The best Netflix original series right now
Netflix is still using slight of hand to hide the fact that new original series are becoming few and far between. Nearly nine months into 2024, you’d think that the effects of last year’s Hollywood strikes would be behind us. But even in August, the most prominent new Netflix originals — A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and The Decameron — are British and Italian co-productions with Netflix.
Having said that, both of the new additions have earned their place on our roundup of the best Netflix original series right now, alongside this summer’s other additions, Vikings: Valhalla and Cobra Kai, which respectively wrapped up its run and started an extended final season. To catch the rest of our picks, just keep scrolling down.
If you want to know the latest additions to the Netflix library, be sure to check out our list of what’s new on Netflix this month, the best movies on Netflix, and the best shows on Netflix.
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (2024) [New]
Metacritic: 66%
IMDb: 6.8/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Crime, Mystery
Cast: Emma Myers, Zain Iqbal, Asha Banks
Created by: Poppy Cogan
Wednesday’s Emma Myers comes into her own as a star in A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, an adaptation of Holly Jackson’s novel. Myers’ character, Pippa Fitz-Amobi, has spent years obsessing over the murder of a girl named Andie (India Lillie Davies), who was around Pippa’s age when she died. And Pippa always believed that the “confession” of Andie’s late boyfriend, Sal Singh (Rahul Pattni), was suspect.
Confident in her abilities as a detective, Pippa decides to make solving this case her class project for her last year in school. This doesn’t sit well with Sal’s younger brother, Ravi Singh (Zain Iqbal), until he realizes this may be his chance to clear Sal’s name. Pippa is kicking at the proverbial hornet’s nest, and it’s going to eventually kick back.
The Decameron (2024) [New]
Metacritic: 65%
IMDb: 6.3/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Cast: Amar Chadha-Patel, Leila Farzad, Lou Gala
Created by: Kathleen Jordan
It’s definitely not a Brat summer in The Decameron, Netflix’s black comedy that takes viewers back in time to 1348. The Black Death is ravaging Europe, and a desperate group of nobles and their servants have descended upon an estate in the Italian countryside to wait out the plague.
Tony Hale plays Sirisco, the steward of the villa whose master, Visconte Leonardo, is nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, a servant, Licisca (Tanya Reynolds), has taken the place of her spoiled mistress, Filomena (Jessica Plummer), and that’s not the only intrigue. One of the guests has smuggled in their lover, who has already been infected with the plague. And it’s only a matter of time before the Black Death catches up with them.
Vikings: Valhalla (2022)
Metacritic: 70%
IMDb: 7.3/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 3
Genre: Action & Adventure, Drama, War & Politics
Cast: Sam Corlett, Frida Gustavsson, Leo Suter
Created by: Jeb Stuart
You don’t need to watch Vikings to appreciate the sequel series, Vikings: Valhalla, although both shows are on Netflix. The streamer also ordered this show to chronicle the end of the Viking age. Over 100 years have passed since the events of the first series, and the Vikings’ dominance is giving way to other forces including the rise of Christianity.
Siblings Leif Erikson (Sam Corlett) and Freydís Eiríksdóttir (Frida Gustavsson) are the main characters alongside Harald Sigurdsson (Leo Suter). This trio of warriors aren’t always on good terms with each other. But their collective actions will determine the fate of their people.
Cobra Kai (2018)
Metacritic: 71%
IMDb: 8.5/10
Rated: TV-14
Seasons: 6
Genre: Action & Adventure, Drama, Comedy, Family
Cast: Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Courtney Henggeler
Created by: Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, Josh Heald
Cobra Kai is by far one of the most popular shows on Netflix, but even this series must come to an end. It’s ironic that the show that revived the central feud from The Karate Kid has now led former rivals Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) to join forces to defeat a resurgent Cobra Kai.
As season 6 begins the show’s final run, Daniel and Johnny are seemingly triumphant. What they don’t realize is that their mutual enemy, John Kreese (Martin Kove), has faked his death and escaped prison. In the meantime, pent up tensions between Johnny and Daniel threaten to derail the progress they’ve made with their combined dojo. And we wouldn’t rule out more drama between them before the end.
Eric (2024)
Metacritic: 61%
IMDb: 6.9/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Drama, Mystery
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Gaby Hoffmann, McKinley Belcher III
Created by: Abi Morgan
Benedict Cumberbatch is pulling double duty in Eric as the voice of the title character and as his creator, Vincent Anderson. Vincent is a puppeteer who is living in New York with his family in the ‘80s. He’s also not the best father to Edgar Anderson (Ivan Morris Howe), especially when Vincent’s marriage begins to fall apart.
When Edgar goes missing, Vincent gives in to his inner demons and addictions. When he wakes up, an apparition of Eric, a seven-foot tall puppet, appears before him. Vincent may be losing his mind, but that’s better than losing his son if Eric can somehow lead him to Edgar.
Supacell (2024)
Metacritic: 71%
IMDb: 5.5/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Drama
Cast: Tosin Cole, Nadine Mills, Eric Kofi Abrefa
Created by: Rapman
Some people dream of having superpowers, but not Michael Lasaki (Tosin Cole). In Supacell, Michael is just an ordinary guy trying to build a life for himself in South London with fiancée, Dionne (Adelayo Adedayo). But when Michael is suddenly gifted with superhuman abilities and sent to the future, he learns that Dionne will die if he can’t unite with four other super-powered Black men and women in the present.
Sabrina (Nadine Mills), Andre (Eric Kofi Abrefa), Andre (Eric Kofi Abrefa), and Tazer (Josh Tedeku) aren’t that interested in joining up with Michael. They’re not heroes, and they’re definitely not a team. However, they don’t yet realize that Michael’s dark future may mean tragedy for them as well if they aren’t willing to step up and accept their newfound responsibility as well as their power.
Bodkin (2024)
Metacritic: 58%
IMDb: 7.0/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Drama, Mystery
Cast: Will Forte, Siobhán Cullen, Robyn Cara
Created by: Jez Scharf
It seems like true crime podcasters just can’t stop getting into trouble in comedy/mystery hybrids. Bodkin is going to give you some Only Murders in the Building vibes as Gilbert Power (Will Forte) heads to Ireland with his associate, Emmy Sizergh (Robyn Cara), to look into an old cold case, revisit his roots, and toot his own horn.
Dove Maloney (Siobhán Cullen), an actual journalist, is roped into accompanying Gilbert and Emmy, much to her displeasure. However, Dove’s investigative skills lead to breaks in the case… which may put this unlikely trio in danger from Bodkin’s locals, especially those who have something to hide.
Bridgerton (2020)
Metacritic: 69%
IMDb: 7.4/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 3
Genre: Drama
Cast: Jonathan Bailey, Simone Ashley, Nicola Coughlan
Created by: Chris Van Dusen
Almost everyone eventually finds love on Bridgerton. This season, it’s time for Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) to get her chance. For two seasons, Penelope has been the hidden gossipmonger behind the Lady Whistledown persona while secretly pining for Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton). When Colin thoughtlessly insulted Penelope in conversation with his friends, he didn’t know that she heard every word.
