Streaming services are known for having award-worthy series but also plenty of duds. Our guide to the best TV shows on Netflix is updated weekly to help you know which series you should move to the top of your queue. They aren’t all sure-fire winners—we love a good less-than-obvious gem—but they’re all worth your time, trust us.
Feel like you’ve already watched everything on this list that you want to see? Try our guide to the best movies on Netflix for more options. And if you’ve already completed Netflix and are in need of a new challenge, check out our picks for the best shows on Hulu and the best shows on Disney+. Don’t like our picks or want to offer suggestions of your own? Head to the comments below.
Hellbound
Imagine a supernatural figure appeared and told you precisely when you were going to die—what would you do? Now, imagine if this wasn’t a one-off personal experience, and society as a whole was aware of such warnings from beyond. Forget the giant smoke demons dragging foretold victims to hell, the societal shifts are the real hook of this striking South Korean horror series from Train to Busan director Yeon Sang-ho. The first season delved into complex theological issues such as the nature of sin and justice, while the newly arrived second season takes things further with a series of very public resurrections, further shaking a world already on the brink of existential chaos. Hellbound remains one of the most innovative horror shows in years.
The Diplomat
If there’s a West Wing-shaped hole in your life, look no further than The Diplomat—a tense geopolitical thriller elevated by a superb central performance by The Americans’ Keri Russell as Kate Wyler, newly appointed US ambassador to the UK. Far from being an easy assignment in a friendly country, Kate’s role coincides with an attack on a British aircraft carrier, leaving her to defuse an international crisis while also navigating her fraying “special relationship” with husband Hal (Rufus Sewell). The second season picks up from a literally explosive cliffhanger and propels Kate into a political conspiracy—and a potential promotion to vice president. Some of the twists along the way are faintly ridiculous, but The Diplomat has become one of Netflix’s biggest hits in recent years, and a third season is already in the works.
Ranma ½
One of Western anime fandom’s gateway drugs gets a 21st century makeover with a gorgeously animated remake of Rumiko Takahashi’s legendary manga. Wisely keeping the original 1980s setting, this martial-arts-infused romantic comedy follows Ranma Saotome and Akane Tendo, each the heir to their family’s dojo, as they’re reluctantly promised to each other in marriage. The only problem? They can’t stand each other. Well, maybe not the only problem—after falling into a cursed spring while training in China, Ranma also transforms into a girl whenever he’s splashed with water, while his father turns into a panda, and archrival Ryoga shifts into an adorable piglet! Takahashi’s comedic genius remains timeless—a panda and a schoolgirl brawling through the streets of Tokyo is gloriously farcical—while production studio MAPPA (Chainsaw Man) impresses with slick animation that more accurately re-creates Takahashi’s comic style.
The Fall of the House of Usher
This miniseries from Midnight Mass creator Mike Flanagan isn’t just an adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s title work, but rather several of the master of macabre’s pieces, brilliantly woven into a tapestry of terror. Like the title’s source, this eight-episode event hangs on twin siblings Roderick and Madeline Usher, here reimagined as the rulers of a shady pharmaceutical empire, now with a sprawling family of descendants and squabbling heirs. The fun twist for Poe fans is that each member of the Usher clan is adapted from characters found in Poe’s other works, including The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Masque of the Red Death, and, of course, The Raven, as they start falling victim to a variety of unsettling deaths, leaving the family founders to watch in despair as their empire crumbles. It’s not just for grown-up goths or erudite emos though—everyone will get a creepy kick out of this delectably gothic twist on Succession. Perfect Halloween viewing.
Nobody Wants This
Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: An agnostic sex podcaster and a Rabbi walk into a party … OK, it’s not quite a setup for a joke, but rather for a sharp romcom—one based, in exaggerated form, on creator Erin Foster’s own experiences. Joanne (Kristen Bell, The Good Place) is cynical and burned out on modern dating, even as it provides her material for the increasingly successful podcast she hosts with her sister Morgan (Justine Lupe). When she meets young, handsome Noah (Adam Brody, The OC), the attraction is instant and mutual—except he’s just broken up with the stereotypical Nice Jewish Girl™ his family expected him to settle down with. Yet as the pair swirl through each other’s lives, the show proves it’s less about culture clash than it is exploring what the seemingly mismatched pair are willing to change and sacrifice to make their burgeoning relationship work. With sizzling chemistry between its leads, Nobody Wants This is a romcom with an emphasis on the romance.
Heartstopper
One of the most joyful shows on Netflix returns for another school year of teen drama and heartfelt queer romance. In the long-awaited third season, things heat up between the central couple, with Charlie (Joe Locke) preparing to say three little words to Nick (Kit Connor) for the first time, while Elle (Yasmin Finney) and Tao (William Gao) try to have the perfect romantic summer before Elle starts art college. Heartstopper‘s return also sheds some of its earlier cloying tendencies, growing up alongside its talented young cast and giving them more serious material to work with, tackling more mature themes of sex, eating disorders, and gender dysphoria—all without losing the warmth and charm that made audiences fall in love with the show in the first place. The show younger LGBTQ+ viewers need now, older ones needed years ago, and one that everyone needs to watch, whatever their sexuality.
