It might be the summer, but it feels like Halloween on Netflix with the arrival of Wednesday season 2. The most popular English-language show on Netflix returns for its sophomore season, which will once again follow amateur detective Wednesday Addams and her quest to solve another mystery.
Speaking of popular shows, Squid Game wrapped up its three-season run last month. The explosive finale will leave you shocked while always posing major questions for the planned American version of the series. Plus, The Waterfront is a new crime drama that’s been described as Bloodline meets Ozark .
View the entire list for the best shows on Netflix this month.
We’ve also rounded up all the best new shows to stream this week , the best movies on Netflix , the best shows on Hulu , the best shows on Amazon Prime , and the best shows on Disney+ . Watching while traveling abroad? Use a Netflix VPN to access your country’s catalog from anywhere in the world.
Our picks
Wednesday
Return to Nevermore for another mysterious adventure in Wednesday , the supernatural dramedy about Wednesday Addams (Jenna Ortega). After solving the murder in season 1, Wednesday heads back to Nevermore Academy in season 2, and this time, she’s accompanied by her brother, Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez), and parents, Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Gomez Addams (Luis Guzmán).
As she harnesses her psychic powers, Wednesday has a vision where Enid Sinclair (Emma Myers) dies. To save Enid, Wednesday must uncover her family’s long list of secrets, as they might hold the key to a better future. Wednesday season 2 will be split into two parts. Volume 1 (episodes 1-4) premieres on August 6, and volume 2 (episodes 5-8) streams on September 3.
Genre:
Fantasy, comedy, mystery
Stars
: Jenna Ortega, Emma Myers, Joy Sunday, Isaac Ordonez, Moosa Mostafa, Hunter Doohan, Steve Buscemi, Georgie Farmer, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzmán
Seasons:
2
The Waterfront
Dawson’s Creek creator Kevin Williamson returns to television with a new crime drama, The Waterfront . In Havenport, North Carolina, the Buckley family is royalty. Patriarch Harlan Buckley (Holy McCallany) runs the family’s fishing business and owns a restaurant. After health issues take Harlan away from work, his family — including wife, Bell (Maria Bello), and son, Cane (Jake Weary) — must step up and run the business.
When the fishing business starts failing, Bell and Cane enter the drug-running business to save their legacy. Harlan eventually finds out and must clean up his family’s problems. Meanwhile, Harlan’s daughter, Bree (Melissa Benoist), is a recovering alcoholic and drug addict who begins a relationship with a DEA agent (Gerardo Celasco) who could shatter the Buckleys’ empire.
Genre:
Drama, Crime
Stars:
Holt McCallany, Melissa Benoist, Jake Weary, Rafael L. Silva, Humberly González, Danielle Campbell, Brady Hepner, Maria Bello
Seasons:
1
Squid Game
It’s now or never for Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) in Squid Game season 3 . At the end of season 2, Gi-hun’s plans to end the games backfire. The rebellion is squashed when In-ho (Lee Byung-hun) reveals himself as the Front Man and goes on a killing spree. Gi-hun is then sent back into the games, where the remaining players vote to continue playing. Despite being at his lowest point, Gi-hun is still motivated to put an end to the games once and for all.
To do that, he will need to survive the deadly competitions, which include hide-and-seek and jump rope. While Gi-hun tries to end the games from within, the Front Man’s brother, Jun-ho (Wi Ha-jun) continues to search for the secluded island that hosts the arena. With the show complete, Squid Game now owns the first three spots on Netflix’s top 10 most popular non-English shows.
Genre:
Action, Mystery, Drama
Stars:
Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Wi Ha-joon
Seasons:
3
Drama
Sirens
Devon DeWitt (Meghann Fahy) has been out of touch with her younger sister, Simone DeWitt (Milly Alcock), when Sirens begins. So imagine Devon’s shock when she discovers that Simone is deeply embedded in a cult-like group that worships the ground that billionaire Michaela “Kiki” Kell (Julianne Moore) walks on. Simone is trusted enough to be Michaela’s personal assistant, but everything in her life revolves around Michaela in some way.