Now, Colin is looking to save his friendship with Penelope. And as they repair their bond, both Penelope and Colin see each other in a new light. But Penelope’s double life as Lady Whistledown is still hanging over their heads.
Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal (2024)
Metacritic: 55%
IMDb: 6.3/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Documentary
Contrary to what you may have heard, the 2015 data breach didn’t permanently shut down Ashley Madison. But considering that Ashley Madison’s entire client base is people who are cheating on their significant others, that data breach caused a lot of heartache and broken love lives.
Nearly a decade after the data breach, Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal looks back at the impact that event had on the lives of its users through firsthand accounts. Even some of the people behind the scenes of Ashley Madison open up about what they saw in their time there and what happened next.
Baby Reindeer (2024)
Metacritic: 88%
IMDb: 8.1/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Drama
Cast: Richard Gadd, Jessica Gunning
Created by: Richard Gadd
There are no actual baby reindeer in Baby Reindeer. It’s just a nickname that Martha Scott (Jessica Gunning) has for Donny Dunn (Richard Gadd), a struggling comedian who took pity on her and showed her kindness. That turns out to be a very big mistake on Donny’s part, as Martha reveals herself to be an obsessive stalker.
Donny’s attempts to get Martha to back off only serve to enrage her. And once Martha feels that she’s been wronged by Donny, her obsession gets even more destructive for both of them.
RIPLEY (2024)
Metacritic: 75%
IMDb: 8.2/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Drama
Cast: Andrew Scott, Dakota Fanning, Johnny Flynn
Created by: Steven Zaillian
Patricia Highsmith’s novel The Talented Mr. Ripley gets a modern adaptation in Ripley, which is shot entirely in black-and-white and set in the 1950s. In this incarnation, Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott) is no twentysomething young man, but he’s still a gifted con artist. Tom’s fortunes start to rise when a wealthy man, Herbert Greenleaf (Kenneth Lonergan), hires him to find his son, Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn), and convince him to return home. Once he catches up with the younger Greenleaf, Tom manages to get into Dickie’s inner circle.
But Dickie soon rejects Tom, and the latter makes a ruthless choice that kicks off an elaborate game of-cat and-mouse. Tom wants everything that Dickie has, but he’ll have to stay one step ahead of the law to remain a free man.
Dead Boy Detectives (2024)
Metacritic: 65%
IMDb: 7.4/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Cast: George Rexstrew, Jayden Revri, Kassius Nelson
Created by: Steve Yockey
Meet Edwin Paine (George Rexstrew) and Charles Rowland (Jayden Revri). They’re dead, and they’re detectives, but calling these guys “boys” is really pushing the definition of the word to its limits. Perhaps Dead Man Detectives just didn’t have the same ring to it.
Dead Boy Detectives is a loose spinoff of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman that follows ghost detectives Edwin and Charles as they tackle supernatural mysteries and make a few new friends. But when Edwin and Charles push their investigations too far, they make some new enemies as well.
3 Body Problem (2024)
Metacritic: 70%
IMDb: 7.4/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Mystery, Drama
Cast: Jovan Adepo, John Bradley, Rosalind Chao
Created by: David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, Alexander Woo
3 Body Problem may turn out to be Netflix’s most expensive original series of 2024, if not the most expensive show of all-time. Sci-fi epics on this scale are very expensive, and this is also David Benioff and D. B. Weiss’ first TV series since Game of Thrones. Benioff, Weiss, and Alexander Woo have adapted Liu Cixin’s sci-fi novel, which was the first part of a trilogy.
Decades ago, Ye Wenjie (Rosalind Chao) made a decision that may have doomed humanity. In the present, scientists are inexplicably killing themselves, and some of them are haunted by visions of a countdown which only they can see. Something from beyond the stars is heading to Earth, and all the time in the world may not be enough to get ready for it.
The Gentlemen (2024)
Metacritic: 67%
IMDb: 8.4/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Action & Adventure, Crime
Cast: Theo James, Kaya Scodelario, Daniel Ings
Created by: Guy Ritchie
Viewers who saw Guy Ritchie’s 2019 film, The Gentlemen, may be surprised that the series has only a handful of common elements with the movie. The show is largely its own thing, even though Ritchie created both the film and the series. Theo James stars as Eddie Halstead, a young man who is accustomed to having the finer things in life. He is also the new Duke of Halstead, following the death of his father.
Eddie soon discovers that his late father failed to mention that the family’s ancestral estate is being used by a gangster, Bobby Glass (Ray Winstone), as a key part of his illegal marijuana activities. This means Eddie is now personally involved in those crimes as well, and he may be more suited for the criminal underworld than he would care to admit.
Girls5eva (2021)
Metacritic: 80%
IMDb: 7.3/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 3
Genre: Comedy
Cast: Sara Bareilles, Busy Philipps, Paula Pell
Created by: Meredith Scardino
Girls5eva is a musical comedy that was a Peacock original series before it was canceled and picked up by Netflix. That’s good enough to make it a Netflix original in our book! The show follows the four surviving members of a former girl band, Girls5eva, which included Dawn (Sara Bareilles), Summer (Busy Philipps), Gloria (Paula Pell), and Wickie (Renée Elise Goldsberry).
Season 3 picks up with Girls5eva reunited and on tour, which is not going well. Not only are the women hitting unexpected roadblocks, they’re also getting on each others’ nerves. At this rate, it may take a miracle for Girls5eva to stay together long enough for the biggest show of their lives.
Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024)
Metacritic: 56%
IMDb: 7.4/10
Rated: TV-PG
Seasons: 1
Genre: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Drama
Cast: Gordon Cormier, Kiawentiio, Ian Ousley
Was 19 years too soon to reboot Avatar: The Last Airbender as a live-action series? Apparently not, as it’s already a hit on Netflix. Fans of the original animated series should be able to follow along without any issues. For everyone else, the short version is that this fantasy series takes place in a world where select people can manipulate or “bend” water, fire, earth, and air. Unlike everyone else, Aang (Gordon Cormier) can bend all four. That’s why he’s the Avatar.
However, this Avatar is also a 12-year old boy who just literally spent a century on ice. Aang awakens in a world that is at risk of being overrun by the Fire Nation. And the only one who can stop that from happening is Aang himself — if he can master all four of his bending disciplines and live up to the legacy of the Avatar.
One Day (2024)
Metacritic: 76%
IMDb: 8.2/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Drama
Cast: Ambika Mod, Leo Woodall
Created by: Nicole Taylor
Dexter Mayhew (Leo Woodall) and Emma Morley (Ambika Mod) seem destined to be lovers in One Day, if only they can get past their own personal issues with each other. This very long romantic miniseries unfolds over 14 episodes, with the story beginnings when Dexter and Emma nearly hook up after graduating from college.
Emma and Dexter keep running into each other over the next several years. Even when they’re with someone else, they always seem to find their way back. You may want to keep some tissues handy when watching the show, because this relationship isn’t without its share of tragedy as well.