Terminator Zero
Watch the above trailer for Terminator Zero and you might think it’s merely an animated repeat of the highlights from James Cameron’s first two Terminator films—and to an extent, you’d be right. But look beyond the familiar imagery of cyborg cops hunting down innocent humans and plucky resistance fighters pushing back against AI-driven extinction, and you’ll find one of the sharpest entries in the Terminator franchise in years. The first half of this eight-episode series treads that familiar ground, with computer engineer Malcolm Lee (voiced by André Holland, English language; Yuuya Uchida, Japanese) and his children in 1997 Tokyo targeted by Skynet’s murder-bots from the future for his work developing Kokoro (Rosario Dawson/Atsumi Tanezaki), an intelligence system to rival Skynet, which he somehow knows is set to bring about Judgment Day. With only human resistance soldier Eiko (Sonoya Mizuno/Toa Yukinari) able to protect them, there’s plenty of the kinetic, visceral action that Terminator is known for. The back half, though, brings considerably more depth, tapping into the often overlooked hard sci-fi elements of the universe, exploring time travel and paradoxes alongside existentialist discussions on the nature of consciousness. The best balance of brains and brawn since Terminator II.
Baby Reindeer
Stalking is no laughing matter, which makes this dramatized—and highly controversial—retelling of Scottish comedian Richard Gadd’s own real-life experiences more than a little uncomfortable. Adapted from Gadd’s one-man stage show of the same name, Baby Reindeer follows Donny (Gadd, playing a fictionalized version of himself) after he meets Martha (Jessica Gunning) at the pub he works at. Despite claiming to be a lawyer, Martha can’t afford a drink—and a sympathetic gesture on Donny’s part opens the door to increasingly obsessive and dangerous behavior as she proceeds to infiltrate his life. It’s shockingly honest and self-aware in places—does Donny, and by extension Gadd, on some level relish the attention of his stalker? Are his occasional moments of kindness and warmth toward Martha inviting her further in? Is he using her, finding her a strange source of material for his stand-up career? A fiercely paced seven episodes, shot more like a horror movie, this Emmy-winning miniseries explores trauma and intimacy, shame and masculinity, and how society often silences the victims of abuse.
Kaos
A modern twist on Greek mythology from creator Charlie Covell (The End of the F**king World, also worth your time on Netflix), Kaos sees Jeff Goldblum in impeccable form as Zeus, the irascible and mercurial king of the gods, reacting with calm and reason as humanity begins to dabble in blasphemy. Just kidding, he plans to wipe us out. While Covell brilliantly reimagines the Greek pantheon in the image of the disaffected wealthy families we’re more accustomed to seeing on vapid reality TV, the real genius is in weaving together countless figures and fables—including Billie Piper (Doctor Who) as tortured seer Cassandra, Aurora Perrineau and Killian Scott as Eurydice and Orpheus, Nabhaan Rizwan as chaotic party god Dionysus, and a brilliantly icy Janet McTeer as Hera, queen of the gods—into a sprawling tapestry that’s as darkly comedic as it is apocalyptically thought provoking.
The Perfect Couple
This self-contained event miniseries headlines Nicole Kidman as Greer Garrison Winbury, frosty matriarch of an ultra-wealthy Nantucket family. A famous author, Greer is showing her disdain for her son’s bride-to-be in the WASPiest way possible—throwing them the most lavish wedding possible, all while sniping at everyone involved. But when a dead body is found, the Winbury’s long-buried secrets start flooding out. Part glossy soap, part murder mystery, this adaptation of Elin Hilderbrand’s novel of the same name shines by not taking itself too seriously—colorful dance numbers, bitingly funny dialog, and an edge of satire keep things lively, even at its darker moments. While the whole cast is a delight (including Liev Schreiber as Greer’s pet husband Tag and Eve Hewson as bride Amelia, with ever-decreasing patience for the rich-folk nonsense she’s caught up in), the real standout is Donna Lynne Champlin (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) as Detective Nikki Henry, investigating the case while providing a master class in how to just about hide withering disdain as she sizes up her self-absorbed suspects. Pulpy, campy, addictive viewing.
The Boyfriend
“Anyone can fall in love with anyone” is the opening narration to The Boyfriend, Japan’s first same-sex dating show—a bold and progressive statement that reflects the shifting tide of opinion in the country. Throwing nine single men together in an idyllic beach house for a summer and charging them with running a coffee truck, the over-arching concept is to see who’ll pair up, but the series is as interested in exploring the friendships that emerge between the cast as it is the romantic relationships. Unlike Western dating shows, there are no scandals, no dramatic twists, no betrayals, and the “challenges” are adorably focused on confessing feelings. The gentleness of it all adds an almost relaxing quality, with the men discussing their emotions—and the nature of being queer in Japan—earnestly. An absolutely joyful example of reality TV.
