Netflix has slowed down production so dramatically that the flow of new original series is now barely a crawl. The good news is that means there are fewer shows that are terrible, but it also means that the great series have been few and far between. If this is the future of Netflix, then we’re not in favor of this change of direction.
For the month of July, Netflix’s best originals were the final season of Vikings: Valhalla, and the beginning of the end of Cobra Kai. The latter show will have two more batches of episodes in its final season, which will extend into 2025. You can catch those two series and more in our roundup of the best Netflix original series right now.
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.
-
Vikings: Valhalla2022 -
Cobra Kai2018
Vikings: Valhalla (2022)
70%
7.3/10You 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)
71%
8.5/10Cobra 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)
61%
6.9/10Benedict 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)
71%
5.5/10Some 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)
58%
7.0/10It 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)
69%
7.4/10Almost 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)
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)
88%
8.1/10There 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)
75%
8.2/10Patricia 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)
65%
7.4/10Meet 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)
70%
7.4/103 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)
67%
8.4/10Viewers 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)
80%
7.3/10Girls5eva 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)
56%
7.4/10Was 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)
76%
8.2/10Dexter 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)
7.3/10As 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)
61%
8.1/10Everything 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)
65%
7.6/10Don’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)
8.1/10In 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)
84%
8.6/10The 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)
50%
7.1/10My 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)
44%
5.7/10What 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)
65%
7.4/10If 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)
81%
8.8/10Almost 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)
86%
9.1/10Blue 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)
75%
7.8/10As 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)
80%
7.5/10Everyone’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)
6.7/10There 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)
66%
5.0/10K-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)
67%
8.7/10Live-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 (Iñaki 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)
69%
8.3/10Otis 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)
8.7/10Professional 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)
70%
7.4/10After 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)
7.5/10Get 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)
5.6/10The 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)
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)
62%
5.9/10If 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)
62%
7.7/10The Witcher (2019)
63%
8.1/10Quarterback (2023)
8.3/10Playing 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)
55%
7.1/10Ten 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)
8.8/10Netflix 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)
Our Planet (2019)
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)
76%
6.6/10God 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)
48%
6.6/10Arnold 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)
67%
6.6/10The 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)
71%
7.8/10Sweet 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)
75%
7.8/10The Night Agent (2023)
69%
7.5/10It’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)
86%
8.0/10A 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)
6.4/10Netflix 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)
69%
6.6/10Have 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)
69%
7.6/10Need 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)
That '90s Show (2023)
The Witcher: Blood Origin (2022)
Alice in Borderland (2020)
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)
68%
8.0/10The Watcher (2022)
54%
6.6/10Based 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)
66%
7.8/10Tom 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)
69%
7.4/10Inventing Anna (2022)
57%
6.8/10Heartstopper (2022)
85%
8.8/10Stranger Things (2016)
75%
8.7/10The 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)
8.8/10Ozark (2017)
67%
8.4/10Jason 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)
69%
8.1/10The Queen’s Gambit (2020)
8.0/10American Vandal (2017)
76%
8.2/10Related Topics: Netflix | Hulu | Amazon Prime | More Streaming Services