House of Ninjas (2024)
IMDb: 7.3/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Drama, Action & Adventure
Cast: Kento Kaku, Yosuke Eguchi, Tae Kimura
Created by: Dave Boyle
As much as House of Ninjas sounds like it would be the best fraternity ever, it’s actually about the Tawara family. Years ago, the Tawaras were collectively a formidable shinobi family. But the death of one of their own has caused them to turn their backs on the legacy that made them who they are.
Each of the family members carries that burden with them, but especially Haru Tawara (Kento Kaku). Although his father, Souichi Tawara (Yōsuke Eguchi), has settled down and wants his son to take over the family brewery, Haru wants to take control of his own destiny. As for destiny, it has its own ideas for Haru, Souichi, and the rest of their family as they are drawn back into action.
The Brothers Sun (2024)
Metacritic: 61%
IMDb: 8.1/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Drama, Action & Adventure, Crime
Cast: Michelle Yeoh, Justin Chien, Sam Li
Created by: Brad Falchuk, Byron Wu
Everything Everywhere All at Once‘s Michelle Yeoh may be the most recognizable cast member of The Brothers Sun, but this might be a star-making series for Sam Song Li and Justin Chien, who portray the titular brothers. For years, Bruce (Song Li) has lived peacefully with his mother, Eileen (Yeoh), in Los Angeles, blissfully unaware that his father, Big Sun (Johnny Kou), is in charge of the Jade Dragons triad in Taipei.
Following an assassination attempt on Big Sun, his oldest son, Charles (Chien), travels to Los Angeles and reunites with his brother. That gives Bruce a very rude awakening about the family business, but Eileen has no trouble at all getting her hands dirty in the name of protecting her sons.
Griselda (2024)
Metacritic: 65%
IMDb: 7.6/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Drama, Crime
Cast: Sofía Vergara, Alberto Guerra, Christian Tappán
Created by: Eric Newman, Doug Miro, Carlo Bernard, Ingrid Escajeda
Don’t expect to see multiple seasons of Griselda. Netflix’s crime drama is based on the very finite story of Griselda Blanco (Sofia Vergara), a woman who was once called “the Godmother of Cocaine,” and it was not a term of endearment. The real Blanco was just as ruthless as the male drug lords, and perhaps even more so as she kept a grip on Miami’s underworld.
The miniseries takes a look back at Blanco’s life and establishes how she became involved in the drug trade, and why she was able to rise to the top. And just because Blanco ruled Miami’s drug scene with an iron fist, it didn’t save her when her fortune finally ran out.
Masters of the Universe: Revolution (2024)
IMDb: 8.1/10
Rated: TV-PG
Seasons: 1
Genre: Animation, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Cast: Melissa Benoist, Liam Cunningham, Keith David
In our opinion, five episodes is a little too short to be considered a real season. But Masters of the Universe: Revolution covers a lot of ground despite missing the 40th anniversary of He-Man’s animated adventures in 2023. Picking up where things left off in Masters of the Universe: Revelation, Prince Adam/He-Man (Chris Wood) is rocked by two events: the death of his father, King Randor (Diedrich Bader), and the return of a long-lost relative voiced by Star Trek’s William Shatner.
Meanwhile, Teela (Melissa Benoist) enlists her former rival, the woman formerly known as Evil-Lyn (Lena Headey), to help her restore the afterlife on Eternia. But their plans are derailed when Skeletor (Mark Hamill) returns with the backing of the Evil Horde, including Hordak (Keith David) himself.
The Crown (2016)
Metacritic: 84%
IMDb: 8.6/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 6
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Cast: Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, Matt Smith
Created by: Peter Morgan
The Crown could have easily been called The Queen, since it chronicled the life of Queen Elizabeth II from the early days of her reign (as played by Claire Foy), through her middle-age years (as played by Wonka‘s Olivia Colman), until finally reaching the last years of her life as an older queen (Imelda Staunton).
Although the series never caught up to the present, or even to Elizabeth’s death in 2022, The Crown’s later seasons shifted some of the focus to Princess Diana (Emma Corrin) before and after her death. Even the current royal heir, Prince William (Ed McVey), and his estranged brother, Prince Harry (Luther Ford), get their time in the spotlight in the show’s final season. And unlike many other Netflix originals, The Crown gets to reach a true conclusion.
My Life with the Walter Boys (2023)
Metacritic: 50%
IMDb: 7.1/10
Rated: TV-14
Seasons: 1
Genre: Drama
Cast: Nikki Rodriguez, Noah LaLonde, Ashby Gentry
Created by: Melanie Halsall
My Life with the Walter Boys must have been a hit out of the gate, because Netflix didn’t waste any time before renewing it. This teen drama sensation stars Nikki Rodriguez as Jackie Howard, a young woman who has lost her entire family in the wake of a deadly car accident. George (Marc Blucas) and Katherine Walker (Sarah Rafferty) were generous enough to take Jackie in, but they also relocated her to Colorado after she spent most of her life in New York.
The titular Walter Boys are Jackie’s new adoptive brothers, Cole (Noah LaLonde), Alex (Ashby Gentry), Will (Johnny Link), Nathan (Corey Fogelmanis), Danny Walter (Connor Stanhope), Jordan (Dean Petriw), and Benny (Lennix James). That’s a big family by any definition, and it may take a lot of time and heartache before Jackie can truly consider herself at home with her new siblings.
Obliterated (2023)
Metacritic: 44%
IMDb: 5.7/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Comedy, Action & Adventure
Cast: Shelley Hennig, Nick Zano, Terrence Terrell
Created by: Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, Josh Heald
What happens in Vegas is supposed to stay in Vegas. After Chad McKnight (Nick Zano), Ava Winters (Shelley Hennig), and their team saved Las Vegas from terrorists, they just wanted to kick back and get wasted in Netflix’s action comedy Obliterated. Unfortunately, the team got the party started a little too early. Because the terrorists tricked the team, and they weren’t actually the heroes of Vegas after all.
Now that the true scope of the terrorist threat has been revealed, most of the team is either drunk or high out of their minds as they try to regroup and finish what they started by saving Las Vegas. That would have been a tall order even when they were sober. In their current condition, it might be a suicide mission.
Bodies (2023)
Metacritic: 65%
IMDb: 7.4/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Crime, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Drama
Cast: Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, Shira Haas, Amaka Okafor
Created by: Paul Tomalin
If the naked body of an unidentified man (Tom Mothersdale) had only been found once, then Bodies could have had a singular name. But when the same dead body turns up in 1890, 1941, 2023, and 2053, then there’s more than just a simple murder in play.
DI Alfred Hillinghead (Kyle Soller), DS Karl ‘Charles Whiteman’ Weissman (Jacob Fortune-Lloyd), DS Shahara Hasan (Amaka Okafor), and DC Iris Maplewood (Shira Haas) don’t initially realize that the case can’t be solved in their respective time periods. But if they don’t figure it out, then the consequences may be grave.
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (2023)
Metacritic: 81%
IMDb: 8.8/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Animation, Action & Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Cast: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ellen Wong
Created by: Bryan Lee O'Malley, BenDavid Grabinski
Almost the entire cast of the 2010 live-action Scott Pilgrim vs. the World film has returned to lend their voices to the new anime series Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. But it’s not simply a rehash of the movie. Instead, the anime takes its cues more directly from Bryan Lee O’Malley’s bestselling Scott Pilgrim graphic novels and even incorporates his style into the animation.
