A retelling of the Arthurian legend, Cursed is a Netflix original series that premiered in July 2020. The series and its familiar cast attracted many viewers, but not all critics praised the series as much as its avid fans have.
With elements of fantasy, adventure, and historical fiction, the series puts a young woman named Nimue into the spotlight. She wields the Sword of Power, but she also has a lot more authority than she realizes. Nimue is played by Katherine Langford, who starred as Hannah Baker in 13 Reasons Why. Gustaf Skarsgård and Peter Mullan also star.
The Shannara Chronicles
The Shannara Chronicles is based on Terry Brooks' popular epic fantasy novel series. Starring Austin Butler, Ivana Baquero, Poppy Drayton, John Rhys-Davies, and Vanessa Morgan, the series takes place in a fantasy land that hints at days gone by, just like Cursed.
In fact, the two series are very similar in terms of the setting, costumes, and characters. The main difference is that the story takes place thousands of years after humankind's collapse. An elven princess named Amberle joins forces with Eretria, a human, and Wil, a half-elf, to stop a demon army from bringing about the end of days.
13 Reasons Why
For fans of Katherine Langford, 13 Reasons Why is a must-watch. In fact, one of the main marketing points for Cursed was Langford's part as the leading character, Nimue.
In 13 Reasons Why, another Netflix original, Langford portrays Hannah Baker, a girl who committed suicide and left behind a series of tapes explaining the reasons why. She appears only in the first two seasons, which explore the effects people's actions have on others' mental health.
Sex Education
Another series for fans of the Cursed cast, Sex Education stars Lily Newmark in a role of similar comic relief. In the high school drama, Ruthie is a side character who pops in and out of the show to give Otis advice in a hilariously withering way.
In Cursed, Pym is Nimue's best friend. She also offers advice, but when the two girls are separated, she ends up on a ship with Germanics as their healer. Her character is one of the few who adds any humor and lightness to the show, but she still goes through her fair share of heartbreak and loss.
Legend Of The Seeker
For those who have read the book on which Cursed is based, The Sword Of Truth series by Terry Brooks is in the same vein. In 2008, the novels were adapted for the screen with the series Legend Of The Seeker.
It ran for two seasons and features a lot of sword-wielding, power-hungry, magic-possessing characters. Of course, the main story revolves around a wizard trying to stop a tyrant from unleashing an ancient evil upon the world.
Reign
Though Reign is about Mary, Queen of Scots, it's actually very similar to Cursed in a lot of ways. Most importantly, it's about women in positions of power in a world where nobody wants them there.
Though Reign is rooted in history, the story is only loosely based on Queen Mary's real life. But, like the Netflix series, it incorporates folklore and urban legend into its story. Prophecies in Reign prove to be fateful and very important to the story's progression, just as in Nimue's story.
Camelot
For those looking for more about King Arthur, Camelot is the way to go. After King Uther dies, Merlin appoints Arthur as king, even though he was raised as a commoner.
Naturally, this background of "ill-breeding" causes some challenges for Arthur, as he struggles to rise to his leadership. The Arthur of Cursed experiences similar feelings of inadequacy and incompetence, though he isn't king (yet).
Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina
Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina is another Netflix series steeped in mythology and magic. Sabrina Spellman is half-witch, half-mortal, and on her 16th birthday, she must forsake all connections to the mortal world in order to become a witch.
However, a lot more is at stake than losing her friends; she is part of an ancient prophecy and actually the daughter of Lucifer. In this way, she and Nimue are similar. Just like Cursed, Sabrina's story is intertwined with history, most notably when it comes to Lilith's storyline.
The Mists Of Avalon
The Mists Of Avalon is a miniseries that also centers on the legend of the Lady Of The Lake. Like Nimue, the Lady Of The Lake is tasked with saving her kingdom.
Even though her sister resits her and her plans, she still plans to succeed. The only solution she sees is to begin training her niece so that she may succeed her on the throne.
The Witcher
The Witcher premiered on Netflix in December 2019 to immediate popularity. Henry Cavill stars as the witcher Geralt, who is a mutated monster hunter. A witcher is someone who has developed supernatural abilities to battle monsters and other creatures.
Like Nimue, he must slay all kinds of evils, but also like Nimue, he discovers that humans sometimes prove to bring about more destruction than monsters do. The Witcher is also based on a Polish fantasy novel series.
Merlin
Finally, Merlin is a must-watch for anyone who enjoyed Cursed. The series ran for five seasons and saw a reasonable amount of success with critics and audiences.
In this exploration of Arthur and Merlin's story, the two are young men who don't yet understand their destinies. Arthur is the heir to the throne, while Merlin, under Uther's Great Purge, is not allowed to use magic. Lancelot, Guinevere, and Morgana are also key characters who will one day become important in the legend of Camelot.