Common Side Effects

Marshall Cuso and Frances Applewhite, once top partners in a high school lab, reconnect as adults and stumble into a hidden conspiracy. A powerful alliance between big pharma and government agencies has quietly kept quiet a rare mushroom that could, if proven real, unlock cures for all diseases. As they chase down clues, the two friends must weigh their own safety against the chance to reveal a truth that could upend medicine, politics, and the way science is funded. The search pulls in allies and rivals alike, turning a quiet reunion into a dangerous test of trust and courage.

Common Side Effects is an original animated series created by Steve Hely, Joseph Bennett and Jon Foor released in 2025. It blends drama, comedy and speculative science, and features a voice cast led by Dave King, Emily Pendergast, Mike Judge, Martha Kelly and Joseph Lee Anderson.

The show probes ethics in science and power, asking who decides what knowledge is shared and who pays the price when cures exist but stay hidden. It pairs sharp humor with tense mystery, giving characters room to question authority while the world around them grows more surreal.

Box office data does not apply to TV series and there is no worldwide gross to report. As a streaming animated drama the series has drawn attention for its bold premise and strong ensemble performance.