Despite some changes, the core of the story is intact. Semi-loser Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) has a shot at winning the heart of the most intriguing woman he’s ever met: Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), However, winning Ramona’s heart comes with lots of strings. Now, Scott has to duel with Ramona’s seven evil exes in a series of video game-style boss battles.
Blue Eye Samurai (2023)
Metacritic: 86%
IMDb: 9.1/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Action & Adventure, Animation, Drama
Cast: Maya Erskine, George Takei, Masi Oka
Created by: Michael Green, Amber Noizumi
Blue Eye Samurai is more than just the best anime of 2023. Through its first season, the series has earned its place among the best shows on Netflix. One of the main reasons for that is the way that series creators Michael Green and Amber Noizumi treat the series like a serious one-hour drama.
In Japan’s Edo period, half-Caucasian and half-Japanese people like Mizu (Maya Erskine) were regarded as inhuman. So Mizu hides her blue eyes and her true gender as she goes off in search of vengeance on the man she believes may have fathered her.
The Fall of the House of Usher (2023)
Metacritic: 75%
IMDb: 7.8/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Cast: Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Mary McDonnell
Created by: Mike Flanagan
As a Halloween treat, Mike Flanagan’s final horror series for Netflix, The Fall of the House of Usher, updates the original story by Edgar Allan Poe as well as a few other tales by the famous author. Flanagan also made the very timely choice to re-envision the Usher family as the incredibly wealthy owners of a corrupt company, Fortunato Pharmaceuticals.
Siblings Roderick (Bruce Greenwood) and Madeline Usher (Mary McDonnell) have literally made their business a killing. Now, someone is making a killing by eliminating all of the Usher children, one by one. Suddenly, there may not be a legacy for the Ushers, or even a family left to receive it.
Lupin (2021)
Metacritic: 80%
IMDb: 7.5/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 2
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Cast: Omar Sy, Ludivine Sagnier, Clotilde Hesme
Created by: George Kay, Marie Roussin, Florent Meyer, Fran?ois Uzan, Tigran Rosine
Everyone’s favorite gentleman thief is back in Lupin, and Assane Diop (Omar Sy) has almost everything he could want … except his family. In order to remain free, Assane had to abandon his wife, Claire Laurent (Ludivine Sagnier), and their son, Raoul (Etan Simon).
In the newest batch of episodes, Assane hatches his most ambitious plan to date to reunite with his family by faking his own death, which should get his name off of the world’s most wanted lists. But walking away from his life of crime won’t be easy for Assane, especially since he has a new enemy gunning for him.
Everything Now (2023)
IMDb: 6.7/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Cast: Sophie Wilde, Lauryn Ajufo, Harry Cadby
Created by: Ripley Parker
There are some tragic elements in Everything Now, because the main character, Mia Polanco (Talk to Me‘s Sophie Wilde), has spent months in treatment for eating disorders that almost cost Mia her life. But Mia doesn’t want to be defined by that, and she’s especially annoyed when the subject comes up even from well-meaning members of her own family.
Instead, Mia wants to focus on experiencing everything that she would have done if she hadn’t just lost months of her time in high school. In that way, Mia is turning a near tragedy into a life-affirming affair, and she’s bringing her friends with her to share the experience.
Neon (2023)
Metacritic: 66%
IMDb: 5.0/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Comedy
Cast: Tyler Dean Flores, Emma Ferreira, Jordan Mendoza
Created by: Max Searle, Shea Serrano
K-pop may be more prevalent, but reggaeton music is on the rise in modern pop culture, as exemplified by Netflix’s comedy series, Neon. Tyler Dean Flores stars as Santi (Tyler Dean Flores), an aspiring reggaeton artist who has just gone viral for the first time with one of his music videos.
Santi and his friends, Ness (Emma Ferreira) and Felix (Jordan Mendoza), realize that they have to make their next move now or they will let this opportunity slip through their fingers. It’s not enough to have the talent to break through in the world of reggaeton, but the drive of Santi and his friends may take them to new heights while simultaneously pulling them apart.
One Piece (2023)
Metacritic: 67%
IMDb: 8.7/10
Rated: TV-14
Seasons: 1
Genre: Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Cast: I?aki Godoy, Emily Rudd, Mackenyu
Created by: Steven Maeda, Matt Owens
Live-action anime adaptations are always tricky, and Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop is a prime example of that. However, One Piece appears to have won over fans of the anime with its largely faithful tone and its energetic adventures on the high seas.
Two decades before the start of this series, the famous pirate, Gol D. Roger, made his last stand. Now, Gold Roger’s legendary lost treasure, the One Piece, is sought by many.
Monkey D. Luffy (I?aki Godoy) wants to find the One Piece so he can become the new Pirate King. Monkey is also a bit ridiculous regardless of his superhuman stretching powers. But Monkey is so earnest that he draws together a crew of Straw Hat Pirates who will follow him to the ends of the Earth and beyond.
Sex Education (2019)
Metacritic: 69%
IMDb: 8.3/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 4
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Cast: Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, Ncuti Gatwa
Created by: Laurie Nunn
Otis Milburn (Asa Butterfield) had a lot to learn over the course of Sex Education’s four-season run. Otis’ mother, Jean Milburn (Gillian Anderson), is a successful sex therapist, and her expertise occasionally leads to weirdness with Otis at home. But through Jean, Otis is so well-versed on the topic that he opens his own sex therapy business at school with his partner, Maeve (Emma Mackey).
Season 4 picks up with Otis feeling lost at his new school, which already has a student sex therapist. He can’t even count on Maeve to have his back, because she’s already left to go to college in the U.S. But the story of Otis and Maeve’s potential romance isn’t over yet.
Wrestlers (2023)
IMDb: 8.7/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Documentary
Cast: Allen Sarven, Doug Basham
Created by: Greg Whiteley
Professional wrestling still has a dedicated following that doesn’t care that the business has been exposed as scripted for decades. Fans love it anyway, and the industry has produced performers like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and John Cena who have gone on to Hollywood stardom after headlining WWE events for years.
The performers in Netflix’s Wrestlers may never reach the heights of Johnson or Cena, but their dream is to make it to major league promotions like WWE and AEW. This docuseries follows the wrestlers at Ohio Valley Wrestling, a small regional promotion that once helped Cena learn his craft. The men and women of OVW have their own personal stories, but they share a common goal. Yet in this business, not everyone will get the chance to live out their dreams.
Virgin River (2019)
Metacritic: 70%
IMDb: 7.4/10
Rated: TV-14
Seasons: 5
Genre: Drama
Cast: Alexandra Breckenridge, Martin Henderson, Colin Lawrence
Created by: Sue Tenney
After memorable stints on American Horror Story, The Walking Dead, and This Is Us, Alexandra Breckenridge finally has a starring vehicle of her own in Virgin River. This show is so successful that Netflix has already renewed it for a sixth season, and that just doesn’t happen very often with the streamer’s live-action series.
