Best Netflix Originals that are essential viewing
Netflix has mastered the art of delivering goods you can’t find anywhere else
Imagine a world without Netflix. There’d be no Stranger Things, no Squid Game, no BoJack Horseman and, most importantly, no Is It Cake?. Despite some well-documented issues, the plethora of top-quality original content that the platform continues to push out makes it tough to consider parting with the service. Whether it’s true-crime shows like Making a Murderer, triumphantly diverse properties such as Dear White People, or eye-opening foreign-language behemoths like Money Heist, Netflix has supercharged the industry. Here are the best Netflix Originals to add to your watch list.
1/86Wednesday
Everyone's favourite ghoulish family enjoys a reboot in this Wednesday Addams-focussed comedy horror. The Addams's daughter is expelled from school for an innocent event involving piranhas and the boys' water polo team, leading Gomez and Morticia to send Wednesday to their alma mater, the Nevermore Academy. Cue high school hijinks, a murder mystery, and the show becoming Netflix's third-most-watched series in its opening four weeks. netflix.com
2/86Heartstopper
Based on a webcomic series, the heartwarming Heartstopper follows the life of 15-year-old Charlie Spring, recently “outed” as gay to his classmates, and his growing friendship and romance with the rugby-playing Nick. In the first month of release, our cumulative Heartstopper watch time came in at 53 million hours, with the show exploding across social media and making a tangible cultural impact. In GQ's MOTY interview with stars Joe Locke and Kit Connor, writer Douglas Greenwood describes Heartstopper as “pioneering: a joyous and proudly uncynical work of mainstream queer representation, geared towards an audience who had never had it in that form before.” netflix.com
3/86The Swimmers
The unbelievable true story of sisters Sarah and Yusra Mardini has been given the cinematic treatment it deserves. The Swimmers follows Sarah and Yusra, young champion swimmers, on their journey from Syria as refugees. The boat carrying them and 18 other refugees to Lesbos began to sink in the Aegean Sea, so the sisters swam alongside for three hours, lightening the load and saving the lives of those on board. The struggle of being a refugee is vividly brought to life by director Sally El Hosaini, as Yusra reaches the Rio 2014 Olympics as part of the Refugee Olympic Team in a moment of stunning triumph. An incredible story told with sensitivity and realism. netflix.com
Photo Credit: Kumiko Tsuchiya4/86Alice in Borderland
Alice in Borderland is the darker, sharper cousin of Squid Game, with a bit of Saw and The Hunger Games sprinkled in for good measure. Set in a dystopian version of Tokyo, randomly selected contestants are forced to compete in deadly games of skill. It’s a riotous mystery box of a show that is unrelenting in brutality and humour. netflix.com
Courtesy of Netflix5/86Sweet Home
When we think of K-Dramas, the ones that come to mind are PG-rated romantic melodramas. (Not that there’s anything wrong with those.) But Netflix, unrestricted by censorship, gave the green light to dramas that weren’t afraid to shed some blood. Enter Sweet Home: a nasty horror series about a group of tenants trapped in their apartment high-rise thanks to some gnarly monsters knocking at their door. With some gory action, slimy creatures and nosebleeds aplenty, this show revels in making you squirm. netflix.com
LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX6/86The Sandman
Neil Gaiman’s comics come to life in a bold, lavish series, led by a brooding Tom Sturridge as a dream god reclaiming his power. The Sandman is goth fantasy mixed with sinister reality: Sturridge’s Morpheus has a battle of wits with Lucifer (played by a majestic Gwendoline Christie), while a diner descends into insanity in a season highlight. Never straying too far from its challenging source material, this is adaptation done right. netflix.com
7/86Hustle
Adam Sandler has led a few professional lives: SNL wunderkind, money-making slapstick comedy merchant, less-money-making slapstick comedy merchant. Now, the Jack and Jill multi-hyphenate has officially reached his prestige cinema stage, with an intense, sensitive performance in Uncut Gems and now by playing a down-on-his-luck basketball scout in Hustle. Stanley Sugerman (Sandler), scout for the Philadelphia 76ers, discovers a potential generational talent while on the road in Spain, putting his career and personal life on the line to bring the raw baller to the NBA. A story of perseverance and patience, Sandler plays the everyman perfectly, and the droves of NBA cameos make this a fun watch. netflix.com
8/86D.B. Cooper: Where Are You?!
In November 1971, a man carrying a black attaché case boarded a passenger plane in Portland, Oregon, bound for Seattle, Washington. The man, dubbed D. B. Cooper, hijacked the flight, successfully collected a $200,000 ransom from authorities in Seattle, paid for his bar tab, and jumped out of the plane during its negotiated new journey to Mexico City. It remains the only unresolved case of air piracy in commercial aviation history. D.B. Cooper: Where Are You?! investigates the tale of the softly-spoken hijacker, narrowing down the suspects and attempting to unearth Cooper's fate. netflix.com
9/86Man Vs Bee
Rowan Atkinson's return to slapstick comes in the form of Netflix comedy showcase Man Vs Bee. A newly-homeless man finds a job as a housesitter for a particularly rich couple. His newfound life of Riley is rapidly interrupted by a bee that finds itself in the same mansion. You can start to imagine what happens next. It's Mr. Bean, but with more expansive dialogue – what's not to love? netflix.com
10/86How to Change Your Mind
Fancy a mid-week trip? Author Michael Pollan brings his 2018 book How to Change Your Mind to the small screen, exploring the history and uses of psychedelic drugs. The four-part series covers LSD, psilocybin, MDMA, and mescaline, looking at their origins, historical context and potential medical benefits. A mind-expanding series. netflix.com
11/86Money Heist
Money Heist (or La Casa de Papel) is one of Netflix's most popular non-English-language series, taking the streamer by storm and even popularising a 19th Century Italian protest folk song (sing “Bella Ciao” in public and you're bound to have someone join in). Money Heist follows the meticulous planning and ultimate undertaking of a hit on Spain's Royal Mint by the Professor and a carefully-chosen group of criminals, all told through real-time action, contextual flashbacks and the narration of Tokyo, one of the gang members. It's tense, stirring and will make you question where your loyalties lie. Our tip: watch with subtitles, as the actors' full performances elevate the drama well above the norm. netflix.com
Courtesy of Netflix12/86Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives.