Kleo
If you’re pining for more Killing Eve, then this German thriller may be the next best thing. Set in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the series follows the eponymous Kleo (Jella Haase), a Stasi assassin imprisoned by her agency on false treason charges. Released after the fall of the Berlin Wall, she seeks revenge on her former handlers—but West German detective Sven (Dimitrij Schaad), the only witness to her last kill, may have something to say about that. As dark and violent as you’d expect given the period and the themes of betrayal and vengeance, Kleo is lightened by its oft-deranged sense of humor and a charismatic lead duo who brilliantly bounce off one another—chemistry that’s only heightened in the second season as Kleo’s pursuit of her old allies intensifies, attracting attention from international spy agencies in the aftermath of the Cold War.
Sweet Home
Based on the Korean webcomic by Kim Carnby and Hwang Young-chan, Sweet Home offers a very different vision of apocalyptic end times—rather than pandemics, disasters, or even zombies, this posits an end of the world brought about by people’s transformation into grotesque monsters, each unique and seemingly based on their deepest desires when they were human. The first season is a masterclass in claustrophobic horror, as the residents of an isolated, run-down apartment building—chiefly suicidal teen Cha Hyun-su (Song Kang), former firefighter Seo Yi-kyung (Lee Si-young), and Pyeon Sang-wook (Lee Jin-wook), who may be a brutal gangster—battle for survival. The second and third seasons explore what remains of the wider world, delving into the true nature of both monster and man—and if there’s any hope for what remains of humanity. With phenomenal effects work blending prosthetics, CGI, and even stop-motion animation for some disturbingly juddering creatures, this stands apart from the horror crowd.
The Decameron
Giovanni Boccaccio’s 14th-century collection of tales might not sound like the best material for a TV show, but as reimagined by creator Kathleen Jordan, it’s one of Netflix’s most raucous comedies in years. As the Black Death ravages Europe, a group of nobles decamp to an isolated country estate, hoping to party while the world ends. Shocker: Everything goes horrifically wrong. And while there’s plenty of carnage along the way, there’s even more bawdy antics and awkward humor as some of the worst people in history are forced to live together. Lampooning the excesses of the rich and with a hilarious cast—including Girls’ Zosia Mamet, Derry Girls’ Saoirse-Monica Jackson, Arrested Development’s Tony Hale, and Willow’s Amar Chadha-Patel—The Decameron is a bloody good time.
Star Trek Prodigy
Paramount+’s loss remains Netflix’s gain, as the streamer’s license rescue of this great Star Trek spin-off warps into its second season. After escaping a distant prison planet and becoming Starfleet cadets under the watchful eye of Star Trek Voyager’s Admiral Janeway (voiced by the venerable Kate Mulgrew), the ragtag crew—led by aspiring captain Dal R’El and bolstered by astrolinguist Gwyndala, engineer Jankom Pog, energy being Zero, scientist Rok-Tahk, and indestructible, gelatinous Murf—find themselves cast through time on the most dangerous mission of their young lives. While aimed at younger audiences and intended as an intro to the wider Trek universe and its ethics, Prodigy packs in plenty for older Trekkers to appreciate, particularly with a slate of returning Star Trek legends voiced by their original actors. Prodigy is something of a sleeper hit, but one of the best Trek shows in years.
Delicious in Dungeon
Take a large portion of Great British Bake-Off, blend with equal parts Dungeons & Dragons, add a dash of Lord of the Rings, and sauté for 25 minutes per portion—et voilà, you have a delectable serving of Delicious in Dungeon. Based on the manga by Ryōko Kui, the series follows adventuring swordsman Laios and his compatriots Marcille, an elven mage, and Chilchuk, a halfling locksmith, as they venture through a hazardous dungeon to rescue Laios’ sister Falin. After finding themselves short on supplies, the party teams up with dwarven warrior (and master chef) Senshi, who provides a new way to survive the dungeon’s endless threats: kill, cook, and eat every monster they encounter. A light-hearted comedy, Delicious in Dungeon lampoons the fantasy genre at every turn, while serving up delectable dishes in each episode that look so good, you’ll wish they were real.
Supacell
One by one, five Black Londoners awaken to strange superpowers. Struggling father Andre (Eric Kofi-Abrefa) develops superstrength, nurse Sabrina (Nadine Mills) unleashes phenomenal telekinetic might, drug dealer Rodney (Calvin Demba) races at superspeed, and wannabe gang leader Tazer (Josh Tedeku) turns invisible. But it’s Michael (Tosin Cole, Doctor Who) who may be the most pivotal, realizing he can leap through time and space and learning he only has three months to save his fiancée’s life. Created by Andrew “Rapman” Onwubolu, Supacell is a show about superpowers, but not necessarily superheroes, with its fantastic cast offering up a far more realistic and human exploration of now-familiar ideas than anything you’ll find in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And the mystery of why—and how—only Black people seem to be gaining powers builds up to a more powerful punch than an Asgardian god of thunder. A smart, modern, and refreshing take on the genre.
