Common Side Effects

Name: Common Side Effects
Genre: Animation, Drama, Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Released: 2025-02-02
Cast: Dave King, Emily Pendergast, Mike Judge, Martha Kelly, Joseph Lee Anderson

2025 | 2 seasons | 23 min | Animation, Drama, Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Friday Night Flick

Why it’s a Friday Night Flick

Critics loved it (100% on Rotten Tomatoes), it drew serious awards attention and it's still drawing plenty of interest. Make plans for this one.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it: Made for anyone who wants a laugh, sci-fi fans and animation lovers. If you loved Cyberpunk: Edgerunners or Inside Job, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood: Darkly funny.
The pace: 2 seasons: a few weeks of evenings, short, snackable episodes, about 4 hours in all.
What might put you off: Rated TV-MA: meant for adults.
Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

Former high school lab partners Marshall and Frances begin to unravel a conspiracy involving big pharma and the federal government to suppress knowledge of a rare mushroom that may hold the key to curing all the world’s diseases.

How it earned its rating

CriticsVery strong
100% on Rotten Tomatoes
AudiencesSolid
8.5 out of 10
AwardsStrong
Won 1 Peabody Award: Peabody Awards: Entertainment. Also nominated for 1 Emmy and 1 Independent Spirit Award. Plus 5 other awards.
Reach & staying powerBelow par
Ran for 2 seasons and reached a modest audience
Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 414K people sought it out in the past year