Netflix has a penchant for scandalous documentary series, and Bad Vegan is no exception. Following on the coattails of The Tinder Swindler and from the Executive Producer of Tiger King, this docuseries follows world-renowned vegan chef Sarma Melngailis and her marriage to a mysterious man who claimed, among other things, that he could make her dog immortal. A multimillion-dollar scandal ensues, involving Melngailis, her staff, fraud – and a fateful Domino's pizza. netflix.com
13/86Formula 1: Drive to Survive
Now in its fourth season, Drive to Survive has introduced a glut of new fans to the drama of Formula 1. Featuring interviews with drivers, team members and experts alongside access-all-areas footage from the paddock and beyond, Drive to Survive gives viewers a trackside seat to experience the F1 calendar in all its tense, overwhelming, uncensored glory. For petrolheads and part-time fans alike, this is F1 at its most intimate. netflix.com
COURTESY OF NETFLIX14/86Pieces of Her
If a show makes it onto Gogglebox, you're onto a winner. Pieces of Her, based on a Karin Slaughter novel of the same name, centers on the small US town of Belle Isle, where a violent attack at a diner during protagonist Andy Oliver's 30th birthday party unravels her unassuming mother's dark past. A mystery wrapped in an enigma, the premise is fresh and Toni Collette's performance as a woman whose past is coming back to haunt her is particularly impressive. netflix.com
Carnival Film & Television Limited15/86The Last Kingdom
The former BBC production was given a new lease of life when Netflix took the reins from season 3. Filming has just wrapped on a feature-length spin-off to the popular series, the fifth and final season of which has seen huge viewing figures since its release at the start of March. Based on Bernard Cornwell's The Saxon Stories novels, The Last Kingdom follows Saxon Uhtred, kidnapped as a boy by Vikings and adopted by a Danish nobleman. With his loyalties torn between his blood and his adopted culture, Uhtred must decide whether to continue the Viking conquest of England or recognise the kingdom of his ancestors. netflix.com
Kevin Estrada/NETFLIX16/86I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson
Offbeat is an overused term in comedy, but it's perfectly apt when talking about Tim Robinson and his sketch comedy vehicle I think You Should Leave. Having spent several years as a writer on Saturday Night Live, Robinson's standalone show asks the question “how far do we have to go to get people to go away?” The answer is provided by a surreal mix of straight-faced and explosive acting in ludicrously awkward comic scenarios, all played perfectly by Robinson and his starry supporting cast. It's unlike anything else being made right now. netflix.com
Joshua Wilks/Netflix17/86The Tinder Swindler
The Tinder Swindler has become something of a phenomenon. What begins as a simple-sounding catfishing story turns into an international scandal, when posing as the heir to a diamond empire, Simon Leviev – or Shimon Hayut – woos women across Europe via dating apps, manipulating them into giving him hundreds of thousands of pounds to fund his jet-set life. One victim contacts the press, and Leviev's web of deceit begins to unravel. netflix.com
18/86Middleditch & Schwartz
You'll know Thomas Middleditch and Ben Schwartz from various cult roles – Middleditch in his Emmy-winning performance in Silicon Valley, Schwartz as Jean-Ralphio in Parks and Recreation, both of them for their fantastic cameos in web series Jake and Amir. What won't come as a surprise to anyone is that they both learned their craft in the world of improv. Their trio of specials all begin with finding prompts from the audience, before an hour-long improvised masterpiece starring both men in as many roles as they can fit in 60 minutes. Each improvised play, from “Parking Lot Wedding”, to “Law School Magic”, to “Dream Job” starts from a ludicrous standpoint, continues down that path, and finishes somewhere entirely unexpected – and oddly touching. Perfect evening watching. netflix.com
19/86Love Is Blind
If you haven't watched season one of Love Is Blind, then congratulations: you've avoided the latest reality dating show to cause mass addiction. It's a bonkers concept – the ‘social experiment’ centres around a group of men and women in pods, unable to see their potential ‘true loves’, and forming connections purely through personality. Once someone decides after a disconcertingly short period that they've found the person they want to spend the rest of their life with, they pop the question (really) and the couple meets face to face for the first time. We then see whether love truly is blind (I see what they did there). Season one was a lockdown sensation, enjoying the perfect storm of bored people indoors and salacious gossip. Season two has just been released to mixed results, but for some genuinely unique TV, you can't go wrong with season one. netflix.com
Yang Hae-sung/Netflix20/86All of Us Are Dead
The latest smash-hit drama to come off the Korean hit-making production line, All of Us Are Dead is a coming-of-age zombie apocalypse hell ride based on webtoon Now at Our School. A failed science experiment (understatement of the year) causes Hyosan High School to be overrun with zombie school kids. Trapped without supplies in the quarantined school by the government, a group of uninfected students use their knowledge of the school to try to survive. It’s nail-biting, gory, and absolutely knackering. netflix.com
21/86The Lost Daughter
Maggie Gyllenhaal's feature directorial debut The Lost Daughter sees Olivia Colman play a middle-aged professor and mother of two whose holiday in Greece unearths long-buried feelings of guilt and obsession. The story itself centres on a missing doll, but the tension surrounding this superficially-simple situation creates an at-once unsettling and thought-provoking piece of cinema that explores society's expectations of motherhood. The Lost Daughter has been widely praised by critics, and currently holds a 96 per cent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes – in our experience, one of the more accurate bellwethers of quality. It would be no surprise to see another Oscar nomination on the way for Colman. netflix.com
Courtesy of Netflix22/86Big Mouth
Already five seasons in (and renewed through a sixth), Big Mouth is the show about puberty you'll wish you had when you were caking your face in Clearasil. Based on co-creators Andrew Goldberg and Nick Kroll's experiences growing up in suburban New York, the newly-teened main characters find themselves accosted by “hormone monsters”: a group of hyper-sexualised creatures that serve as the teens' angels through their journeys of self-discovery. It's an awkward, hilarious and open look at the pitfalls and joys of growing up: a warm, considered show that also happens to be full of dick jokes. netflix.com