Michaela’s husband, Peter Kell (Kevin Bacon), is more sympathetic than his wife, but Devon is convinced that she has to convince Simone to leave before it’s too late. But given how deeply Simone has embraced Michaela, even the bonds of family can’t seem to pry her away.
Genre:
Drama, Comedy
Stars
: Meghann Fahy, Milly Alcock, Julianne Moore, Kevin Bacon, Glenn Howerton
Seasons:
1
The Four Seasons
Alan Alda wrote and directed The Four Seasons film in 1981, but he takes on a supporting role in Netflix’s modern update. Kate (Tina Fey) and her husband, Jack (Will Forte), have been going on vacations a year with their friends for as long as they can remember. But this time, health troubles are clouding the marriage of Claude (Marco Calvani) and Danny ( Colman Domingo ) while Nick (Steve Carell) is ready to split from Anne (Kerri Kenney-Silver), his wife of 25 years.
More than anything else, Nick’s actions strain the group’s dynamic, especially when he starts dating a much younger woman, Ginny (Erika Henningsen), and brings her to the group activities with the other couples. Can the friendship of these couples survive the changes in their lives?
Genre:
Drama, Comedy
Stars
: Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Will Forte, Colman Domingo, Erika Henningsen, Kerri Kenney-Silver
Seasons:
1
Ransom Canyon
Think of Ransom Canyon as Yellowstone with the romance turned up to 11. The potential couple at the heart of the show are a widowed rancher named Staten Kirkland (Josh Duhamel) and a local farmer, Quinn O’Grady (Minka Kelly), who was close friends with Staten’s wife. In theory, these two shouldn’t have any problem hooking up, but Staten hasn’t let go of his grief, and things are messy between them.
Staten’s brother-in-law Davis (Eoin Macken) is looking to make things even messier because he wants Quinn for himself. Davis and Staten may be related by marriage, but they’re not even on the same page regarding a corporation’s attempt to buy up property in the town. Davis is all in favor of helping the interlopers make money, while Staten will do anything to save his ranch and his town from these corporate vultures.
Genre:
Western, Romance
Stars:
Josh Duhamel, Minka Kelly, Eoin Macken
Seasons:
1
American Primeval
There have been plenty of Westerns and frontier stories, but few as raw as American Primeval . This miniseries doesn’t romanticize the Old West, and it’s an often brutal look at the people who lived in those times and the atrocities they were willing to commit in the name of making a better future for themselves and their families. Sara Rowell (Betty Gilpin), for example, will do almost anything to protect her son, Devin (Preston Mota). That’s why she puts their lives in the hands of a stranger, Isaac Reed (Taylor Kitsch), who attempts to lead them, and a Native American girl, Two Moons (Shawnee Pourier), to safety.
Meanwhile, Brigham Young (Kim Coates) is obsessed with making a home for himself and his religious followers, even if it means engineering a massacre of the tribes who already live on the lands he wants to claim. Everyone’s hands are bloody in this world, and there are seemingly few lines that Young isn’t willing to cross.
Genre:
Western, Drama
Stars:
Taylor Kitsch, Saura Lightfoot-Leon, Jai Courtney, Kim Coates, Shea Whigham, Betty Gilpin
Seasons:
1
Territory
Territory is essentially Australia’s answer to Yellowstone and Succession . Anna Torv ( Fringe and The Last of Us ) stars as Emily Lawson, a woman who married into the Lawson family when she wed Graham (Michael Dorman) despite the objections of his father, Colin Lawson (Robert Taylor). That’s why Colin made his youngest son, Daniel (Jake Ryan), the heir to Marianne Station, the biggest cattle station in Australia … and possibly the world.
When Daniel winds up missing and potentially dead, it sets off a fresh fight for the future of Marianne Station both within the Lawson family and outside it as well. The Lawson’s enemies and rivals smell blood in the water, and the remaining family members will have to fight to hold on to what’s theirs.
Genre:
Western, Drama
Stars:
Anna Torv, Michael Dorman, Robert Taylor, Sam Corlett
Seasons:
1
The Lincoln Lawyer
Mickey Haller ( Manuel Garcia-Rulfo ) is back in the third season of Netflix’s legal thriller The Lincoln Lawyer . And yes, Mickey is still operating out of the back of his Lincoln Navigator rather than an office. This season’s primary case has very personal stakes for Mickey because his friend, Glory Days (Fiona Rene), has been murdered. And the only credible suspect is Glory’s friend, Julian La Cosse (Devon Graye).
