Hilarious-yet-informative. There is no better way to educate ourselves on issues that matter in America and other countries more than watching Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj — or according to the creator itself, "It's like watching a Drake concert, but you're also learning!"
Over its six volumes, the Indian-American comedian has drawn plenty of praise and controversy along the way. Up to this writing, the show has won an Emmy for Outstanding Motion Design, a Peabody for Entertainment Award, and two Webby Awards. Loving this program? Well, say no more, because these ten Netflix titles will serve you just right!
10 Narcos: Mexico
Patriot Act is a bravado, satire political stand-up comedy show that doesn't sugarcoat anything from anyone—the quality trait that Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena, a former Drug Enforcement Administration undercover agent and the central point of Narcos: Mexico also had.
The first season, which was released in 2018, details the struggle of Miguel Angel Félix Gallardo, a former Sinaloan policeman, in uniting all the plaza to form the notorious Guadalajaran cartel. On the other hand, Kiki is being transferred from DEA's Fresno branch.
9 Stateless
Hasan Minhaj is a first-generation son of immigrant parents, hence plenty of people who watch his show relates to him.
Six-part, based-on-real-life-event drama Stateless shares the same fate. The Australian series centers the story of four strangers: an Afghani refugee fleeing the war in his homeland, a problematic bureaucrat, a young Aussie father, and an airline hostess running from a dangerous cult. The country's terrible detention centers unite the four contrasting characters at some point at an intersection in their lives.
8 Trevor Noah: Son Of Patricia
Next is nobody but Minhaj's very own Daily Show mate, Trevor Noah. As the title of the series suggests, Son of Patricia is a stand-up comedy special that takes on Noah's South African roots, racism, immigration, lessons from his mother, and ... tacos, in the most hard-hitting way.
"You can hate immigrants all you want," he said. "But if you do, you don't get to eat their foods. No Mexican foods, No Caribbean foods. Only potatoes."
7 House Of Cards
The road to power is paved with hypocrisy and casualties. House of Cards is among the best political thriller series ever aired. Adapted from the 1989 British novel of the same title, House of Cards centers on ruthless, sociopathic Congressman Frank Underwood and his wife, Claire, as they take on the White House and its dirty political intrigues.
House of Cards has a total of six seasons in store, so you will have a lot to catch up. It's available on Netflix.
6 Aziz Ansari: Buried Alive
Before Hasan Minhaj, there was Aziz Ansari. Growing up in the Islamic surroundings of an Indian family, Ansari pours everything on his 2013 70-minute Netflix special set, Buried Alive. He touches his viewpoint on love, marriage, and parenting, in a much more matured perspective than his previous comedy specials.
Buried Alive was shot at Philadelphia's Merriam Theater as a part of his sold-out 'Buried Alive' tour. Upon its release on Netflix, Buried Alive was the platform's biggest comedy exclusive.
5 Trevor Noah: Afraid Of The Dark
More from Trevor Noah, and this time, it's Afraid of the Dark. The 2017 comedy show sees the 'Daily Show' pundit takes on American politics, journalism, accents, and why being drunk in Scotland is a terrible idea.
The best part of the show is how the South African native touches on so many accents flawlessly, proving that he is indeed a versatile comedian who basically could pull anything off.
4 Better Call Saul
Put your suit up, because Saul Goodman is in the building. Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad's sibling show, is a must-watch for every Patriot Act fan, especially if you're a fan of the laws. It centers Jimmy McGill, a morally-grey lawyer, and his slow & painful journey to become Saul Goodman, the sleazy kind we know from the Breaking Bad universe.
The show airs on AMC and Netflix, and its finale season will be aired next year, so make sure to tune in before it ends!
3 Narcos
If Narcos: Mexico is on this list, then Narcos should be in consideration too. Filmed in Colombia, Narcos follows the rise and the downfall of bloodthirsty, hell-raising drug mogul, Pablo Escobar, and his powerful Medellin Cartel empire.
Spoiler alert, Escobar was shot dead, and the third season picks up what's left off from the show and takes on Medellin's rival, the infamous Cali Cartel.
2 Vox: Explained
Aside from its hilarious one-liners and Minhaj's on-stage appeal, Patriot Act brings something fresh on the table, and that is the aesthetically pleasing set and living interactive infographics. It beautifully intertwines with Minhaj's presence, which pretty much explains why the graphic team won an Emmy for Outstanding Motion Design.
If you're a fan of that, tune into Vox's Explained series on Netflix. Each episode focuses on different topics that you didn't know you want to know, from K-Pop to the study of aging, packed up with an astonishing graphic.
1 Homecoming King
After departing the Daily Show, Hasan Minhaj focused on his next venture on Netflix and poured his heart and soul into his debut, Homecoming King. Set in his hometown of Davis, California, Minhaj summarizes his background and upbringing into a 72-minutes non-stop brilliant storytelling, from his childhood experience of growing up in a predominantly white neighborhood to his first time meeting Jon Stewart before joining his Daily Show team.
For some, Homecoming King is a painful pill to swallow, and relatable to first-generation children of American immigrant families. Minhaj worded his ironic, bitter tale beautifully, and you wouldn't notice that you've spent almost half an hour watching him.