EIKE SCHROTER/NETFLIX23/86Midnight Mass
Horror king Mike Flanagan's supernatural miniseries centres on the isolated Crockett Island community, where an enigmatic young priest arrives to rekindle the island's waning faith. All isn't as it seems, as events begin to unravel, people go missing, and the priest rapidly gains a devout following among the tiny fishing village's disillusioned inhabitants. Midnight Mass is a thoughtful slow burner that manages to reflect on death, guilt and grief while building unsettling levels of dread that reach their crescendo in intense, visceral style. netflix.com
ILANA PANICH-LINSMAN/NETFLIX24/86Queer Eye
There's perhaps no Netflix Original more joyful than Queer Eye. The rebooted franchise introduces us to a new Fab Five, and their exploits across the United States (and Japan) are a sure-fire way of adding a feel-good factor to your day. The premise is simple: our five heroes, each an expert in different areas of life, are parachuted in to help someone in need of a little TLC. From the lonely truck driver who starts at “you can't fix ugly” and ends up reuniting with his ex-wife, to the reformed gangster who reconciles with the man who shot and paralysed him from the waist down, Queer Eye pulls no punches when opening up the lives of those it helps. It's a show that breaks down barriers of masculinity in a frank, positive and no-nonsense fashion. Prepare to get teary. netflix.com
Susie Allnutt25/86The Witcher
The Game of Thrones effect shows no sign of fading, with a glut of fantasy adventure novels adapted for the small screen in recent years. One such adaptation is of Andrzej Sapkowski's The Witcher, a series of books and short stories that gained widespread fame through an award-winning trilogy of video games. The show stars Henry Cavill as the titular Witcher, a mutated monster hunter who roams a medieval-inspired continent to kill all manner of nightmarish creatures and protect a child destined to either unite or destroy their world. Cavill is a huge fan of the books and games, and is fully at home in his role as the gruff, brutal assassin, while the rest of the cast succeed in creating a believable setting for a fantastical tale. Full of deep emotion, heavy action and well-timed humour, season two has just been released, meaning you have plenty of fantasy to get your teeth stuck into. netflix.com
RICARDO HUBBS/NETFLIX26/86Maid
After fleeing an emotionally abusive relationship, Alex (Margaret Qualley) and her daughter, Maddy (Rylea Nevaeh Whittet) are forced to start from scratch. They move from precarious pillar to post while Alex juggles cleaning jobs and tries (and tries and tries) to access state support. Qualley and Whittet’s captivating performances carry the ten-part series, which is loosely based on fact. From the producer behind Orange Is The New Black, it is a moving, if slightly melodramatic, look at poverty in the US. netflix.com
Noh Juhan | Netflix27/86Squid Game
Hundreds of debt-ridden individuals accept an invitation to compete in a series of playground games with the promise of a nine-figure cash prize. But the price for losing, they soon discover, is death. When Squid Game dropped in September, it stormed to the top of Netflix’s most-watched charts around the world thanks to its thought-provoking comment on the effects of capitalism, as well as its satisfying colour palette and eye-watering levels of violence. Eminently watchable but not one for the weak of stomach. netflix.com
ELIZA MORSE/NETFLIX28/86The Chair
Sandra Oh plays Professor Ji-Yoon Kim, the first female chair of English at Pembroke University. A satirical send-up of departmental politics, the six-part series touches on cancel culture, sexism, ageism and racism in academia, without being too didactic or worthy. Created by Amanda Peet and Annie Julia Wyman, each episode is a fleet 30 minutes long and phenomenally well-crafted. Plus, Oh delivers a fantastically funny performance. netflix.com
Emmanuel Guimier29/86Lupin
Inspired by the capers of Arsène Lupin, modern-day “gentleman thief” Assane Diop (Omar Sy) sets out to avenge his dead father, who has been framed for robbery. The show quickly became Netflix’s most successful French-language series when it premiered on the platform this January and it’s easy to see why. Lupin is slick, stylish and full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very last minute. Like Sherlock, if Sherlock wore Jordans. netflix.com
30/86You
Currently in its third series, the murderous Joe (Penn Badgley) has met his match in the form of Love Quinn (Victoria Pedretti). Now married, they must navigate parenthood and couples therapy in a suburban hellscape. While Joe struggles to connect with baby Henry and quash his obsessive nature, Love will do literally anything to keep her family together. Packed full of ludicrous, bloody and highly addictive carnage, it’s everything we’ve come to expect from the hit Netflix series. netflix.com
31/86Audible
Directed by Matt Ogens, Audible is a heartwarming documentary focused on Amaree McKenstry-Hall, a high school athlete at Maryland School For The Deaf. McKenstry-Hall lost his hearing as a toddler after contracting meningitis; his father left around the same time. The film offers a short-but-sweet insight into his life and the deaf community more widely. Like Cheer, it builds towards a high-stakes homecoming game, the outcome of which you’ll have to watch to find out. netflix.com
32/86Heist
Combine the ludicrous plot of Money Heist with the cheesy re-creations in Unsolved Mysteries and you get Netflix’s new, six-part series Heist. It tells the story of three headline-making robberies and is significantly less judgemental than other true crime shows (the second instalment, for example, sees a man attempting to steal $100 million dollars so he and his wife can adopt, apparently). Trashy but entirely watchable, add this to your binge list pronto. netflix.com
33/86Behind Her Eyes
What starts out as a psychosexual thriller about a woman who becomes “involved” with her boss and his wife descends into fantastical chaos at roughly episode four (there are six episodes in total). To say any more than this would give away The Big Twist, which involves a rehab facility, murder and something called astral projection. Great for fans of The Stranger, but word to the wise: you may end up with more questions than answers. netflix.com
34/86Sex/Life
The fact that Sex/Life is patently bad TV did not stop it from reaching the top of the Netflix charts when it dropped in July. This might have something to do with the innumerable hot and heavy sex scenes that tie the absurd plot and farcical dialogue together. It follows homemaker and former wild child Billie, as she seeks out the thrills of her younger years. No judgement here. netflix.com
35/86Halston