Mickey wants to believe in Julian’s innocence, if only for the sake of the woman they both cared for. Proving that in court may be the challenge, as Mickey still has lingering feelings that he might be helping a killer … and it wouldn’t be the first time.
Genre:
Drama, Thriller
Stars:
Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Neve Campbell, Becki Newton, Jazz Raycole, Angus Sampson
Seasons:
3
Suits
The summer of 2023 was the summer of Suits on Netflix. But the streamer only had the first eight seasons of Suits , which were largely about attorney Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht), and his associate lawyer, Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams). Mike never actually went to law school or passed the bar, but his legal knowledge was so impressive that Harvey hired him and agreed to keep it a secret.
By the time season 9 of Suits arrived, Mike had already been written out the show along with his on-screen lover, Rachel Zane (Meghan Markle). That left Harvey, Louis Litt (Rick Hoffman), and others to contend with Faye Richardson (Denise Crosby), a named partner in their firm whom they desperately want to force out. Mike does show up a few times in the ninth season, leading to one last team-up with Harvey. But not before they go head-to-head in court.
Genre:
Drama, Comedy
Stars:
Gabriel Macht, Patrick J. Adams, Rick Hoffman, Meghan Markle, Gina Torres
Seasons:
9
Bridgerton
Against all odds, Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) have found the love that they so desperately needed in Bridgerton season 3. But before this couple can get their happy ending, they’ve got a few more trials ahead. Love may conquer all, but secrets have bad habit of turning up and ruining everything.
Penelope pursued a relationship with Colin without revealing that she’s Lady Whistledown, the anonymous gossipmonger who has scandalized the Ton. Penelope was playing with fire when she made up that alter ego, and now she may get burned as one former friend demands that she tell her lover the truth while a false friend also blackmails Penelope over the revelation. Events are coming to a head as Bridgerton season 3, part 2 closes out this chapter of the story.
Genre:
Romance, Drama
Stars:
Luke Newton, Nicola Coughlan, Adjoa Andoh, Simone Ashley, Golda Rosheuvel
Seasons:
3
The Crown
Diana (Elizabeth Debicki) is gone when the second half of The Crown ’s final season begins, and Queen Elizabeth II (Imelda Staunton) is feeling her own mortality at the start of the 21st century. Now, it’s time for Diana’s sons, Prince William (Ed McVey) and Prince Harry (Luther Ford), to come to the forefront.
This half of the season recreates William’s courtship of Kate Middleton (Meg Bellamy), while Prince Charles (Dominic West) finally gets to wed Camilla Parker Bowles (Olivia Williams) as Elizabeth wonders what her legacy will be, and how the royal family will endure. Now that the series is over, you can also go back and check out the best performances in The Crown .
Genre:
Drama
Stars:
Imelda Staunton, Jonathan Pryce, Lesley Manville, Dominic West, Olivia Williams, Elizabeth Debicki
Seasons:
6
Comedy
Bad Thoughts
Bad Thoughts is an unusual kind of show for Netflix part because comedian Tom Segura came up with it, filmed a pilot episode and funded it himself before selling it to Netflix. It’s not too far from comedy anthology shows we’ve seen in the past, including Key & Peele , but the material is a lot darker. In one sketch, Segura plays a meticulous assassin who inexplicably begins fumbling his own hit. Another sketch finds Segura playing rich country singer who abducts his fans so he can hear their stories of woe and turn them into hit songs.
Segura’s supporting cast in these skits always changes, but one of the familiar faces is The Sopranos ‘ Robert Iler, who broke his self-imposed exile from acting to appear in this show.
Genre:
Comedy
Stars
: Tom Segura, Dan Stevens, Daniella Pineda, Robert Iler, Bobby Lee
Seasons:
1
Cobra Kai
Cobra Kai season 6, part 3 has arrived, and the conclusion of the series has arrived at last. This is the end of the road for some characters, although we’ll see Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) at least one more time in Karate Kid: Legends later this year. Daniel’s rivalry with Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) dates back to the original Karate Kid film, and reignited when they were middle-aged adults in Cobra Kai .