Breckenridge plays Melinda “Mel” Monroe, a nurse practitioner who wants to reinvent herself as a midwife in Virgin River, a small town in Northern California. Mel immediately clashes with her new employer, Vernon “Doc” Mullins (Tim Matheson). Mel also finds herself romantically drawn to Jack Sheridan (Martin Henderson), a local bar owner. Mel’s relationships and friendships in the town drive this series, which recently premiered the first part of its fifth season.
Mask Girl (2023)
IMDb: 7.5/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Mystery
Cast: Ko Hyun-jung, Nana, Lee Han-byeol
Created by: Kim Yong-hoon, Kim Young-hoon
Get ready to go to some bizarre places in the latest Korean series to hit Netflix, Mask Girl. This is the story of Kim Mo-mi (Lee Han-byeol), a homely and lonely woman who reinvents herself as an internet personality called Mask Girl. After plastic surgery, Mo-Mi (Nana) is stunningly beautiful. She’s also a murderer, but what drove her to kill?
In the third time period, an older Mo-Mi (Go Hyun-jung) is in prison for her many crimes, but she is openly nostalgic about the murderous life she led behind. In all three incarnations, Mask Girl is full of surprises, some of which are quite lethal.
The Chosen One (2023)
IMDb: 5.6/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Cast: Dianna Agron, Carlos Bardem, Patricio Serna Meza
Created by: Leopoldo Gout, Everardo Gout, Jorge Dorantes
The key difference between The Chosen One and the comic that it is based on, American Jesus, is that the story is set in Mexico instead of America. Other than that, it’s pretty close to the story that Mark Millar and artist Peter Gross came up with two decades ago.
Bobby Luhnow stars as Jodie, an otherwise normal 12-year-old boy who survives a near-fatal accident only to discover that he has all of the powers attributed to Jesus Christ in Biblical scripture. He might really be the Messiah reborn, and the powers that be can’t have that. Some very deadly people target Jodie for death just to make sure that he can never fulfill his destiny on Earth.
Painkiller (2023)
Metacritic: 57%
IMDb: 7.0/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Drama
Cast: Uzo Aduba, Matthew Broderick, Taylor Kitsch
How did the opioid crisis become such a devastating ongoing problem for our country? Netflix’s Painkiller puts a lot of the blame at the feet of Richard Sackler (Matthew Broderick) and his company, Purdue. However, Sackler and Purdue aren’t the only ones at fault, and there’s plenty of blame to pass around in this dramatization.
Many of the addicts depicted in the show are victims of their own choices regardless of anything Purdue did to push OxyContin on the nation. But perhaps the most affecting moments come at the beginning of the episodes when real people talk about who they lost to addiction during the show’s disclaimer sequences.
Who Is Erin Carter? (2023)
Metacritic: 62%
IMDb: 5.9/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Action & Adventure, Crime
Cast: Evin Ahmad, Sean Teale, Douglas Henshall
Created by: Jack Lothian
If you’re wondering who Erin Carter (Evin Ahmad) is, she’s Netflix’s newest action heroine. In Who is Erin Carter?, Erin has successfully walked away from a deadly chapter in her life and started over in Spain with her husband, Jordi (Sean Teale), and her daughter, Harper (Indica Watson). Erin might have been able to continue living out in the open if she hadn’t exposed her fighting skills while thwarting a supermarket robbery.
One of the robbers recognizes Erin and the local police become suspicious of her as well. That sets off a chain reaction that threatens to destroy everything Erin holds dear.
The Lincoln Lawyer (2022)
Metacritic: 62%
IMDb: 7.7/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Drama, Crime
Cast: Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Neve Campbell, Becki Newton
Created by: David E. Kelley
Can success truly change a man? After successfully defending his client in The Lincoln Lawyer season 1, Mickey Haller (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) is more famous than ever. However, some of his relationships have been strained. More alarmingly, Mickey’s new client, Russell Lawson (David Clayton Rogers), has a secret that’s big enough to give even Mickey pause. But if Mickey lets this secret out, it could mean the end of his legal career. And if he doesn’t share his newfound knowledge, Mickey risks letting an innocent man take the fall for Russell’s crime.
The Witcher (2019)
Metacritic: 63%
IMDb: 8.1/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 3
Genre: Drama, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Cast: Henry Cavill, Anya Chalotra, Freya Allan
Created by: Lauren Schmidt Hissrich
Is this the last stand for Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill)? The second part of The Witcher season 3 is almost upon us, and the greatest monster hunter on the Continent has been pushed to his limits. Geralt and his lover, Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra), have vowed to keep Ciri (Freya Allan) safe from the dark forces that want to use her powers. But the price for Ciri’s freedom may be more than even Geralt can pay as the third season draws to a close.
Quarterback (2023)
IMDb: 8.3/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Documentary
Cast: Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins, Marcus Mariota
Playing in the NFL is a lot like simulated warfare, and the best teams have the greatest quarterbacks to lead them into battle. The Netflix original series Quarterback got unfiltered access to Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes during one of the most successful seasons in his career. Mahomes also produced the series, and he gave viewers an unexpected look at his life beyond the football field.
Kirk Cousins of the Minnesota Vikings and Marcus Mariota of the Atlanta Falcons are also featured in the show, but in terms of success, they are both far behind Mahomes and eager to carve out their own place in the NFL.
Manifest (2018)
Metacritic: 55%
IMDb: 7.1/10
Rated: TV-14
Seasons: 4
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Cast: Melissa Roxburgh, Josh Dallas, Ty Doran
Created by: Jeff Rake
Ten years ago, Michaela “Mick” Stone (Melissa Roxburgh), her brother, Ben Stone (Josh Dallas), and the rest of the passengers of Flight 828 disappeared under unexplained circumstances. Flight 828 returned in 2018 as the first season of Manifest slowly peeled back the mysteries of what happened to the men, women, and children on board.
Viewers would have been left without answers if Netflix hadn’t rescued Manifest from a premature cancellation. Now, the fourth and final season of Manifest has landed, and it has given fans the ending that they deserved.
Black Mirror (2011)
IMDb: 8.8/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 6
Genre: Sci-fi, Psychological Thriller, Dystopia
Cast: Annie Murphy, Salma Hayek, Aaron Paul, Josh Hartnett, Kate Mara
Created by: Charlie Brooker
Netflix has premiered the sixth season of Black Mirror, and series creator Charlie Brooker is up to his old tricks again. Just when you think Black Mirror can’t go more over-the-top, the new season has five all-new standalone episodes that point the finger at the perils of modern technology. And one of this season’s targets is none other than Netflix itself!
The rest of the season explores two astronauts in an alternate history, a woman who is compelled to murder to prevent an apocalypse, and an unexpectedly supernatural encounter. As always, Brooker has lined up some very recognizable actors and actresses to play out these horror stories to their bitter end. And we love it.
Catching Killers (2021)
IMDb: 7.1/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 3
Genre: Documentary, Crime
Created by: Simon Dekker
Catching Killers is true crime on your time. These episodes are so brief and concise that you’d be surprised at just how many you can watch in a single binge. But this doesn’t mean that the series is for the faint of heart. Catching Killers takes on some of the most infamous cases with the real investigators sharing their perspective and stories about how they tried to solve the mysteries in front of them. This season, the spotlight falls on the Railroad Killer, the Zodiac Killer, the DC sniper, and the Olympic Bomber.