Halston is five episodes of sex, drugs and high fashion, following the rise and fall of the titular US fashion designer Roy Halston Frowick. It features some stellar performances from Krysta Rodriguez (as Liza Minnelli), Rebecca Dayan (as Elsa Peretti) and Ewan McGregor (in the lead role) and the clothes are predictably fabulous. Fans of executive producer Ryan Murphy’s previous title Pose will be very much at home among the glitter, drama and opulent excess. netflix.com
36/86The Woman In The Window
Based on the bestselling thriller of the same name, The Woman In The Window tells the story of Anna (played by Amy Adams), an agoraphobe who thinks she has witnessed a murder in her neighbour’s home. Honestly, the combination of melodramatic performances and flagrant Hitchcock references is pretty bizarre, but a trashy thriller is a trashy thriller and this has intrigue and tension by the bucket-load – plus, Gary Oldman! Go on, you know you want to. netflix.com
37/86Crip Camp
An important and uplifting look at how Camp Jened – a 1970s summer camp for people with disabilities – planted the seeds for the disability rights movement in the US. The documentary, directed by former camper Jim LeBrecht and executive produced by the Obamas, shows vintage footage alongside interviews with surviving attendees of the camp to highlight how a fight that started decades ago is, unfortunately, ongoing to this day. netflix.com
38/86This Is A Robbery
In 1990, roughly $500 million worth of art was stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. It was the most expensive art heist in history and is the focus of Colin and Nick Barnicle’s gripping four-part series. The crime remains unsolved and the documentary uncovers no new leads, but it does assemble an impressive line-up of sources and skilfully outlines the complexities of the Massachusetts organised crime network. netflix.com
39/86Master Of None
According to Rotten Tomatoes, Master Of None is the No1 series on Netflix and now it’s returning for series three. From Parks And Recreation veterans Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang, the comedy show is loosely based on Ansari’s own life. In it, he plays a struggling actor named Dev who is navigating life and love in New York. It’s witty, fun and resolutely feel-good, plus each episode works as a standalone so it’s easy to dip in and out of. netflix.com
40/86The Meyerowitz Stories
Noah Baumbach’s 2017 film features some big hitters – Dustin Hoffman, Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller and Elizabeth Marvel – and all at their absolute best. Hoffman plays the Meyerowitz family patriarch, a gruff old man who is perpetually disappointed by his three adult kids. In turn, they spend the duration of the film squabbling and attempting to one-up each other. Big-hearted and hilarious, this is one of the streaming platform’s most underrated gems. netflix.com
41/86Living With Yourself
After experiencing burnout, Miles Elliot visits a mysterious spa at the advice of a colleague. The treatment is supposed to restore and rejuvenate him. Instead, they create a new and improved clone version of Miles, and attempt to kill the original. What ensues is a comedy drama starring Aisling Bea alongside an entirely pleasing double dose of Paul Rudd. If you liked Russian Doll, you’ll love this. netflix.com
Niko Tavernise/NETFLIX © 202042/86The Trial Of The Chicago 7
A courtroom drama about the trial of seven activists charged with various crimes following the 1968 protests at the Democratic National Convention. Directed by Aaron Sorkin, the main players are united in their opposition to the Vietnam War but – we discover through typically Sorkonian speeches and lengthy bits of dialogue – they disagree on method. It features an all-star cast including Sacha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, Jeremy Strong, Michael Keaton and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as the Black Panther leader Bobby Seale (whose case was ultimately declared a mistrial) and the film is worth watching for their punchy performances alone. netflix.com
David Lee/NETFLIX43/86Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
The late August Wilson’s work is in good hands with Denzel Washington, who has a deal with Netflix to bring nine of his pioneering plays to screen. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is the first of these and is set in a recording studio in 1927 as the blues singer Ma Rainey helms a roller-coaster recording session. The film also stars Chadwick Boseman in his final role, as the tempestuous trumpet player Levee Green. Boseman died during post-production and was posthumously nominated for Best Leading Actor at both the Oscars and the Baftas. netflix.com
Netflix44/86Last Chance U: Basketball
The first five series of Last Chance U charts the highs and lows of American college football teams that aren’t major programmes, but it’s series six that has really captured the public’s imagination. Released in March of this year, directors Greg Whiteley, Adam Ridley and Luke Lorentzen have turned their attention to basketball. It follows the fortunes of the team at East Los Angeles College and is full of personalities – such as the fiercely devoted head coach John Mosley – who manage to make it the best series yet. If you liked Cheer, you’ll love this. netflix.com
45/86My Octopus Teacher
It won the Oscar for Best Documentary and for good reason too. My Octopus Teacher follows filmmaker Craig Foster who, after burning out at work, vows to freedive every single day. In doing so he begins to forge a close bond with a wild common octopus. And no, not in a weird way, despite what you may have heard. The resulting film sits somewhere between human interest and nature doc and is an endearing, if unusual, comment on how humankind engages with the natural world. netflix.com
Jeong Park46/86The 40-Year-Old Version
Radha Blank’s feature directorial debut is a satire of her own life, in which she stars as a playwright (also called Radha) who is pushing 40 and working in a non-profit theatre that attracts a largely white audience. A decade after being named on a “most promising 30 under 30 list”, the semi-fictional Radha feels stymied and thus decides to rebrand as a rapper called RadhaMUSprime. Shot entirely in black and white, it is at once a romcom, a farce and a biopic that tackles themes of midlife malaise and creative expression – particularly as a black woman – deftly. netflix.com
Courtesy of Netflix47/86Pretend It’s A City
Featuring pre-pandemic footage of a bustling metropolis, this documentary series is the ultimate love letter to New York City from two of its most iconic inhabitants, Martin Scorsese and Fran Lebowitz. Across seven 30-minute episodes, the director and one-time writer turned public speaker (she has famously had writer’s block since the 1990s) talk about everything from public transport, tourists and Times Square to money and the arts, with clips of the pair pottering around the city, as well as archive TV footage, interspersed throughout. Deliciously snarky and always cutting, Lebowitz’s constant complaining is, perhaps paradoxically, just the tonic we need in 2021. netflix.com