The Good Place
After suffering an improbable and humiliating death, Eleanor (Kristen Bell) finds herself in “The Good Place,” a perfect neighborhood inhabited by the world’s worthiest people. The only problem? She’s not meant to be there. Desperate to not be sent to “The Bad Place,” she tries to correct her behavior in the afterlife, with the help of her assigned soulmate, philosophy professor Chidi (William Jackson Harper). A twist at the end of the first season remains one of the best ever, while the show’s ability to sprinkle ethical and philosophical precepts into a sitcom format is frankly astounding. With a sensational cast rounded out by Manny Jacinto, Jameela Jamil, D’Arcy Carden, and Ted Danson, The Good Place more than earns its place in the good place of TV history.
Scavengers Reign
All too often, “adult animation” means either “sex jokes and F-bombs we can’t do on Cartoon Network” or “let’s copy anime.” Scavengers Reign isn’t either of those things—this gloriously strange hard science fiction series has a visual style drawn more from European bandes dessinées, and impresses with writing that’s equal parts imaginative, impactful, and thought provoking. The 12-episode series follows the crew from interstellar cargo vessel Demeter 227, stranded on the uncharted world of Vesta with seemingly no escape. (The bizarre creatures that call the planet home may be the least of the survivors’ concerns.) Originally commissioned, then unjustly canceled, by Max, this spectacular animated show deserves your attention (especially since Netflix may extend its run if enough people watch).
Eric
Created and written by Abi Morgan (screenwriter of The Iron Lady and Suffragette), this psychological thriller follows TV puppeteer Vincent Anderson (Benedict Cumberbatch) and his wife Cassie (Gaby Hoffmann), left traumatized when their son Edgar (Ivan Morris Howe) goes missing. But while Detective Ledroit (McKinley Belcher III) investigates, brushing up against the darkest edges of Eric’s 1980s New York setting, Vincent pursues other avenues—like bringing the giant puppet Eric, designed by Edgar, to life onscreen in order to lure his son home. The distraught actions of a desperate father? Maybe—but when Eric starts talking to Vincent, everything takes a far more surreal turn. While there are shades of the similarly imaginary-friend-tinged Happy! to Eric, this limited series leans more into themes of grief, loss, and the breakdown of relationships, material its cast almost uniformly mines to deliver star turns throughout.
Bridgerton
Still ranking as one of Netflix’s most-watched series ever, Bridgerton is set during the Regency period in England and follows the powerful Bridgerton family as they navigate love, marriage, and scandal—with most of the latter stirred up by the gossip columns penned by the anonymous Lady Whistledown. Created for screen by Chris Van Dusen and executive produced by Shonda Rhimes, this incredibly bingeable and shockingly entertaining show is based on a series of novels by Julia Quinn, with each season focusing on a different branch of the Bridgerton tree. The third and latest season sees the spotlight fall on the long-simmering relationship between wallflower Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton), a pairing that threatens to reveal powerful secrets that have been bubbling away since the very first episode.
Chicken Nugget
Some shows really make you stop and think about big, meaningful, existential questions. For example: “What is it like to live as a chicken nugget?” Adapted from a Korean webtoon by Park Ji-dok—whose other work includes a comic called Killer Farts, as a starting reference point—Chicken Nugget follows Choi Sun-man (Ryu Seung-ryong), president of technology company More Than Machines, and his eccentric intern Baek-joong (Ahn Jae-hong) as they seek a way to return Sun-man’s daughter Min-ah (Kim You-jung) to human form after she’s accidentally transformed into a … well, it’s in the title. Look, there’s no getting around how utterly weird this one is, but somehow, this incredibly surreal show somersaults over its bizarre premise to become an unexpectedly warm and endearing tale of human connection. Netflix’s strangest series in years, but also oddly compelling.
Bodkin
When American podcaster Gilbert Power (Will Forte) and his enthusiastic assistant Emmy Sizergh (Robyn Cara) descend on the sleepy Irish town of Bodkin—reluctantly aided by investigative journalist Dove Maloney (a brilliantly acerbic Siobhán Cullen, cussing out everyone who glances her way)—he thinks he’s going to crack a decades-old missing-persons cold case. What he finds is a community with absolutely zero interest in his investigation, and even less in his attempts to “connect” with his Irish roots. But before long, the villagers’ quirky behavior starts to feel stereotypical, performative even—and Power realizes the cold case may not be quite so chilly. Bodkin suffers from a slow start—give it at least two episodes before writing it off as not for you—but once this darkly comedic mystery gets going, you’ll likely be just as invested as in your favorite true crime podcast. (Just don’t take inspiration and try sleuthing any cold cases yourself.)
