Netflix's new series Flinch has one rule: don't flinch. However, that easy command becomes increasingly difficult when contestants are subjected to loud noises, falling mechanical equipment, and too-close-for-comfort encounters with barn animals all in the name of competition. Its first season, dropping May 3 on Netflix, is packed with 10 episodes of these shenanigans. And while the streaming service hasn't confirmed if Flinch will return for Season 2, there are still plenty of ways for fans to get their fix while they wait for news.
Other shows may not have the barn party-meets-Saw vibe that Flinch offers, but the stunt-based game show has plenty of predecessors. The series itself is reminiscent of early 2000s programming like Fear Factor or Jackass, which both became cultural touchstones by encouraging people to put themselves into ridiculous, sometimes painful situations. The complex design of Flinch's contraptions, meanwhile, feel more reminiscent of shows like Wipeout! and Japanese television classic Takeshi's Castle.
There aren't many shows that have the same production value and creative fear-delivering mechanisms that Flinch does, but anyone looking for more shock-based content doesn't have to look very far. Here are just a few shows that will satisfy the same sense of schadenfreude provided by Flinch.
The Late Late Show with James Corden
Do you love the concept of Flinch, but you'd love it even much more if celebrities were involved? Well then this recurring Late Late Show with James Corden segment, also titled Flinch, is exactly what you're looking for. The segment always has the same setup: celebrities stand behind plexiglass while fruit and vegetables are launched at them. It may not be as creatively varied, but it has featured a ton if famous faces, including Blackpink, Harry Styles, and Priyanka Chopra.
Too Stupid To Die
If you love the rural aesthetic of Flinch, then you may want to take a chance on MTV's Too Stupid To Die. The stunt series takes a lot of its cues from fellow MTV show Jackass, and does much more than simply cause the show's participants to flinch. If you can't handle seeing other people in pain, this show may be a bit much, but if you felt that Flinch went a little too easy on its competitors than it will be right up your alley.
YouTube
As much as stunt-based shows encourage viewers to not "try this at home," the advent of Youtube has encouraged hundreds, if not thousands, to "try this at home." A search for "Don't Flinch Challenge" on the site will lead to a variety of videos whose sole purpose is to try and get others to flinch. These videos don't have the same production values as Flinch, but if you're looking for a few quick hit, it'll do the trick.
While there's some stuff on television and online that's similar to Flinch, there's nothing quite as unique or confounding. Until there's word of a second season from Netflix, however, Flinch fans have plenty of material to make the wait for new episodes a little easier.
