# Cleverman (2016)

> In a near-future world where mythological Hairypeople must survive human hostility, a young man called the Cleverman struggles with his powers and a broken bond with his brother.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/58707

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 12
- Episode runtime: 52 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: science fiction, drama, action, mystery
- Created by: Leah Purcell, Wayne Blair
- Network: ABC TV
- Cast: Hunter Page-Lochard, Iain Glen, Rob Collins, Frances O'Connor, Ryan Corr, Stef Dawson, Deborah Mailman, Tasma Walton
- TMDB rating: 6.4/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4649420/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: dense
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: somber, urgent, allegorical, hopeful, tense

## What critics say

Viewers find Cleverman a bold, politically charged genre series whose second season grew stronger than its uneven first, though its six-episode first run felt too short for its dense world.

## Synopsis

Cleverman (2016-2017) is an Australian and New Zealand co-produced science fiction drama created by Leah Purcell and Wayne Blair for ABC TV. Hunter Page-Lochard plays Koen West, a young man who becomes the Cleverman, a figure from Aboriginal mythology whose new powers set him against his own unresolved estrangement from his older brother Waruu West (Rob Collins). Iain Glen plays Jarrod Slade, a figure whose ambitions push a world already fearful of difference toward exploitation of the Hairypeople, the mythic creatures who have emerged with extraordinary physical traits and now fight for survival. Deborah Mailman plays Aunty Linda, and Frances O'Connor plays Charlotte Cleary, rounding out a cast working across a divided society. The engine of the series is the struggle to protect a hunted community while Koen learns to wield his gifts and repair the family bond that defines him. Across a two-season run of twelve episodes, the story builds from a tense first chapter into a larger, more politically charged conflict. Set in a near future Australia, the show blends dystopian thriller, supernatural action, and mystery with a grounded sense of cultural identity. Its tone is somber and urgent, with moments of grief and hope, and its themes of xenophobia, integration, and belonging give it an allegorical edge. Fans of District 9, American Gods and Humans will find resonance in its speculative take on prejudice and the outsider.

## Shows like Cleverman

- [Snowpiercer (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/68502)
- [Trickster (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/89138)
- [Sense8 (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/54940)
- [The Winter King (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/83831)
- [Cursed (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/70945)
- [The Imperfects (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/126518)
- [Beyond (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/59532)
- [See (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/69202)
- [The Innocents (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/66966)
- [Raised by Wolves (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/72815)

---

Site overview: https://ember.film/llms.txt