Over the last six seasons, Johnny and Daniel have found some common ground, especially when going up against John Kreese (Martin Kove) and a resurgent Cobra Kai. How will their story come to a close? You’ll just have to watch this series to find out.
Genre:
Comedy, Drama
Stars:
Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Courtney Henggeler, Xolo Maridueña, Tanner Buchanan
Seasons:
6
A Man on the Inside
Ted Danson has been headlining sitcoms since Cheers debuted in 1982, so he basically has TV comedy down to a science. A Man on the Inside reunites Danson with The Good Place co-creator Michael Schur for a comedic mystery in a retirement community. Danson plays Charles, a retired widower who needed something more out of his golden years. So, when private investigator Julie (Lilah Richcreek Estrada) needed a mole to infiltrate the Pacific View Retirement Home, Charles was all for it.
The biggest problem with sending Charles undercover is that he has no experience as a detective, and he’s prone to mistakes. The community’s residents accept Charles at face value, with most embracing him as one of their own. That also complicates Charles’ agenda because he has to lie about his true purpose, and he may not be able to stay among the residents once the case is finished.
Genre:
Comedy
Stars:
Ted Danson, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Lilah Richcreek Estrada, Stephanie Beatriz
Seasons:
1
Nobody Wants This
Two decades ago, Kristen Bell and Adam Brody each had their own YA teen dramas, Veronica Mars and The O.C. , respectively. Now, they’re sharing the stage as would-be lovers in Nobody Wants This . Bell plays Joanne, a woman with a podcast where she gets to vent about her terrible dating life. Brody portrays Noah, a rabbi who has just left a long-term relationship that could have led to marriage.
Despite her openly agnostic views about religion, Joanne finds herself romantically drawn to Noah, and the feeling is mutual. While a happy relationship could impact Joanne’s podcast, their romance has potentially larger consequences for Noah. His family doesn’t seem to be very happy that he’s not dating a Jewish woman, and his choice may harm his career as a rabbi.
Genre:
Comedy, Romance
Stars:
Kristen Bell, Adam Brody, Justine Lupe, Timothy Simons
Seasons:
1
Thriller
You
You can take the serial killer out of New York, but you can’t take the New York out of the killer! For its fifth and final season, You is bringing Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) back to where it all began, and he’s trying to be good. Joe’s rich and famous, married to a wealthy woman named Kate (Charlotte Ritchie), and he’s got custody of his son, Henry (Frankie DeMaio).
But Joe’s old habits die hard, and when someone threatens to ruin his wife’s reputation, that’s just an invitation for Joe to permanently silence them. He’s slipping back into his old ways, and that may prove to be Joe’s fatal flaw as the show races toward its conclusion.
Genre:
Thriller
Stars:
Penn Badgley, Charlotte Ritchie, Madeline Brewer, Anna Camp, Griffin Matthews
Seasons:
5
Yellowjackets
Who would have thought that a series about a girls’ soccer team would be one of Showtime’s most popular series? But the team in Yellowjackets does not get to spend much time on the field. Instead, they find themselves trapped in the wilderness following a plane crash that killed most of the adults who accompanied them. And while these girls are resilient, the first episode teases some very dark and desperate times ahead of them.
There’s also a parallel narrative set in the present, as the now-adult Yellowjackets struggle to get by in their daily lives. More than anything else, the women don’t want the secrets of what they did to survive to come out. Only the first season is available on Netflix for now, so you’ll have to get Paramount+ with Showtime if you want to see season 2 immediately.
Genre:
Drama, Thriller
Stars:
Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress, Sophie Thatcher, Christina Ricci, Sophie Nélisse, Juliette Lewis
Seasons:
1
Black Doves
Black Doves may start during the holidays, but this is no feel-good Christmas story. Instead, this spy thriller turns into a revenge story for Helen Webb (Keira Knightley), a Black Doves operative who has spent years undercover as the wife of Britain’s defense secretary, Wallace Webb (Andrew Buchan). She may have kids with Wallace, but her heart is with another man named Jason (Andrew Koji).
