Review: Alice in Borderland takes us down a deliciously bonkers rabbit hole

Enlarge / Tokyo residents find themselves trapped in a post-apocalyptic parallel world called Borderland, where they must compete in deadly games to survive. (credit: Netflix)

In the carefree, pre-pandemic Before Times, escape rooms were all the rage as fun group activities, where people had to solve a puzzle or mystery, or complete a series of tasks, in order to escape. Alice in Borderland, a hugely entertaining new Netflix series from Japan, takes that concept to a whole new level, transforming Tokyo into an alternate dimension called "Borderland." Those trapped therein must compete in deadly games to survive, and escape is by no means guaranteed. This is an emotionally intense, addictive series you'll definitely want to binge.

(Some spoilers below, but no major reveals.)

As previously reported, the series is based on the Japanese manga by Haro Aso. It has elements of Alice in Wonderland and Ready Player One, with a dash of Lord of the Flies and the 1997 sci-fi horror film, Cube, thrown in for good measure, but it's very much an original vision. The TV adaptation is directed by Shinsuke Sato, best known for 2001's The Princess Blade and last year's Kingdom, and co-written by Haro Aso and Yasuko Kuramitsu. The manga tells the story of Ryhei Arisu (Arisu can be translated as "Alice"), a bored high schooler who longs for a more exciting life. Arisu's wish is granted during a fireworks celebration: he and his two best friends find themselves in a post-apocalyptic parallel world known as Borderland.

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