3 Body Problem
In 1960s China, at the height of the Cultural Revolution, gifted scholar Wenjie Ye witnesses her physicist father being beaten to death for his research, only for her to be recruited to a secret project relying on that same knowledge. Fast-forward to the present day, and physics is broken: Particle accelerators around the world are delivering impossible data, while scientists are being plagued by countdowns only they can see. Meanwhile, strange VR headsets appear to be transporting players to an entirely different world—and humanity’s continued existence may rely on there being no “game over.” Game of Thrones’ creators D. B. Weiss and David Benioff and True Blood executive producer Alexander Woo reimagine Chinese author Cixin Liu’s acclaimed hard sci-fi trilogy of first contact and looming interplanetary conflict as a more global affair. Wildly ambitious, and boasting an international cast featuring the likes of Benedict Wong, Rosalind Chao, Eiza González, and GOT alum John Bradley, Netflix’s 3 Body Problem serves up the opening salvo in a richly detailed and staggeringly complex saga.
Parasyte: The Grey
Alien spores rain down on Earth, releasing aggressive larvae driven to burrow into other creatures’ heads, devour the brain, and take control of the body. Once in possession, these parasites are indistinguishable from regular people—apart from the ability to warp the flesh and bone of their hosts’ head into terrible weapons, which they use to hunt and consume humans from the shadows. Su-in Jeong (So-nee Jeon) almost became one of them, but when the parasite trying to take control of her exhausts itself saving her from a violent attacker, she’s left sharing her body with an increasingly self-aware monster. Helmed by Train to Busan director Sang-ho Yeon, this Korean drama expands the world established in Hitoshi Iwaaki’s sci-horror manga Parasyte, building on its social and environmental themes even as it delivers a terrific, and often terrifying, slice of body horror.
Ripley
Perhaps best known nowadays from 1999’s The Talented Mr. Ripley starring Matt Damon, novelist Patricia Highsmith’s inveterate criminal Tom Ripley has a longer, darker legacy in print and on the screen. For this limited series, creator Steven Zaillian goes back to Highsmith’s original text, presenting Ridley (a never-more-sinister Andrew Scott of All of Us Strangers) as a down-on-his-luck con man in 1950s New York who is recruited by a wealthy shipbuilder to travel to Italy and persuade the businessman’s spoiled son Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn) to return home. But once in Italy, Ripley finds himself enamored with Dickie’s lavish lifestyle—and will do anything to take it for himself. Shot in black and white to really sell its noir credentials, this is an instant contender for the finest interpretation of Highsmith’s works to date.
Girls5eva
Saving it from Peacock after two seasons, Netflix has gotten the band back together for this sharp comedy from creator Meredith Scardino. Twenty years after they split up, girl group Girls5Eva—Dawn (Sara Bareilles), Gloria (Paula Pell), Summer (Busy Philipps), and Wickie (Renée Elise Goldsberry)—find themselves back in demand after their one big hit is sampled by popular rapper Li’l Stinker (Jeremiah Craft). Turning their renewed popularity into an opportunity to reunite, the women try to gain the stardom, respect, and musical integrity they never had in their youth, even as life has taken them in very different directions. Poking fun at the absurdity of the late ’90s/early ’00s pop scene—and how little has changed since—and heightened by an almost surrealist edge in places, Girls5eva is a comedy that deserves its time in the spotlight.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
A talented young cast bring to life the tale of Aang (Gordon Cormier), the latest in a long line of avatars who can control all four cardinal elements, but is frozen in time for a century when his world needed him most. Awakened by new friends Katara (Kiawentiio) and Sokka (Ian Ousley), he sets about continuing his training as the Avatar in an attempt to restore balance, all the while pursued by the relentless Prince Zuko (Dallas Liu), heir to the imperialist Fire Nation that has conquered the word. Consider this a cautious recommendation—the original animated version, also on Netflix, remains superior—but Netflix’s live action Avatar remake serves up scale and spectacle, without betraying the heart of the classic show. It’s also already confirmed for two more seasons, so viewers can look forward to the complete saga without the now-familiar Netflix cancellation worries.
The Legend of Korra
If you’re still not sold on the live-action Avatar, this sequel to the original series is well worth your time. Set 70 years after the animated Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra explores how Aang’s world has progressed after decades of relative peace. When Korra, the new Avatar, moves to Republic City to complete her training under the tutelage of Tenzin—Aang’s son, now with a family of his own—she finds herself and new friends Mako and Bolin caught in the growing tensions between element benders and the Equalist movement, who claim the unpowered are an oppressed class. As the series progresses over its four seasons, The Legend of Korra proves itself a very different beast than its predecessor, exploring political themes and social prejudices in deeper—and often darker—detail, while also expanding the more fantastic elements of the universe and revealing the origins of the first Avatar. Even more brilliantly animated, and with a unique 1920s inspired aesthetic, Korra is a show that grew up alongside its audience, and is all the stronger for it.