When someone kills Jason, Helen is ready to throw her life away in a bid to avenge his death. Her mentor and spy master, Mrs. Reed (Sarah Lancashire), sends Helen’s closest friend in the Black Doves, Sam (Ben Whishaw), to watch her back. Yet, Sam’s real mission may be to ensure that Helen’s revenge doesn’t compromise her clandestine organization.
Genre:
Thriller, Drama
Stars:
Keira Knightley, Sarah Lancashire, Ben Whishaw, Andrew Koji, Andrew Buchan
Seasons:
1
Dark Winds
AMC’s Dark Winds isn’t a monster hit on cable, but it clearly has an audience online. This brilliant and dark crime thriller is based upon Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn & Chee novels, and it features an underrated actor, Zahn McClarnon, who finally gets to lead his own series.
The show takes place in Navajo County in the ’70s, with McClarnon playing Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn of the tribal police. He’s got more than enough problems trying to solve a double homicide while taking care of a young pregnant teenager who isn’t his own child. But since the FBI believes that armored truck thieves are hiding out in Leaphorn’s territory, Agent Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon) has been sent undercover as a new deputy. Together, Leaphorn and Chee not only have to solve the murders but also discover how the deaths are linked to the robbery.
Genre:
Drama, Thriller, Crime
Stars:
Zahn McClarnon, Kiowa Gordon, Jessica Matten, Deanna Allison, Rainn Wilson
Seasons:
2
Mystery and Crime
Dept. Q
Scott Frank, the writer and director behind The Queen’s Gambit , has a fresh series on Netflix called Dept. Q , which is based upon the novels by Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen. It doesn’t take long to establish why Detective Carl Morck (Matthew Goode) is so emotionally fraught and traumatized, and he’s not particularly well-liked by his fellow cops. Carl’s career is essentially over when he’s assigned to head up Department Q, Edinburg’s cold case unit.
But rather than take the opportunity for introspection, Carl throws himself into a missing persons case that his colleagues couldn’t solve. His drive, and the opportunity to prove themselves, draws a cadet named Rose (Leah Byrne) and a former Syrian cop, Akram Salim (Alexej Manvelov), to join Carl as they attempt to make a place for themselves.
Genre:
Mystery, Thriller
Stars
: Matthew Goode, Kelly Macdonald, Chloe Pirrie, Alexej Manvelov, Leah Byrne
Seasons:
1
Adolescence
Each episode of Adolescence was filmed in one continuous take, and the show rarely lets the audience have a breather. In the opening minutes alone, DI Luke Bascombe (Ashley Walters) and DS Misha Frank (Faye Marsay) burst into a home alongside a SWAT team to arrest 13-year-old boy, Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), for the murder of his classmate, Katie (Emilia Holliday).
Jamie’s parents, Eddie (Stephen Graham) and Manda Miller (Christine Tremarco), don’t initially believe that Jamie’s done anything wrong. But as the police press Jamie for answers, the question about Jamie’s guilt seems to give way to why he did it rather than if. And because of his age, Jamie’s future seems precarious at best as his family wonders what’s next.
Genre:
Crime, Drama
Stars:
Stephen Graham, Ashley Walters, Erin Doherty, Owen Cooper, Faye Marsay
Seasons:
1
Horror
The Walking Dead: Dead City
Maggie Greene (Lauren Cohan) and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) are a pretty unlikely pair, especially considering that Negan murdered Maggie’s husband, Glenn, in The Walking Dead . Maggie hasn’t forgotten her enmity for Negan in the spinoff series, The Walking Dead: Dead City . She still hates him, but she needs his help to rescue her son, Hershel (Logan Kim).
Hershel has been kidnapped by one of Negan’s former followers, The Croat (Željko Ivanek), who is now the leader of a deadly group of survivors in Manhattan. To retrieve Hershel, Maggie and Negan have to enter New York City and make their way past hordes of zombies and people who may just be as dangerous to them as the undead.
