Wentworth, Frontier and 15 TV hidden gems on Netflix

12. Dark Tourist

Dark Tourist is a different kind of travel show. Where most travel shows want to take you to the fanciest destinations and tell you why you should want to go there, Dark Tourist takes a completely different approach.

The host, David Farrier, is focused on the macabre. Dark Tourism is a very real thing, and his goal is to travel the world to find the most intriguing dark tourist spots. If it’s not clear by the name, dark tourism is the idea of visiting places with dark history or a dark present. This can be spiritual, mystical, or historical.

For example, during the series, Farrier visits the site of the JFK assassination in Dallas. It is its own tourist hot spot, but he also joins a pair of Kennedy tours to see how the history is taught. On another end of the spectrum, he visits a museum in the U.K. that is basically a collection of the most disturbing crime-related paraphernalia you can imagine.

Not to limit himself to English-speaking countries, Farrier also visits Japan and tours some of the areas that were blocked off after a nuclear reactor exploded and to Colombia to visit Pablo Escobar’s prison guided by one of Escobar’s hitmen.

The show is fun at times but also has some very intense moments, particularly in the foreign countries. Our host is not one to shy away from risk and in certain countries this almost gets him into some trouble. He also has some trouble accepting some of the cultural norms in different areas and parts of the show become difficult to watch.

I may have already said too much. If you like learning about world culture or are otherwise fascinated with dark themes, this show should be on your list!