48/86Bridgerton
OK, so, Bridgerton might not be the best series ever made, but there’s no denying that Netflix’s glossy new period drama is the hottest TV phenomenon of 2021 so far and the streamer’s biggest-ever hit (82 million households around the world tuned into the show in its first 28 days online). Based on Julia Quinn’s bestselling novels of the same name and produced by Shonda Rhimes, the plot is very, as GQ’s own reviewer put it, “Downton Abbey meets Gossip Girl”. It’s set in high-society London in 1813, when an anonymous writer – “Lady Whistledown”, voiced by Julie Andrews – begins distributing a free gossip column as well-to-do families plan to present their daughters at court. It’s a pastel-hued, saccharine treat that’s been applauded for its aesthetic, including casting that is notably diverse for a period drama. Leading man Regé-Jean Page, who plays eligible bachelor Duke Simon Basset, is to 2021 what Connell from Normal People (and his chain) was to 2020, with Instagram account @thedukesspoon already boasting 21,000 followers. netflix.com
49/86Unsolved Mysteries
Netflix’s new reboot of this American true crime classic makes for compelling watching, with 12 episodes in total, each focusing on an individual mystery, from missing people and murders to conspiracies and paranormal activity. Helmed by Stranger Things executive producer Shawn Levy, there is no host or narrator; it’s shot in true, edge-of-your-seat documentary style, featuring talking heads from those closest to the crime. If you’re the kind of viewer who needs closure, then this probably isn’t the series for you, although Netflix has revealed that more than 5,000 (credible!) tips have been submitted since the first episode launched, in one case even seeing a body being recovered. netflix.com
50/86Ozark
Series three of Ozark was some of the most talked-about TV of 2020, with Jason Bateman and Laura Linney returning to Netflix as the Byrdes, a previously Chicago-based family laundering money for a Mexican cartel in remote Missouri resort The Ozarks. Bateman won an Emmy for his portrayal of financial advisor Marty, a seemingly mild-mannered guy who becomes embroiled in the local criminal underworld, while Julia Garner, who plays one such local, won twice consecutively for Outstanding Supporting Actress in 2019 and 2020. Expect dark humour, violence (although never gratuitous), hero-to-villain, Breaking Bad-style story arcs and a constant, simmering sense of menace. netflix.com
51/86Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich
Just when you thought every inch of ground in the Epstein scandal had been covered, Netflix’s four-part documentary invites a newly invigorated sense of outrage, revealing the back-door deals and all-round corruption in the US justice system that allowed him (and other powerful men like him) to evade accountability for so long. First-person testimony is presented alongside a deluge of reporting, as a series of survivors – including Virginia Giuffre, who has famously brought allegations against Prince Andrew – reveal just how deep this ran, including sisters who first contacted the FBI about Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in 1996. Although this arrived on Netflix last year (having been in the works since before Epstein was even arrested), with the documents in Maxwell’s deposition having just been unsealed, it makes for thoroughly timely viewing once again. netflix.com
Netflix52/86The Queen’s Gambit
There’s a meme going around about The Queen’s Gambit, and in each image Beth Harmon – the troubled chess prodigy played by Anya Taylor-Joy – is seen playing any number of nerdy games other than chess, her passion on the show and in Walter Tevis’ classic novel. Sometimes it’s table football, sometimes its Dungeons & Dragons and sometimes it’s Yu-Gi-Oh. What this meme speaks to is why The Queen’s Gambit is such comforting viewing: the stakes are, actually, insanely low unless there’s a board between Joy and her quarry. During the show Harmon’s alcoholism and drug abuse fluctuates in its importance in the narrative and her “overcoming” these addictions isn’t even really a part of the show’s climax or resolution. Harmon’s personal issues are always overshadowed by the fact she needs to beat the Russian genius Borgov, and there’s something oddly soothing about this myopic focus of hers: no life trauma can ever surpass the conflict between the white and black pieces. I have loved tournament and hobby-focused shows for this reason for years, and to see it taken to its natural zenith – with an exceptionally talented cast, beautiful costumes and a watertight structure – means hopefully we’ll see many more of them for years to come. David Levesley
Danny Martindale53/86David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet
The nation’s favourite naturalist and collective grandfather, David Attenborough, gets frank about the reality of climate change in this moving, majestic documentary he calls his “witness statement” for the environment. In it, he details just how much the natural world has changed since he started out as a broadcaster more than 60 years ago, as the planet’s biodiversity has rapidly declined due to hideous human impact. Forest fires, floods, extinction, pollution and confronting visuals of an ecosystem in crisis loom large, but it’s not all doom and gloom. If you can make it through Attenborough breaking down in tears, not to mention the vivid projections into the future, then the ending is actually rather positive. Small successes from farming in the Netherlands to fishing restrictions in the Pacific are used to suggest there is still some hope, after all. We just need to act now.
Netflix54/86The Social Dilemma
Expanding on our existing anxieties about social media and big tech, this hybrid docudrama makes for a vital, chilling watch on surveillance capitalism. Its power lies in the talking heads assembled by director Jeff Orlowski; techbros who explain why addiction isn’t an unfortunate side effect but is actually inbuilt into the design (as are epic privacy breaches). These are the founding fathers of Silicon Valley, from former Facebook big cheeses to Google’s design ethicist from 2013-16, Tristan Harris, all offering compelling testimony as to why they are so scared and why you should be, too. The second narrative thrust is a dramatised look at a suburban family suffering the consequences of social-media addiction and a look at how it is polarising society, with Skyler Gisondo playing a disenchanted teen who is radicalised by endlessly-served misinformation. It’s here where charges of hyperbole are fairest, although its unpicking of how exactly smartphones deliver dopamine highs is sure to be compelling for less tech-savvy viewers.