Beef
Ever been cut off in traffic? Ever had it happen when you’re having a really bad day? Ever just wanted to take the low road, chase the person down and make them pay?! Then—after a few deep breaths—Beef is the show for you. It’s a pressure valve for every petty grievance you’ve ever suffered, following rich Amy (Ali Wong) and struggling Danny (Steven Yeun) as they escalate a road rage encounter into a vengeance-fueled quest to destroy the other. Yet Beef is more than a city-wide revenge thriller—it’s a biting look at how crushing modern life can be, particularly in its LA setting, where extravagant wealth brushes up against inescapable poverty and seemingly no one is truly happy. Part dramedy, part therapy, Beef is a bad example of conflict resolution but a cathartic binge watch that clearly resonates—as evidenced by its growing clutch of awards, including the Golden Globe for Best Limited Series.
Loudermilk
Something of a sleeper hit for years—its first two seasons debuted on AT&T’s now-defunct pay TV channel Audience in 2017, before its third season appeared over on Amazon—all three seasons of this bleak comedy are now available on Netflix. Ron Livingston stars as Sam Loudermilk, a vitriolic former music critic and recovering alcoholic who proves almost pathologically incapable of holding his tongue when faced with life’s small frustrations—a personality type possibly ill-suited to leading others through addiction support groups. It’s dark in places, and its central character is deliberately unlikeable, but smart writing and smarter performances shape this into something of an acerbic anti-Frasier.
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off
Adapted from the beloved graphic novel series by Bryan Lee O’Malley, animated by one of the most exciting and dynamic studios in Japan, and voiced by the entire returning cast of director Edgar Wright’s 2010 live-action adaption, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off would have been cult gold even if it was a straight retelling of its eponymous slacker’s battles against lover Ramona Flowers’ seven evil exes. Yet somehow, in a world devoid of surprises, this packs in killer twists from the very first episode, making for a show that’s as fresh and exciting as ever. Saying anything else would ruin it—just watch.
Bodies
Four detectives. Four time periods. Four murders? Maybe—but only one body. This time-twisting thriller—adapted from the comic of the same name by writer Si Spencer and artists Tula Lotay, Meghan Hetrick, Dean Ormston, and Phil Winslade—hops from Victorian London to a dystopian future and back again, as the same corpse is found in the same spot in each era. The only thing stranger than the impossible crime itself is the conspiracy behind it, one that spans decades, impacting and linking every figure investigating the body. A brilliantly high-concept sci-fi crime drama, Bodies is one of the best one-and-done limited series to hit Netflix in years.
Pluto
Think you know Astro Boy? Think again. In 2003, Naoki Urasawa (Monster, 20th Century Boys) updated original creator Osamu Tezuka’s hugely influential “The Greatest Robot on Earth” story arc for his manga Pluto, opting for a more adult approach. The focus shifts from the heroic boy robot to grizzled cybernetic detective Gesicht as he investigates a series of murders of both humans and robots, each victim left with makeshift horns crammed into their heads. Meanwhile, Atom (Astro’s Japanese name) is recast as a former peace ambassador, effectively a propaganda tool rolled out at the end of the 39th Central Asian War, still dealing with trauma from the experience. This adaptation is not only a faithful recreation of Urasawa’s retelling, but is stunningly animated to a standard rarely seen in Netflix’s original anime productions. With eight episodes, each around an hour long, this is as prestigious as any live-action thriller the streamer has produced, and a testament to both Tezuka and Urasawa’s respective geniuses.
Blue Eye Samurai
In the 17th Century, Japan enforced its “sakoku” isolationist foreign policy, effectively closing itself off from the world. Foreigners were few and far between—so when Mizu (voiced by Maya Erskine) is born with blue eyes, nine months after her mother was assaulted by one of the four white men in the country, it marks her as an outsider, regarded as less than human. Years later, after being trained by a blind sword master and now masquerading as a man, Mizu hunts down those four men, knowing that killing them all is the only way to guarantee her vengeance. Exquisitely animated—which makes its unabashed violence all the more graphic—and with a phenomenal voice cast bolstered by the likes of George Takei, Brenda Song, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, and Kenneth Branagh, Blue Eye Samurai is one of the best adults-only animated series on Netflix.
Pending Train
Netflix: License one of Japan’s best SF dramas in years. Also Netflix: Do nothing, literally nothing, to promote it, not even create an English subbed trailer. Which is where WIRED comes in—Pending Train is a show you (and Netflix) shouldn’t sleep on. When a train carriage is mysteriously transported into a post-apocalyptic future, the disparate passengers’ first concern is simply survival. Between exploring their new surroundings and clashing with people from another stranded train car over scarce resources, one group—including hairdresser Naoya, firefighter Yuto, and teacher Sae—begins to realize that there may be a reason they’ve been catapulted through time: a chance to go back and avert the disaster that ruined the world. A tense, 10-episode journey, Pending Train offers a Japanese twist on Lost, but one with tighter pacing and showrunners who actually have a clue where they want the story to go.