Our Planet (2019)
Metacritic: 88%
IMDb: 9.3/10
Rated: TV-PG
Seasons: 2
Genre: Documentary
Cast: David Attenborough
It’s not an exaggeration to call Our Planet one of the very best documentaries on Netflix. The team behind this series offer viewers some absolutely jaw-dropping visuals of places on Earth that most people would never have seen without the window that this show provides them. We’re happy to say that Our Planet II is just as visually stunning as the first season was four years ago.
Season 2 once again explores the way that climate change has affected Earth and the creatures who live there. To do otherwise would have been dishonest, and it’s disheartening at times to watch the animals struggle to find ways to survive. But if you love nature, this is a show you shouldn’t miss.
Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story (2023)
Metacritic: 76%
IMDb: 6.6/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Drama
Cast: India Ria Amarteifio, Adjoa Andoh, Michelle Fairley
Created by: Shonda Rhimes
God save the queen. Bridgerton fans have made sure that the first spinoff series, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, is already a chart-topping hit. This is a prequel that follows Charlotte (India Amarteifio) decades before the events of the primary show. It’s also an origin story for Bridgerton itself as Charlotte’s marriage to King George III (Corey Mylchreest) has an amazing effect on the world around them. Unfortunately for Charlotte, a happy ending and true love will not come as easily.
This show doesn’t ignore the events of the primary Bridgerton series, as the older Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) finds herself facing some serious questions about who will inherit the crown after she is gone.
FUBAR (2023)
Metacritic: 48%
IMDb: 6.6/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Action & Adventure, Comedy
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Monica Barbaro, Milan Carter
Created by: Nick Santora
Arnold Schwarzenegger is making the leap to television in his first-ever series, FUBAR. And to be honest, FUBAR does play like a collection of Schwarzenegger’s greatest hits, especially if you like True Lies.
For decades, Luke Brunner (Schwarzenegger) has been the top agent in the CIA, and he’s ready to finally leave it all behind. The problem is that the CIA has a new top agent: Luke’s daughter, Emma (Monica Barbaro). She and her father have been lying to each other for years about what they really do for a living. Now that the truth is out, that’s a lot of tension to put into a relationship right before they have to team up for the sake of the free world.
XO, Kitty (2023)
Metacritic: 67%
IMDb: 6.6/10
Rated: TV-14
Seasons: 1
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Cast: Anna Cathcart, Choi Min-yeong, Gia Kim
Created by: Jenny Han
The To All the Boys trilogy may be over, but the universe continues in the spinoff series, XO, Kitty. Anna Cathcart’s Kitty Song Covey has been promoted from supporting character status to a leading role as she begins her own quest for love. In the third movie, Kitty set up a long-distance relationship with Dae (Choi Min-young), a boy who lives in Korea. But when that’s not enough for Kitty, she decides to move to Korea to give herself more time with Dae.
However, Kitty may have bitten off more than she can chew, as the culture shock of living in Korea pales in comparison to the personal drama ahead. There are even some long-buried revelations about Kitty’s mother that may affect Kitty in the present.
Sweet Tooth (2021)
Metacritic: 71%
IMDb: 7.8/10
Rated: TV-14
Seasons: 2
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Cast: Christian Convery, Nonso Anozie, Adeel Akhtar
Created by: Jim Mickle
Sweet Tooth is based on the comic book series by Jeff Lemire, and it’s also the nickname of Gus (Christian Convery), a young boy who is half-human and half-deer. Hybrid children like Gus are on the rise in this post-apocalyptic landscape which has left unaltered humans barely clinging to power. That leads some fanatics called the Last Men to blame the hybrids before attempting to hunt them down.
Yet for Gus, nothing is more important to him than reuniting with the mother he never knew. That’s why Gus is leaving the safety of his home to find his mom in the company of his new companion, Tommy Jepperd (Nonso Anozie). But in this world, Gus is going to have to grow up fast if he wants to survive.
The Diplomat (2023)
Metacritic: 75%
IMDb: 7.8/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Drama
Cast: Keri Russell, Rufus Sewell, Ali Ahn
Created by: Debora Cahn
At the personal request of President William Rayburn (Michael McKean), crisis management expert Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) reluctantly accepts her new role as the U.S. Ambassador to the U.K. But any opportunity for Kate to catch her breath and repair her marriage to Hal (Rufus Sewell) is lost when an international incident makes Kate’s new position even more important to the interests of her country. While The Diplomat is largely concentrated on political drama, there are plenty of thrills as well.
The Night Agent (2023)
Metacritic: 69%
IMDb: 7.5/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Drama, Mystery
Cast: Gabriel Basso, Luciane Buchanan, Hong Chau
Created by: Shawn Ryan
It’s a good time for action in the streaming universe, and The Night Agent is at the top of our list. Gabriel Basso stars as Peter Sutherland, an FBI agent who stumbles upon a suspect attempting to detonate a bomb on a train. However, Peter’s heroism only leads him to become a suspect. As a result, he is demoted to a night shift which places him on standby for emergency situations when undercover operatives are in danger.
BEEF
(2023)
Metacritic:
86%IMDb:
8.0/10Rated:
TV-MASeasons:
1Genre:
Comedy, DramaCast:
Steven Yeun, Ali Wong, Justin H. MinCreated by:
Lee Sung-jin
In an ideal world, Danny Cho (Steven Yeun) and Amy Lau Nakai (Ali Wong) would never have met. In Netflix’s black comedy, Beef, Danny and Amy both come from very different worlds and different social circles. And if they hadn’t had an ugly road rage incident with each other, their lives wouldn’t be so inexorably linked going forward.
A grudge like this can only fester and grow, and by the end, revenge is the only thing that matters to either one of them. Fortunately, it makes for some terrific stories, and this is likely to be Netflix’s breakout hit for the month.
Florida Man (2023)
IMDb: 6.4/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Mystery, Crime, Comedy, Drama
Cast: Edgar Ramírez, Anthony LaPaglia, Abbey Lee
Created by: Donald Todd
Netflix is diving back into the realm of dark comedy crime shows with Florida Man. The series follows Mike Valentine (Ramírez), a former cop who finds himself working for a mob boss, Moss Yankov (Emory Cohen). After spending years away from Florida, Moss forces Mike to return and find Moss’ missing girlfriend, Delly (Abbey Lee).
What Moss doesn’t know is that Mike was having an affair with Delly before she vanished. And once Mike is back in Florida, the darker secrets of his own family start coming out. To complicate things even further, Mike’s ex-wife, Iris (Lex Scott Davis), is still a cop and she follows Mike to discover what he has been up to.
Unstable (2023)
Metacritic: 69%
IMDb: 6.6/10
Rated: TV-14
Seasons: 1
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Cast: Rob Lowe, John Owen Lowe, Fred Armisen
Created by: Rob Lowe, Victor Fresco, John Owen Lowe
Have you ever had a boss that you just hated working for? You know the type: a total narcissist who is all about himself, with little regard for everyone else around him. Jackson Dragon (John Owen Lowe) can relate, because said boss is his father, Ellis Dragon (Rob Lowe). And since the death of Ellis’ wife, the elder Dragon is spiraling out of control.
