven), Madeleine Mantock (Charmed), Ally Ioannides (Parenthood), Sherman Augustus (Stranger Things), Nick Frost (Truth Seekers), Ella-Rae Smith (Clique), Lorraine Toussaint (The Equalizer), and Babou Ceesay (Guerrilla).

Upon its arrival, Into the Badlands garnered mixed reviews from critics during its first season. By the second season, however, it seemed that the creative team fixed the show’s issues, as the series landed a 100% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Still garnering praise during its third season, AMC ultimately made the decision to pull the plug on the imaginative and action-driven series with the third installment rounding out the story.

Fans of the band Linkin Park may have noted a similarity of sounds between the rock band and the score of Into the Badlands. That would be because Linkin Park’s co-founder, guitarist and singer, Mike Shinoda penned the soundtrack for the AMC series. The musician’s work can also be heard in other productions including Gareth Evans’ The Raid and CNN’s This Is Life with Lisa Ling

into the badlands

Along with Into the Badlands, Netflix subscribers will want to check out several other titles as many will be bowing out from the platform come the turn of the month. The lineup of last-chance productions includes 2 Fast 2 Furious, Bee Movie, Cliffhanger, Coming to America, Conan the Barbarian, Fast 5, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Girl, Interrupted, Liar Liar, No Strings Attached, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Uncle Buck, and Victorious.

The good news is that just because Into the Badlands and titles from the Fast & Furious franchise are leaving, more options are on the way. November’s changing of the guard will see the arrival of productions including Best. Christmas. Ever!, Rustin, Leo, Family Switch, and The Killer, which will mark David Fincher’s return to filmmaking. There will also be other original projects including All the Light We Cannot See, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, Squid Game: The Challenge, Money Heist: Berlin, and Season 3 of The Tailor.

Despite Into the Badlands preparing for its final month on Netflix, there are plenty of other AMC productions for audiences to catch. Whether you’re hoping to jump on the bandwagon and into the life of notorious drug dealer Walter White through Better Call Saul or Breaking Bad, Netflix has you covered.

The platform is also the current streaming home of The Walking Dead, which gives those high-octane apocalypse fans a full 11 seasons to binge from the comfort of their own home. 

Catch all three seasons of Into the Badlands between now and November 1 when the series takes a permanent leave of absence from Netflix and stay tuned to find out what else will be kicking the bucket at the end of the month.