Natalie Seery55/86After Life
The mechanics of grief take centre stage in Ricky Gervais’ hugely acclaimed After Life, which, despite being all about bereavement, makes for surprisingly life-affirming TV. The humour is, not so surprisingly for Gervais, pitch-black, as hopelessly nihilistic grouch Tony Johnson navigates life as a widower after his wife dies of cancer in the first series, and, in the second, his elderly father declines. For viewers who have experienced the loss of a loved one, the show has been a much-needed tonic, providing tears and laughter in equal measure with plenty of nuance and swearing. Throughout, Gervais captures the complex texture of life in much the same way as Phoebe Waller-Bridge in that episode of Fleabag, where she wakes up looking inexplicably brilliant on the day of her mother’s funeral.
Niko Tavernise56/86The Irishman
Scorsese, De Niro, Al Pacino and Pesci unite for one last hurrah in The Irishman, Netflix’s gangster epic that tells the story of Frank Sheeran, who became a hitman for mobster Russell Bufalino and murdered union leader Jimmy Hoffa. Following his journey over a number of decades, the film uses groundbreaking technology to de-age its cast for the scenes in which they’re younger and, as you’d expect from Scorsese, every shot is stunning. At three and a half hours long, The Irishman might seem like a big commitment, but the plot is so packed that it moves pretty quickly and, let’s face it, what else have you got to do at the moment? netflix.com
Netflix57/86The Crown
Queen Victoria may not have been amused back in the day, but you most certainly will be by this retelling of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign on the throne, which broke the record for the most money spent on a Netflix show when it first aired in 2016. Starring Claire Foy as a young Elizabeth in series one and two, with Olivia Colman succeeding the role for series three, the personal dramas that The Crown depicts may not always be factual, but the historical context is, providing more than enough material to keep you entertained alongside lavish production and topline talent. netflix.com
NETFLIX58/86Tiger King
The wildest documentary to hit screens in a long time, Tiger King unearths the US' bizarre big cat industry, focusing on one of its major players, Joe Exotic. But Exotic isn't your average guy with penchant for wild animals. Between his 2016 presidential campaign and his polyamorous marriage to two men who are not actually gay, he is by far the craziest character you'll meet in Tiger King, or perhaps ever, and when his rivals include a man who forces his female staff to get boob jobs and a woman who allegedly fed her ex-husband to tigers, that's saying something. We've piqued your interest, haven't we? Now go and watch it immediately. netflix.com
Netflix59/86Stranger Things
Remember TV before Stranger Things? It was good, sure, but it was decidedly less epic, don’t you think? Paying homage to Spielberg and tapping into our nostalgia for the 1980s, this sci-fi adventure that sees the children of fictional town Hawkins uncover an unsettling government secret changed the game for television shows, with sleek production that rivals the biggest blockbusters. It also gave us a whole new generation of Hollywood stars, from Millie Bobby Brown to Caleb McLaughlin. Series four is set to drop this year, so get recapping on all the action so far as soon as possible. netflix.com
60/86Making A Murderer
Before Tiger King, Confessions Of A Killer and Wild, Wild Country, there was Making A Murderer, the docu-series that arguably sparked the obsession with true crime that’s dominated much of Netflix’s programming over the past few years. Uncovering flaws within the US justice system through the story of Steven Avery, who spent 18 years in prison after being convicted for sexual assault and attempted murder, the story is told through ten hour-long episodes. It is the product of a decade of filming and the thorough effort that went into telling his story is more than apparent. Gripping and emotional, this should be your next watch if you're still hungry for more true-crime docs. netflix.com
61/86Sunderland 'Til I Die
Football fans will be pleased to know that Sunderland 'Til I Die has returned for a second series, continuing to chart the club’s journey as they deal with two consecutive regulations. But while it may look as though Sunderland AFC hit rock bottom to outsiders, its fans remain loyal to this day and their enduring optimism makes this documentary series an uplifting watch at a time when all sporting events have been put on hold. A tale of passion and perseverance, Sunderland ‘Til I Die will have you rooting for the unlucky team, even if you’re a Newcastle United fan. netflix.com
Courtesy of Netflix62/86Mindhunter
Another one for true crime fanatics, Mindhunter fictionalises the accounts of two retired FBI agents in Mindhunter: Inside The FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit, in which they reveal how they interviewed imprisoned serial killers to help them solve new cases. Keeping one foot in reality and the other in dramatic fantasy, notorious, real-life killers such as Edmund Kemper and Wayne Williams crop up in the plot, as the FBI navigate the new world of criminal psychology that emerged in the 1970s. It’s grim, but it’s also extremely gripping. Anyone with a morbid fascination of serial killers (we’re looking at you, My Favourite Murder listeners) won’t be able to look away. netflix.com
Juan Pablo Gutierrez/NETFLIX63/86Narcos
Pablo Escobar was one of the most infamous drug lords of all time and, as such, his life story has provided producers with ample inspiration for films and television shows. None has had quite the same impact as Netflix’s Narcos, however, which follows two DEA agents as they try to shut his operation down. You’ll already know how the story ends, but with Narcos you’re in it for the three-series ride, charting his journey from small-time weed dealer to a man who died with a net worth of $30 billion. They didn’t call him the “king of cocaine” for nothing. netflix.com
Michele K. Short / Netflix64/86Maniac
Emma Stone. Jonah Hill. Cary Fukunaga. Need we say more? OK, fine… 2018’s ten-part series Maniac is similar to a lot of other shows and films – Black Mirror, Inception and The Eternal Sunshine Of A Spotless Mind, to name a few – but entirely unique at the same time. Following a group of individuals who sign up for a pharmaceutical trial for a new fix-all treatment for mental illness, Maniac is essentially a love story between Stone and Hill’s characters, as they’re pumped full of mind-altering substances that take them on Inception-like adventures in fictional dream worlds. Like fantasy worlds populated by elves? How about 1940s seances? Military interrogations? Well, their hallucinogenic trips put them in all of those scenarios, folks, in a show that truly has something for everyone. netflix.com
Atsushi Nishijima/Netflix65/86When They See Us
In 1989, five teenagers of colour were wrongly prosecuted for the brutal rape of a woman in New York’s Central Park. A media storm erupted, with the likes of Donald Trump calling for their execution, but in 2001 the real culprit confessed and the men, who by then had spent all of their adult life in prison, were released. Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us lays out the gut-wrenching institutionalised racism that played a part in putting the five teenagers behind bars in a meticulously crafted, four-part miniseries that requires tissues on hand while watching. It’s not a fun watch, but it is a very important one. netflix.com