Genre:
Horror, Drama
Stars:
Lauren Cohan, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Gaius Charles, Željko Ivanek, Mahina Napoleon
Seasons:
1
The Fall of the House of Usher
Horror maestro Mike Flanagan has one last miniseries for Netflix before he heads off to Prime Video. Flanagan’s final bow is The Fall of the House of Usher , a modern adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s short story and a few other works by Poe. In this incarnation, Roderick Usher (Bruce Greenwood) and his sister, Madeline Usher (Mary McDonnell), own a powerful pharmaceutical company, and they’ve passed on their ruthless streak to the next generation.
That is if there is a next generation. An enigmatic woman named Verna (Carla Gugino) may be behind the gruesome deaths of members of the Usher family. Everything that the Ushers have built is crashing down, and there may be something supernatural behind it.
Genre:
Horror, Drama
Stars:
Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Mary McDonnell, Carl Lumbly, Samantha Sloyan
Seasons:
1
Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities
Oscar-winning filmmaker Guillermo del Toro curated this collection of short films from some of horror’s most visionary, creative directors and writers. The eight stories in the series’ first season hail from a wide range of filmmakers, including Vincenzo Natali ( Cube ), Ana Lily Amirpour ( A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night ), Jennifer Kent ( The Babadook ), and Del Toro himself.
Genre:
Fantasy/Horror
Stars:
Ben Barnes, Andrew Lincoln, Rupert Grint
Seasons:
1
Sci-Fi and Fantasy
The Eternaut
The Eternaut is a famous Argentine comic that was only published in America within the last ten years. Netflix’s adaptation of Héctor Germán Oesterheld and Francisco Solano López maintains the original setting, so you may want to turn on the subtitles for this one. In Buenos Aires, almost the entire population of people dies when snow falls out of season. Even incidental contact with the snow can kill.
This is no mere accident of nature. It was an attack, but the questions of who did this and how will have to wait for Juan Salvo (Ricardo Darín). Juan is one of the few survivors who was lucky enough to be indoors when the snow fell. Now, Juan will risk anything to reunite with his ex-wife, Elena (Carla Peterson), and their daughter, Clara (Mora Fisz). But the dangerous new world that emerges may cut any family reunion short.
Genre:
Sci-fi, Drama, Thriller
Stars:
Ricardo Darín, Carla Peterson, César Troncoso, Andrea Pietra, Marcelo Subiotto
Seasons:
1
Black Mirror
After a two-year hiatus, Black Mirror is back for a new season on Netflix. Charlie Brooker’s mind-bending sci-fi anthology consists of five self-contained standalone episodes and one sequel to the fan-favorite season 4 episode USS Callister . As with its previous seasons, Black Mirror has attracted a number of established stars to make one-off appearances.
Like its predecessor, The Twilight Zone , Black Mirror ‘s stories are about people who make the wrong choices more often than the right ones. And the consequences of those choices aren’t always pleasant. And in this series, things can always get worse for the main characters before the screen fades to black.
Genre:
Sci-fi, Drama
Stars:
Rashida Jones, Peter Capaldi, Paul Giamatti, Cristin Milioti, Issa Rae, Awkwafina
Seasons:
7
Resident Alien
The title character of Resident Alien is Harry Vanderspeigle (Alan Tudyk), and he’s just your regular alien impersonating a small-town doctor who came to Earth with nefarious intentions and a mission to eliminate humanity. But during the course of the first two seasons, Harry has actually come to enjoy life on Earth, and he feels more empathy for the people he sees as his friends.
Now that Resident Alien season 3 has arrived on Netflix, Harry’s personal mission has changed. He’s out to save humanity from the Greys, an alien race that doesn’t share his love for humanity. Some of the townspeople are now in on Harry’s secret, which helps and hinders him. He’s also experiencing romantic feelings for Heather (Edi Patterson), an Avian alien who just might reciprocate Harry’s advances.
Genre:
Sci-fi, Comedy
Stars:
Alan Tudyk, Sara Tomko, Corey Reynolds, Alice Wetterlund, Levi Fiehler
Seasons:
3
Lost
Nearly two decades ago, Lost was a cultural phenomenon for ABC on a scale that’s rarely seen, especially among genre shows. The series dropped a very large ensemble cast on a remote island following a harrowing plane crash. With little hope of rescue, Jack Shepard (Matthew Fox), Kate Austen (Evangeline Lilly), John Locke (Terry O’Quinn), Sawyer (Josh Holloway), and the rest of the group have to make some hard choices to survive. And it only gets harder when they aren’t on the same page.
