IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack and the most controversial series on streaming

IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack is a crime thriller drama on Netflix that has become the latest controversial series on streaming. Viewers will either love shows that fall into this category or avoid them at all costs, there’s no in-between. If you are the former and enjoy watching series that touch on hard-hitting topics, here are seven titles to stream. 

We’ll start with the series that inspired this post, and that’s the Indian Hindi-language crime thriller, IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack. Just as the title suggests, the series follows the events before, during, and after the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814 in 1999, also known as IC 814. Yes, the crime thriller is based on a true story, which is part of what makes the series a controversial one. 

The Netflix drama is triggering, to say the least. But this isn’t why the series received poor reviews from critics. Many also pointed out the average acting and messy storytelling. This didn’t stop audiences from watching as the series sat at No. 2 on Netflix’s Global Top 10 Non-English shows. 

Also streaming on Netflix and on the list of the most controversial shows, we have Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Unlike IC 814, Netflix’s Jeffrey Dahmer was loved by both critics and audiences, with star Evan Peters receiving high praise for perfectly executing the role of the infamous serial killer. However, Dahmer Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story was released during a time true crime series were in high demand, which begged us all to ask the question – are we glamorizing serial killers?  

The most controversial series on streaming

• IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, streaming on Netflix
• Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, streaming on Netflix
• Couple to Throuple, streaming on Peacock
• 13 Reasons Why, streaming on Netflix
• Euphoria, streaming on Max
• The Idol, streaming on Max
• Skins, streaming on Hulu

Another series from this list that I want to highlight is Skins (the original British version), a series ahead of its time. Skins never backed down or pulled back any punches when it came to featuring hard hitting topics. We’re talking about mental illness, addiction, and death. What’s so controversial about it, you may be asking. Well, it may not be that way in today’s time, but Skins premiered in 2007, and no one wanted to touch these topics during those days. Still, even today, some subjects the series covers are incredibly triggering.