One Piece
Mark one up for persistence: After numerous anime adaptations ranging from “awful” to “not too bad,” Netflix finally strikes gold with its live-action take on the global phenomenon One Piece. Despite fans’ fears, this spectacularly captures the charm, optimism, and glorious weirdness of Eiichiro Oda’s beloved manga, manifesting a fantasy world where people brandish outlandish powers and hunt for a legendary treasure in an Age of Piracy almost verbatim from the page. The perfectly cast Iñaki Godoy stars as Monkey D. Luffy, would-be King of the Pirates, bringing an almost elastic innate physicality to the role that brilliantly matches the characters rubber-based stretching powers, while the crew Luffy gathers over this first season—including swordsmaster Roronoa Zoro (Mackenyu), navigator and skilled thief Nami (Emily Rudd), sharpshooter Usopp (Jacob Romero Gibson), and martial artist chef Sanji (Taz Skylar)—all brilliantly embody their characters. A lot could have gone wrong bringing One Piece to life, but this is a voyage well worth taking.
The Chosen One
Based on the comic American Jesus by writer Mark Millar (Kick-Ass, Kingsman) and artist Peter Gross (Lucifer), The Chosen One follows 12-year-old Jodie (Bobby Luhnow), raised in Mexico by his mother Sarah (Dianna Agron). While the young boy would rather hang out with his friends, his life—and potentially the world—changes forever when he starts exhibiting miraculous powers, attracting dangerous attention from sinister forces. While this could have been yet another formulaic entry in Netflix’s expansive library of supernatural teen dramas (the Stranger Things vibe is particularly strong), the decision to shoot on film and in a 4:3 aspect ratio make this a visual delight, unlike almost anything else on the streamer at present. There’s an English dub, but stick to the original Spanish with English subs for a better viewing experience. (Confusingly, there’s another show with the exact same title on Netflix, a 2019 Brazilian series following a trio of relief doctors in a village dominated by a cult leader—also worth a watch, but don’t get them confused!)
Heartstopper
Arguably the most joyful show on Netflix is back for another school year of teen drama and heartfelt romance. With Charlie (Joe Locke) and Nick (Kit Connor) now officially dating, this long-awaited second season starts off with Nick struggling to come out as bisexual—but it’s openly-gay Charlie’s parents who seem to struggle the most with their relationship. Meanwhile, Elle (Yasmin Finney) and Tao’s (William Gao) will-they-won’t-they saga continues to sizzle, and a school trip to Paris turns into a crucible for everyone’s emotions. Although it steps into slightly darker terrain this season, the brilliant adaptation of Alice Oseman’s graphic novels continues to be an utter delight—the show younger LGBTQ+ viewers need now, older ones needed years ago, and that everyone needs to watch whatever your sexuality.
Glitch
To those in the northern hemisphere, this Australian supernatural drama might be one of the best kept secrets of the last decade. Centred on a small town in Victoria, an entire community is shaken when seven people rise from their graves, seemingly in perfect health but with no memory of who they are or how they died. As police sergeant James Hayes (Patrick Brammall) and local doctor Elishia McKellar (Genevieve O’Reilly) try to contain and examine “The Risen,” Hayes’ world is rocked when he learns his own late wife Kate is among them. Over the course of three seasons and 18 episodes, the reasons for the dead’s return is teased out, starting with simply “how” and “why,” but building up to something that questions the rules of reality. A fantastic ensemble cast and brilliant pacing make this a must-see.
Black Mirror
As creator Charlie Brooker recently told WIRED, “Black Mirror wasn’t meant to be ‘this is what’s going on in technology this week.’ It was always designed to be a more paranoid and weird and hopefully unique show.” And that it is, but rather than displaying what’s going on in technology as it’s happening, the show has a way of beating its viewers to the paranoid punch, addressing dystopian anxieties before they even happen. (Black Mirror was talking about AI long before your mom ever heard of ChatGPT.) There are now six seasons of Brooker’s show on Netflix, and if you haven’t watched, now may be the time. How else will you know what you’ll be worried about five years from now?
Inside Man
Jefferson Grieff (Stanley Tucci) is a former criminology professor on death row for killing his wife, telling his story to a journalist named Beth (Lydia West). Harry Watling (David Tennant) is an unassuming English vicar, tending to his parishioners. The two men are a world apart—until a horrific misunderstanding leads to Watling trapping a friend of Beth’s in his basement. As Watling’s situation and mental state deteriorate, Beth turns to the killer for help finding her friend. Created and written by Stephen Moffat, this tense transatlantic thriller has just a dash of The Silence of the Lambs, and with a cast at the top of their game, it’s gripping viewing. Best of all, its tight four episodes mean you can binge it in one go.
Alice in Borderland
When slacker Ryohei Arisu (Kento Yamazaki) is mysteriously transported to a deserted Tokyo, his keen gaming skills give him an edge navigating a series of lethal games that test intellect as much as physical prowess. Yet after barely scraping through several rounds, Arisu is no closer to uncovering the secrets of this strange borderland, or to finding a way home—and the stakes are about to get even higher. Not only are Arisu and his allies Usagi (Tao Tsuchiya), Kuina (Aya Asahina), and Chishiya (Nijiro Murakami) faced with another gauntlet of sadistic games, but they find themselves caught between rival card suit “courts” vying for power—and not everyone can be trusted.