Carlos Somonte66/86Roma
Netflix’s first major attempt to leave its mark on awards season, Alfonso Cuarón’s semiautobiographical Roma follows a housemaid in 1970s Mexico City in stunning black and white. It’s slow moving, with an intimate focus on the interior lives of its characters, but this only makes its most poignant moments hit harder. In every respect, Roma is a beautiful film, that’s made all the more impressive when you learn that its lead, Yalitza Aparicio, had no prior acting experience. How many other actors can say that they were nominated for an Oscar for their first and only role? netflix.com
JoJo Whilden67/86Orange Is The New Black
There was once a time where Orange Is The New Black was the toast of Netflix, gaining critical acclaim and plenty more subscribers for the platform back when it first aired in 2013. Six years on, its final series aired last summer, meaning now is the perfect time to recap the whole saga from the beginning. Based on Piper Kerman’s memoirs, who spent a year in a women’s prison for money-laundering, Netflix took her story and ramped it up for seven series of prison drama, deftly tackling issues around gender, race and sexuality, while offering a humanising insight into the lives of those behind bars. netflix.com
Netflix68/86The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs
The Coen Brothers return with this anthology film that tells six tales that takes its audience on a darkly comedic tour of the Wild West. With James Franco, Tom Waits and Liam Neeson all making an appearance, The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs has everything from bank robbers and gold diggers to crooning cowboys and murder, in a beautifully shot homage to the Westerns of yesteryear. While that all might sound a little bit dark, The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs is actually great fun, with the Coen Brothers' humour lacing the film in optimism, giving the less palatable action an uplifting twist. netflix.com
François Duhamel69/86Dolemite Is My Name
Eddie Murphy returns to top form in Dolemite Is My Name, the critically acclaimed comedy that landed on Netflix last autumn. Charting the rise of blaxsploitation filmmaker Rudy Ray Moore, who rose to prominence for his character Dolemite, Murphy is larger than life in this film, flaunting his comic prowess with the bold confidence of, well, Moore himself. As funny as it is touching, Dolemite has been a longtime passion project for Murphy and it shows. If you were in any doubt as to whether he can still land a punchline with the same gusto as he did back in the day, this film should put your mind at ease. netflix.com
Ben Rothstein/Netflix70/86El Camino
Aaron Paul returns to the role of Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad in this spin-off film that picks up where the television series left off. Now released from captivity, Pinkman must attempt to return to normal life, which is easier said than done considering he's a wanted criminal. A welcome return to the world of one of televisions most successful shows of all time, El Camino is exactly the kind of follow up that Breaking Bad fans deserved, with Paul given the chance to flourish as its leading man and a few nostalgic cameos thrown in for good measure. netflix.com
Netflix71/86Beasts Of No Nation
A heartbreaking but poignant watch, Beasts Of No Nation tells the story of a young boy in West Africa who is forced to become a child soldier when his country’s government falls. Taken under the razor sharp wing of the battalion’s commandant, played by Idris Elba, his life turns into a routine schedule of abuse and violence, until their faction decides to surrender to the UN some years later. Directed by Cary Fukunaga, with Elba also on board as a producer, Beasts Of No Nation presents a sobering look into the horrors of war, through the terrified lens of a child. netflix.com
Wilson Webb72/86Marriage Story
Noah Baumbach turns his attention to the messy subject of divorce in Marriage Story, which sees a couple’s relationship deteriorate as they go through a coast-to-coast divorce. Starring Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson and Laura Dern, this is the kind of film that really gives its cast a chance to flex their acting chops, with Dern in particular sweeping awards season this year for her role as a fearsome divorce lawyer. If the self-isolation bickering with your significant other feels as though it's about to reach a breaking point, Marriage Story will encourage you to put your differences aside and work things out, because, trust us, the picture of divorce that Marriage Story paints is not pretty. netflix.com
Courtesy of Netflix73/86Russian Doll
Orange Is The New Black’s Natasha Lyonne gives Groundhog Day’s concept a smart update in Russian Doll, in which her character dies repeatedly and is forced to relive the night of her 36th birthday party over and over again. But there’s more to this show than first meets the eye. A recovering addict herself, if you look for the clues in Lyonne’s writing you’ll discover that this show’s actually about drug addiction, with characters nicknamed after drug street names and artists referenced who themselves faced difficulties with substance abuse. Don’t worry though, on first watch it’s not that dark – in fact, it’s very funny – with Lyonne shining bright as its star and director. netflix.com
Jae Hyuk Lee74/86Okja
Korean cinema’s darling Bong Joon-ho uses his signature brand of satire to take aim at the meat production industry in Okja, which sees a young girl raise a genetically modified super pig, only for it to be taken away by the corporation that originally bred it. Wonderfully weird and packed full of Joon-ho’s clever social commentary, it’s yet another film in his back catalogue that proves exactly why he deserved every success at awards season this year. netflix.com
Steve Dietl75/86Mudbound
Rachel Morrison became the first woman to ever be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography for her work on Mudbound, the historical drama that depicts the contrasting experiences of two Second World War veterans when they return home to Mississippi. One is white, the other is black, and both living in a rural area they not only have to deal with the residual trauma of war, but also the trappings of poverty and racism. Based on Hillary Jordan’s novel of the same name, it’s a powerful tale of the impact of war and how the bigoted attitudes that started the Second World War in the first place still prevail despite the bloodshed. netflix.com
Ali Goldstein/Netflix76/86Glow
The Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling take to the ring and swing their best punchlines in Glow, which follows the antics of a group of women as they try to make it big in the wrestling world. Starring Alison Brie and Betty Gilpin, many of the women enlisted are hoping to make it big in showbiz, so some gruelling training is required for the crew’s recruits of wrestling novices. It doesn’t help that Brie and Gilpin’s characters are sworn frenemies, but it actually turns out that the ring might be the best place for them to work out their issues. With just the right balance of silly humour and drama, Glow is a riotous blend of neon lycra, witty writing and brilliant performances from its ensemble cast. Legendary WWE wrestler Ric Flair may have believed that “To be the man, you've gotta beat the man,” but in this show it pays to be a woman. netflix.com
