Television series
M.A.N.T.I.S.
M.A.N.T.I.S. is a 1994 Fox superhero series about a brilliant bioengineer who builds an exo-skeleton to regain mobility after paralysis, then pivots to vigilante crime-fighting. It's earnest, action-driven mid-90s television with genuine heart—the kind of show that believes in its own mythology while embracing the era's tech-optimism and stylistic excess. Perfect for viewers who love the earnest superhero stories before grimdark became mandatory.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you enjoy earnest, old-fashioned crime stories where the hero's gadgets and moral seriousness matter more than gritty realism, and you don't mind a 1990s network look.
Skip it if you need sleek modern production or a fast pace, since this is a dated, talky 1990s network drama with a lot of plain exposition.
What it asks of you: Hour-long episodes, twenty-two of them in a single season, that take their time setting up each case and lean on earnest dialogue rather than quick cuts.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Batman: The Animated Series1992
Proof that superhero television can achieve artistic depth while remaining thrilling. The animation is stunning, the storytelling sophisticated, and it defined how Batman should sound and move for millions of viewers. A masterclass in the form.
But If you want constant action, the pacing can feel slow. It rewards patience and repeated viewing over kinetic thrills.
RoboCop1987
The spiritual ancestor of M.A.N.T.I.S.—a man rebuilt into a machine to fight crime, but Paul Verhoeven wrings tragedy, dark satire, and genuine action from the premise. Essential sci-fi cinema that influenced everything after.
But Brutally violent and sometimes grotesque. The satire can overshadow character moments for modern viewers expecting straighter storytelling.
The Incredible Hulk1977
Bill Bixby's haunted performance anchors this gem—a man cursed with a powerful alter ego he cannot control. The emotional core makes it resonate decades later, and it perfected the formula M.A.N.T.I.S. followed.
But The Hulk transformation scenes are cheaply done by any standard. Episodic and repetitive if you binge it.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from M.A.N.T.I.S.
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Moonlight2016
Both examine the paradox of protection—the armor that saves you also isolates you. One uses literal technology; the other uses emotional walls built for survival.
A quiet, profound meditation on vulnerability, identity, and the armor we build around ourselves. Shot in luminous color, structured in three acts following one man's life. Devastating emotional power without a single fight scene or exo-skeleton, but the same DNA about protection and exposure.
But Spare, poetic, and deliberately paced. If you want action or plot momentum, this will feel glacial and deliberately withholding.
More like this (6)
Darkman1990
Sam Raimi's operatic take on a pulp-fiction premise: a scarred man uses technology and deception to become a dark avenger. Wild, melodramatic, and bursting with creative visual language. Pure comic-book energy.
But The tone veers between campy and deadly serious in ways that don't always mesh. Some will find it overwrought rather than thrilling.
The Twilight Zone1959
The DNA of all thoughtful speculative television. Each episode explores a high-concept premise with intelligence and moral weight. M.A.N.T.I.S. wanted to be speculative sci-fi; this is how it's done at the highest level.
But Black-and-white and shot like a play. The pacing feels stately by modern standards, and some ideas feel dated.
Supergirl2015
An earnest, heartfelt superhero show about someone learning to use extraordinary power responsibly. It has genuine heart, humor, and colorful action without cynicism. Fundamentally believes in its heroes the way M.A.N.T.I.S. did.
But The early seasons can feel thin dramatically. Some episodes lean heavily on melodrama over substance.
The Six Million Dollar Man1973
The great-grandfather of M.A.N.T.I.S., with Lee Majors as a man rebuilt with technology to become a government super-agent. Campy in retrospect but genuinely effective, with real emotional stakes and stunts that still impress.
But Moves slowly and relies on 70s production values that some find difficult. The government-agent plotting can feel quaint.
Cyborg1989
Jean-Claude Van Damme as a near-human hybrid soldier in a dystopian future. Goofy action-movie plotting elevated by commitment to the premise and surprisingly good fight choreography. Guilty pleasure that earns its cult status.
But The script is thin and the dialogue often unintentionally funny. It's silly, and if you're not in the mood for earnest silliness, it won't work.
Videodrome1983
The inversion of M.A.N.T.I.S.—where one man uses technology to reclaim agency, Cronenberg shows technology invading and destroying selfhood. Both ask: what happens when man and machine merge?
A visionary body-horror film where technology and flesh merge into something transgressive and terrifying. James Woods is mesmerizing as a man slowly losing grip on reality and physical form. Genuinely prophetic about media saturation and technological intrusion.
But Deeply unsettling, with explicit gore and sexual violence. The narrative is deliberately fragmented and hallucinatory rather than reassuring.