But Unstable isn’t just about Ellis’ pathos. It’s also a workplace comedy that finds Jackson struggling to find his place in his father’s world, even as he attempts to keep his dad from falling into even greater despair.
Shadow and Bone (2021)
Metacritic: 69%
IMDb: 7.6/10
Rated: TV-14
Seasons: 2
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Cast: Jessie Mei Li, Archie Renaux, Freddy Carter
Created by: Eric Heisserer
Need some fantasy in your drab life? Shadow and Bone is back for its second season on Netflix. And if you’re unfamiliar with the world of the show, it does get you up to speed fairly quickly. The short version is that it takes place in an alternate world, much like our own, which has been divided by literal darkness. And in this world, magic is real…and often lethal.
Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li) is a Sun Summoner who has the ability to control light and perhaps to free her world from the darkness. Now, she just needs to survive her confrontation with her Shadow Summoner counterpart, General Aleksander Kirigan (Ben Barnes).
You (2018)
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 4
Genre: Mystery, Crime, Drama
Cast: Penn Badgley, Lukas Gage, Charlotte Ritchie
Created by: Greg Berlanti, Sera Gamble
You has been such a megahit for Netflix that it’s easy to forget that it was once a Lifetime original series that was canceled before Netflix swooped in to renew the show. In You‘s recently completed fourth season, serial killer Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) has relocated to London in an attempt to reinvent himself yet again. This time, Joe is really trying to cut back on his murderous tendencies. But old habits die hard. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.
That '90s Show (2023)
Seasons: 1
Genre: Comedy
Cast: Debra Jo Rupp, Kurtwood Smith, Callie Haverda
Created by: Bonnie Turner, Terry Turner, Gregg Mettler, Lindsay Turner
Hanging out…down at Netflix?!? Red and Kitty Foreman and their wonderful basement hang-out spot are back in this revival of That ’70s Show, which finds the teenage daughter of original series characters Eric and Donna visiting with her grandparents for the summer. While there, she falls in with a new generation of teenage slackers and proves that some aspects of the teen experience never change, no matter which era it is.
The Witcher: Blood Origin (2022)
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Cast: Laurence O'Fuarain, Sophia Brown, Michelle Yeoh
Created by: Lauren Schmidt Hissrich, Declan de Barra
This prequel series set in the universe of The Witcher unfolds more than a thousand years before the events of that show and follows a group of seven characters forced to unite their efforts in order to save the world from a terrible force. Recent Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh leads the ensemble cast of the series, which sets the stage for the saga to come in The Witcher.
Alice in Borderland (2020)
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 2
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Created by: Yoshiki Watanabe, Yasuko Kuramitsu
A slacker gamer named Arisu (Kento Yamazaki) suddenly finds himself and his two best friends transported to an eerily empty Tokyo in this series based on the manga of the same name by Haro Aso. They soon discover that they have to compete in deadly games to survive, and must do so while trying to solve the mystery around their strange predicament.
Alice in Borderland is like Battle Royale mixed with The Hunger Games It was renewed for a second season almost immediately after the series premiered. The next chapter of the mind-boggling saga premiered late last year.
Dead to Me (2019)
Metacritic: 68%
IMDb: 8.0/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 3
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Crime
Cast: Christina Applegate, Linda Cardellini, James Marsden
Created by: Liz Feldman
When Jen’s (Christina Applegate) husband dies in a tragic hit-and-run, she becomes determined to solve the crime. When she meets optimistic free spirit Judy (Linda Cardellini) at a grief support group, their polar opposite personalities strike up an unlikely friendship. As they bond over wine and a shared affinity for The Facts of Life, Judy realizes that she holds the key to a shocking secret that may destroy Jen’s life. It may also be the key for Jen to move on with her life, though. Dead to Me is a dark comedy that explores the entertaining sides of grief, loss, and forgiveness. It’s about maintaining your sense of humor in the face of tragedy. The third and final season is available now.
The Watcher (2022)
Metacritic: 54%
IMDb: 6.6/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Drama, Mystery
Cast: Bobby Cannavale, Naomi Watts, Jennifer Coolidge
Created by: Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan
Based on a true story, Ryan Murphy’s The Watcher is propped up by its A-list cast that includes Naomi Watts and Bobby Cannavale as a married couple who move with their two kids to what they believe is their dream home. They overextend themselves to afford it but expect to have an ideal lifestyle there until they realize the neighborhood might not be what it seems.
Not only are the neighbors intrusive, rude, and downright creepy, but the couple continuously receives strange letters from someone who calls himself The Watcher. He claims to have been tasked with watching the home for decades, and now, he’s watching them. It’s spooky, edge-of-your-seat tension, and while reviews are mixed, The Watcher is a quick seven-episode binge if you’re looking for something exciting, tense, and frightful.
The Sandman (2022)
Metacritic: 66%
IMDb: 7.8/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Drama
Cast: Tom Sturridge, Boyd Holbrook, Vivienne Acheampong
Created by: David S. Goyer, Neil Gaiman, Allan Heinberg
Tom Sturridge stars as Dream/Morpheus, the personification of dreams and nightmares. After escaping from the clutches of an occult trap after 106 years, Dream goes on a mission to restore order to his realm, The Dreaming. Based on the Neil Gaiman-authored DC Comics comic book of the same name, The Sandman has been decades in the making. The payoff has been positive, with critics lauding everything from the production design and costumes to the visual effects and lead performances.
Keep an eye (and ear) out for supporting and recurring characters like Game of Thrones’ Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer Morningstar, ruler of Hell, and Mark Hamill as the voice of Mervyn Pumpkinhead, a janitor with a head shaped like a jack-o-lantern. The Sandman is equally weird and wonderful.
The Cuphead Show! (2022)
Metacritic: 69%
IMDb: 7.4/10
Rated: TV-Y7
Seasons: 2
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Family
Cast: Frank Todaro, Tru Valentino
Created by: Dave Wasson
It’s completely ridiculous, but that’s precisely the point when it comes to the animated slapstick comedy The Cuphead Show!, which is loosely based on the lovable Canadian video game Cuphead. At the heart of the show are Cuphead and Mugman, anthropomorphic dishware brothers who live with their grandfather who is … what else … a kettle. The storylines are silly as the pair often finds themselves in some kind of trouble they need to get out of, typically while being hunted by the Devil. With a talented voice cast that includes Marcia Gay Harden, Wayne Brady, and Chris Kattan, there’s little substance to the show, with episodes that run about 12 minutes long each. But it’s mindless viewing fun for adults and kids alike.