77/86BoJack Horseman
If a show that stars a horse as a washed-up TV actor, a cat woman publicist and a celebrity dog called Mr Peanutbutter doesn’t sound like something worth your time, then think again. While BoJack Horseman does take place in a fantastic, animated version of Hollywood, where ludicrous things happen on the regular, it also hits on very real themes, such as mental health, addiction and abuse. In many ways, it’s imaginative, anthropomorphic world only gives the show more freedom to go where many others daren’t, balancing the darkness with a bright colour palette and wacky gags to keep you smiling through the pain. netflix.com
Kevin Estrada78/86Gentefied
Carrying on its reputation for bringing representation for minority communities to the screen, Netflix's Gentefied follows the lives of a Mexican-American family living in LA, who are battling to keep their taco shop intact as their neighbourhood gets gentrified. Heartwarming and witty, it's exactly the kind of show that proves authentic diversity works, telling stories from the cultural intersection they live in that rarely get given the time of day on traditional television. The best part? It only launched in February, so you still have time to be one its original fans when it eventually blows up. netflix.com
79/86I Lost My Body
If a film that follows a severed hand as it attempts to find its body sounds weird, well, that's because it is, but the beauty of animation is that it allows more original concepts to be realised on screen. I Lost My Body is a testament to this, using its dismembered hand to explore themes of physical and emotional loss through beautiful animation. The kind of film that will stay with you for a while, it was nominated for a slew of awards last year, but, as a French film with little promotion, lost out on an Oscar win to Toy Story 4. We love Woody and his friends, but I Lost My Body will always be a winner in our eyes. netflix.com
80/86Sex Education
Puberty is never pretty, but it’s made that little worse for Sex Education’s protagonist Otis, whose sex therapist mother finds any opportunity to embarrass him, whether she’s quizzing him on his masturbation habits or on a one night stand. There is an upside to his predicament, though: after years of listening to his mum’s unwanted advice, he’s learnt a thing or two about sexuality, so when he teams up with his school’s misfit, Maeve, to launch a underground sex clinic for other students, the clients come pouring in. It makes for a pretty endearing portrayal of teenagehood, packed full of comedy, drama, romance and a spectacularly inclusive approach to all aspects of sexuality for adults and teens alike. Our only advice? Don’t watch it with relatives. netflix.com
Lara Solanki/Netflix81/86Dear White People
Based on the 2014 film of the same name, Dear White People follows a community of black students at a fictional Ivy League college, where the US’ racial dynamics are only amplified by the institution’s prestige and other students’ privilege. Focusing in on a different character in each episode, the show tackles issues around race that are rarely given airtime, from gun violence on campus to interracial relationships, with the likes of Barry Jenkins and Transparent's Nisha Ganatra cropping up as guest editors. A frank and unflinching look at everyday race issues, paired with great comedy and a killer soundtrack, Dear White People got a lot of people riled up when it first landed on Netflix in 2017, which is probably a sign that it’s doing something right. netflix.com
Courtesy of Parkwood Entertainment82/86Homecoming
Beyoncé’s headline slot at Coachella 2018 will go down as one of the most legendary performances of all time, after she brought a full marching band and majorette dancers on stage with her for a set that celebrated the black college culture. It’s only right then that it got given the prestige documentary treatment and Homecoming does just that, documenting not only the entire performance, but also the months of preparation that went into pulling it off. We all already knew that Beyoncé was the queen of, well, everything, but in Homecoming she takes off her crown, puts it in a safe and throws away the key. We can’t see anyone taking it away from her anytime soon. netflix.com
Eddy Chen / Netflix83/86Dead To Me
When a friendship sparks between two women, Jen (Christina Applegate) and Judy (Linda Cardellini), at a support group for the widowed, it seems as though they might have both finally found something to help them through grieving their husbands. But Judy is keeping a dark secret and, as Jen attempts to find the driver who killed her husband in a hit-and-run, some rather large flaws in the friendship become apparent. A juicy dark comedy to get stuck into that has enough cliffhangers to keep you entertained throughout, Dead To Me’s approach to dealing with grief shines for its friendship-first approach, even if the friend that Jen makes isn’t necessarily one we’d want to have ourselves. netflix.com
Diyah Pera/Netflix84/86Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina
If you think that the Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina is just a rehash of the 1990s Sabrina The Teenage Witch, then think again. Based on Archie Comics’ darker version of the beloved enchantress, Chilling Adventures presents a version of witchcraft that riffs off the existing practices and legends of satanists, pagans and voodoo practitioners for a far scarier and more exciting approach to casting spells. Torn between devoting her life to the Church Of Night and hanging out with her mortal friends at high school, this version of Sabrina has a lot more to contend with than Melissa Joan Hart’s, whether she’s charged with the task of unleashing Hellfire (a near-impossible feat for even the most seasoned witches) or fighting against misogyny in the church. All that and she somehow still finds time to do her homework. Oh, that’s right. She’s quite literally magic. netflix.com
Courtesy of Netflix85/86Cheer
If you’re still sleeping on Netflix’s hit docu-series Cheer because it's about cheerleaders, then please, we implore you to put your preconceived notions about the sport aside and prepare to be amazed. The action takes place at Navarro College in Texas, where its renowned cheer team is preparing for the National Cheerleading Championship. The stakes are high – this is a team that is not used to losing – and its cheerleaders' dedication to taking home another title is nothing short of exceptional, particularly once you learn their individual, heartbreaking backstories. Now, gimme an A... netflix.com
Kevin Estrada/Netflix86/86On My Block
Netflix has pretty much nailed the teen drama genre, churning out shows that are as enjoyable for adults as they are for the people they’re made about. On My Block is no exception, but wins brownie points for its diverse casting and portrayal of life in inner-city LA. Following four teens as they enter high school, dodge gang crime and wrestle with puberty, it’s funny, charming and, at times, genuinely emotional, thanks to its refusal to gloss over the harsh realities of life for young audiences. netflix.com
