Westworld

A dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the evolution of sin. Set at the intersection of the near future and the reimagined past, it explores a world in which every human appetite, no matter how noble or depraved, can be indulged.

Westworld (2016-2022) is an HBO science fiction drama created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, a reimagining of the 1973 film with a Wild West twist. Set in a near-future theme park where wealthy guests indulge every appetite among lifelike android hosts, the story follows Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood), a farm girl whose routine begins to fracture, alongside Maeve Millay (Thandiwe Newton), a madam searching for a way out, and Bernard Lowe (Jeffrey Wright), the park's troubled engineer. Dr. Robert Ford (Anthony Hopkins), the park's visionary creator, guides the hosts' design, while Charlotte Hale (Tessa Thompson) pushes the park's corporate agenda. Across four seasons and thirty-six episodes, the series moves between timelines and layered reveals, building an intricate puzzle about consciousness, control and free will. Its tone is dark, philosophical and visually lavish, with brooding Western landscapes, violent set pieces and haunting questions about what it means to be human. Fans of Battlestar Galactica, Black Mirror and Dark will find resonance in its mix of speculative ethics and mythic storytelling.

Audiences broadly acclaim Westworld as an ambitious, visually striking meditation on artificial consciousness, though its densely layered mythology and declining ratings across later seasons divide opinion.

• Battlestar Galactica (2004)shared dark android uprising themes and violent western setting, serialized mystery
• Black Mirrorshared theme park setting with artificial hosts and moral inquiry into consciousness
• Ex Machinashared philosophical sci-fi tone, layered mystery and questions of machine consciousness
• Darkshared prestige sci-fi register, puzzle-box narrative and existential tone

Created by

Jonathan Nolan, Lisa Joy

Release Date

2016-10-02

Episode runtime

56 min

Rating

8.4 / 10 (6436)

What is Westworld about?

A futuristic theme park staffed by lifelike android hosts becomes a site of awakening, violence and philosophical reckoning.

What is Westworld like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Westworld as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as labyrinthine.

Is Westworld violent?

Yes. Ember rates the violence in Westworld as graphic.

What did critics think of Westworld?

Audiences broadly acclaim Westworld as an ambitious, visually striking meditation on artificial consciousness, though its densely layered mythology and declining ratings across later seasons divide opinion.

Which shows are like Westworld?

Shows with a similar feel include Battlestar Galactica (2004), Black Mirror, Ex Machina, and Dark.

How long is Westworld?

Westworld: 4 seasons, 36 episodes.

Is Westworld still running?

No, Westworld was canceled.