Better Than Us

In a near-future Moscow where humanoid robots are part of everyday life, a methodical forensic expert named Georgy works with a robot assistant while trying to keep his family life steady. When a new model of advanced android appears at the center of a homicide, Georgy gets pulled into an investigation that upends assumptions about who or what can be responsible for violence. The series follows how the case ripples through the lives of the Safronov family, tech companies, and society at large, raising questions about legality, personhood, and the shifting boundaries between humans and machines without revealing key twists or endings.

First released in Russia in 2018, the show was directed by Andrey Dzhunkovskiy and created by Alexander Dagan and Alexandr Kessel, with Paulina Andreeva starring as the experimental android Arisa. Netflix later added the series to its international catalog, broadening its audience.

Critics and viewers responded with mixed to positive reviews, reflected in a vote average around 7.34/10 from genre audiences. Reviewers often praised the performances and production design while noting pacing and plotting unevenness across episodes. Major themes include the ethics of artificial intelligence, corporate control over technology, intimate family dynamics, and how empathy is assigned or withheld in a technological age.

The series helped introduce contemporary Russian science fiction to wider streaming audiences, sparking online conversations about android rights and the visual language of near-future urban life. Arisa's presence and certain tense scenes became talking points among viewers, and fan communities grew around character interpretations and speculative questions the story raises.

While Better Than Us didn't dominate international awards seasons, it built a notable following and generated attention for its ambitions in worldbuilding and social commentary. Its impact has been more cultural and conversational than tied to trophy cases, opening doors for other non-English genre shows on global platforms.