With its willingness to kill off main characters at a moment’s notice, the first season of this gripping adaptation of Haro Aso’s manga kept viewers on tenterhooks throughout. As the long-awaited second season leans further into its twisted Alice in Wonderland imagery, expect more shocking developments in this taut thriller.
Arcane
Let’s be honest: Animated series based on video games often run the gamut from cheap cash-ins to half-decent if forgettable tie-ins, inaccessible to anyone but hardcore devotees. In contrast, Arcane stands apart from the crowd by making its connections to Riot Games’ League of Legends almost optional. While its central figures, orphaned sisters Vi and Jinx, are playable characters in the game, viewers don’t need foreknowledge of their story to enjoy this steampunk saga of class war, civil uprising, and the people caught in between. With a gorgeous painterly art style, strong characters, and frequently shocking story beats, Arcane defies its origins to become one of the best animated series in years—and it has racked up plenty of awards, including a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program, to prove it.
The Sandman
The Sandman is one of the most beloved comic series of the past 40 years. A dark fantasy about dreams, reality, stories, and the mercurial relationship between them, Neil Gaiman’s books have endured as essential reading for goth teens and literati alike. While attempts to bring the saga of Dream of the Endless—sometimes known as Morpheus, immortal embodiment and master of the nightlands, fierce and terrible in his wrath—to the screen have been underway practically since the comic debuted in 1988, this long-in-development Netflix adaptation is worth the wait. It’s a perfect translation of the first two graphic novels in the series and follows Dream (a sombre and imposing Tom Sturridge) as he restores his power and kingdom after being held in captivity for a century by occultists who snared him instead of his sister Death (Kirby Howell-Baptiste). Fittingly, the show has a dreamlike pacing to it, blurring the lines between episodic narratives and longer arcs, and it is as likely to leave viewers crying over a gargoyle’s fate as it is to shock them with the sadistic actions of an escaped nightmare-turned-serial killer named the Corinthian (Boyd Holbrook). The Sandman’s journey to the screen might have been the stuff of restless nights, but the result is a dream you won’t want to wake up from.
Stranger Things
Netflix’s nostalgic sci-fi/horror series is back for its fourth season, set six months after the Battle of Starcourt and with its core cast separated for the first time. The Byers family and Eleven are off in California, Hopper is still (somehow) in a Russian prison, and the remaining crew are home in Hawkins, Indiana, about to face down a terrifying new threat—high school. Oh, and another incursion from the horrific Upside Down. The Duffer Brothers continue to offer up plenty of 1980s nostalgia for viewers who grew up on a diet of Spielberg, Lucas, and Craven, while upping the stakes with a significant new threat. Expect drama, scares, and—of course—plenty of Dungeons & Dragons as the cult show roars toward its fifth and final season.
Russian Doll
In Russian Doll, Nadia has one very big problem: Time keeps breaking around her. Season one finds Nadia—played by Natasha Lyonne, who is also a cocreator on the show—dying at her own birthday party, only to wake up there over and over again, trapped in a Groundhog Day-style loop until she can unravel her personalized knot in the space-time continuum. Things only get stranger in season two, where Nadia finds herself traveling back in time to 1982 and inhabiting the body of her own mother—currently heavily pregnant with Nadia herself. Both seasons are funny and thought-provoking, reflecting on personal and generational trauma, all without overegging the potential for philosophical musing.
Squid Game
Produced in Korea, Squid Game blends Hunger Games and Parasite with a battle-royal-style contest. Hundreds of desperate, broke people are recruited to a contest where they can win enough money to never need to worry about their debts again. All they have to do to win the ₩45.6 billion ($35.8 million) jackpot is complete six children’s games. But it’s not that simple: All the games have a twist, and very few people make it out alive. Squid Game is intense, brutal, and often very graphic, but it is also completely gripping. Netflix’s dubbing isn’t the best in this instance, but the nine episodes are compelling enough to make up for it.
Lupin
Arsène Lupin, the belle epoque burglar created by French novelist Maurice Leblanc in the early 1900s, is reinvented as Assane Diop, a first-generation Frenchman with a mania for Lupin books and a grudge against the powerful forces who decades ago framed his father for a theft he didn’t commit—and led him to die in prison. Pairing drones, social media bots, and hacking skills with traditional tools of the trade like fake beards, picklocks, and quick wits, Diop hunts down his adversaries as he searches for the truth about his father’s fate. In his spare time, Diop also tries to patch together a crumbling marriage and build a better rapport with his son. Worth watching in the French original, this five-episode series’ strength lies in the dialog, the character development, and the charismatic performance of Omar Sy as Assane. The actual escapades and daring heists are beautifully choreographed, but a lot of the mechanics—how a certain piece of legerdemain worked, when an impenetrable building was infiltrated—are left to the viewer’s imagination.