Inventing Anna (2022)
Metacritic: 57%
IMDb: 6.8/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Drama
Cast: Julia Garner, Anna Chlumsky, Arian Moayed
Created by: Shonda Rhimes
Earning Julia Garner an Emmy nomination for her performance as the real-life con-woman Anna Sorokin (a second for Garner alongside her nomination for Ozark as well), Inventing Anna was also nominated for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. It’s a story that seems almost too fantastical to be true. Garner sets out to re-create the life and rise of Sorokin, a Russian woman who assumed the fake identity of socialite Anna Delvey. She fooled some of the biggest companies and wealthiest individuals into giving her cash, goods, and services. Based on the New York article How Anna Delvey Tricked New York’s Party People, there’s a ton of creative license taken, as clearly noted in a title card at the beginning of each episode. But mega-hitmaker Shonda Rhimes adds to her award-winning roster with this miniseries that’s a must-watch.
Heartstopper (2022)
Metacritic: 85%
IMDb: 8.8/10
Rated: TV-14
Seasons: 1
Genre: Drama
Cast: Kit Connor, Joe Locke, William Gao
Created by: Alice Oseman
Heartstopper is a British coming-of-age story, and Alice Oseman wrote the webcomic and graphic novel on which the show is based, as well as the show itself. Set in the complicated world of high school, Charlie (Joe Locke) is a young gay man who falls for his classmate Nick (Kit Connor). Through a series of events, conversations, and conflicts, fans follow the relatable journey of a young man simply trying to find himself. Praised for its positive representation of the LGBTQ community, Heartstopper has a Certified Fresh 100% rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes with critics saying its feel-good, adorable, even predictable elements all add to the charm. The series received a second and third season renewal less than a month after season 1 premiered, indicating that fans are hungry for more.
Stranger Things (2016)
Metacritic: 75%
IMDb: 8.7/10
Rated: TV-14
Seasons: 4
Genre: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Mystery, Drama
Cast: Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard
Created by: Matt Duffer, Ross Duffer
The throwback sci-fi series Stranger Things is set the world ablaze in the summer of 2016, igniting a bonfire of nostalgia while simultaneously telling a gripping story that gets more exciting with each episode. Now, it’s back for season 4. When 12-year-old Will Byers goes missing in the small town of Hawkins, Indiana, his mother, Joyce (Winona Ryder), thinks she’s losing her mind, believing that Will has been taken by supernatural forces. Meanwhile, Will’s friends work to find and rescue him, with the help of a mysterious young girl named Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), who appears seemingly out of nowhere.
The mystery gets deeper and darker as the show goes on, while more and more members of the Hawkins community get drawn into the creepy tale. Few shows have been as willing to let children drive the story, and Stranger Things is better for it. The show is a clear homage to Spielberg’s coming-of-age films and ’80s horror, and superb performances across the board make this a must-watch.
Peaky Blinders (2013)
IMDb: 8.8/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 6
Genre: Crime, Drama
Cast: Cillian Murphy, Paul Anderson, Sam Claflin
Created by: Steven Knight
Although it’s made for the BBC, Netflix distributes Peaky Blinders in the United States as a Netflix original, so it makes this list. It’s also one of Netflix’s most popular shows, and the diehards are finally rewarded in June with the long-awaited Season 6. The hard-boiled gangster drama centers on the Peaky Blinders, a notorious gang in Birmingham, England in the 1920s. The Blinders are run by the Shelby family, primarily the second-eldest brother, Tommy (Oppenheimer‘s Cillian Murphy). Tommy and his brothers have returned from World War I with distinguished war records, but also with deeply rooted, little-understood trauma that both haunts and informs their everyday decisions. In an England torn by post-war horror, economic depression, and the Bolshevik Revolution on the other side of the continent, the conditions are ripe for crime. Tommy has every intention to ride this opportunity to the top.
Ozark (2017)
Metacritic: 67%
IMDb: 8.4/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 4
Genre: Crime, Drama
Cast: Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, Sofia Hublitz
Created by: Mark Williams, Bill Dubuque
Jason Bateman has had as interesting a career as anyone in the limelight. He burst onto the Hollywood scene in the early 1980s as a young heartthrob, starring in stuff like Teen Wolf Too and The Hogan Family before experiencing a major career renaissance in the late aughts with shows like the brilliant comedy Arrested Development. Ozark marks a different look for Bateman than many have seen, as he plays a financial planner-turned-money launderer who relocates his family to the remote Ozark mountains in Missouri to avoid attention from the law.
Unsurprisingly, the law finds him anyway, and Marty (Bateman) must scramble to stay afloat while paying off debts to a Mexican cartel. Laura Linney is awesome as Marty’s wife, who gets caught up in the scheme, and Julia Garner is particularly good as the odd local girl Ruth Langmore. Though Ozark will naturally draw comparisons to Breaking Bad, its scope isn’t nearly as grand, but Bateman seems to improve with each passing episode.
Squid Game (2021)
Metacritic: 69%
IMDb: 8.1/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Action & Adventure, Mystery, Drama
Cast: Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Jung Ho-yeon
Created by: Hwang Dong-hyuk
An acquisition from South Korea, Squid Game hit Netflix like a bolt of lightning, quickly becoming the most-watched show the platform has ever hosted. The viral sensation took off largely through social media and word of mouth by captivating and horrifying audiences with its sadistic premise. A cadre of ultra-wealthy elites round up desperate people and offer them the chance to become rich beyond their wildest dreams simply by competing in a few children’s games. Only, in these games, losing is not an option.
The Queen’s Gambit (2020)
IMDb: 8.0/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 1
Genre: Drama
Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Bill Camp, Moses Ingram
Created by: Scott Frank, Allan Scott
Based on Walter Tevis’ novel, this limited series takes audiences into a surprisingly captivating world: Competitive chess in the 1950s. The series follows Beth Harmon (Furiosa‘s Anya Taylor-Joy), a Kentucky orphan who discovers an aptitude for chess when she sneaks away from choir practices to play with the orphanage’s custodian. After her adoption as a teenager, Beth leans into the competitive chess scene, supported by her single, hedonistic adoptive mother. But although Beth is a female superstar in a male-dominated world, she’s haunted by personal demons and plagued by addiction and an obsessive personality.
American Vandal (2017)
Metacritic: 76%
IMDb: 8.2/10
Rated: TV-MA
Seasons: 2
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Cast: Tyler Alvarez, Griffin Gluck
Created by: Dan Perrault, Tony Yacenda
After 27 cars in the high-school faculty’s parking lot are vandalized with crude phallic images, the school’s resident slacker and class clown is expelled, but when two fellow students initiate a documentary-style investigation into the incident, everyone becomes a suspect in this surprisingly compelling and hilarious series. A satire of true-crime documentaries like Making a Murderer and Serial, American Vandal is a mockumentary that manages to channel much of the same “Did he really do it?” uncertainty into its story, while also offering a very funny and impressively clever spin on the typical docuseries format. Much like the true-crime series that inspired it, the first season of American Vandal is packed with narrative twists and turns that keep the audience guessing. It’s supremely binge-friendly as you push to discover the next revelation in this seemingly minor incident that consumes the lives of the characters involved in it. The first season of the series earned rave reviews, prompting Netflix to commission a second season, which premiered to even more critical acclaim. Sadly, that might be the last we see of the series, as Netflix abruptly canceled it in October 2018 as part of a wave of cancellations of projects Netflix co-produced with other studios.
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