Those characters were a large part of Lost ‘s appeal, but so were the mysteries of the island itself. There’s more happening than meets the eye, and this uncharted paradise has more than a few deadly secrets. One of the biggest obstacles awaiting the survivors are the Others, a group of people who have been living on the island for decades. Once the two sides come into conflict, only one faction can come out on top.
Genre:
Drama, Fantasy
Stars:
Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, Terry O’Quinn, Josh Holloway, Dominic Monaghan, Naveen Andrews
Seasons:
6
The Witcher
Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill) and Yennefer of Vengerberg (Anya Chalotra) now know who’s been pulling their strings in the Continent, but that knowledge might not be enough to save them as The Witcher returns with the final three episodes of season 3.
With Geralt waylaid and fighting for his life, Ciri (Freya Allan) is off on an adventure of her own that may prove to be a transformative experience. But all roads lead back to Geralt as the series faces a turning point and a very, very long wait until the fourth season arrives.
Genre:
Fantasy, Adventure, Action, Drama
Stars:
Henry Cavill, Freya Allan, Anya Chalotra, Eamon Farren
Seasons:
3
Stranger Things
One of the most popular original series on Netflix , Stranger Things has become a cultural touchstone in the short time since its 2016 debut. The series’ opening sequence lays out its sci-fi aspirations clearly: A scientist flees down an empty hallway, pursued by some unseen force that eventually nabs him as he waits for elevator doors to close; it then cuts to a group of kids playing D&D in a suburban basement.
The series is rooted in ‘80s genre nostalgia, from the mysterious creature terrorizing the fictional Indiana town to the secret government agency chasing the group of kids who encounter it. There are pieces of Stephen King, Steven Spielberg, and John Hughes strewn throughout Stranger Things , and the result is a show that will feel immediately familiar to people who grew up with that source material.
For more info on the final season, check out Stranger Things season 5: Plot, date, and casting rumors.
Genre:
Sci-Fi
Stars:
Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown
Seasons:
4
True crime and docuseries
Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders
In the early ’80s, the nation was gripped by the Tylenol murders. Someone successfully placed cyanide in Tylenol capsules and snuck them back onto store shelves for an unsuspecting public to consume. Although there were only a few confirmed deaths, the panic was immense.
Netflix’s new documentary, Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders , has the only in-depth interview with James Lewis, the man many believe to be behind the murders. And while Lewis had a long track record of crimes, it may not be an open and shut case as to whether he was responsible for this one. His participation makes this the defining look back at one of the most unsettling unsolved cases from the 1980s.
Genre:
True Crime
Stars:
N/A
Seasons:
1
Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer
In 2020, Netflix dramatized the case of the Long Island serial killer in Lost Girls . The three-part documentary Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer offers a deeper look at what happened to the victims of Rex Heuermann. This true crime story differs from many others in part because it’s a more through look at who the victims were and a searing indictment on the police officers who weren’t that interested in investigating the deaths of sex workers.
Over a decade passed between the discovery of ten bodies and the arrest of Heuermann. It’s a story of police inaction and corruption that nearly derailed the search for a killer. But even catching the Long Island serial killer can’t bring back the women he killed.
Genre:
True Crime
Stars:
N/A
Seasons:
1
American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson
Genre:
True Crime, Documentary
Stars:
O.J. Simpson, Nicole Brown Simpson, Christopher Darden
The O.J. Simpson trial was called “the trial of the century” in the ’90s, and it still maintains a tight grip on the public’s imagination three decades later. American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson features a concise four-part look at the murder investigation of Simpson’s ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, the infamous slow freeway chase in the White Bronco, and the absolute circus that unfolded during his trial.
Many of the surviving participants of these events contributed to this documentary, including former prosecutor Christopher Darden. O.J. Simpson’s story is one of those “only in America” fables, and even his death doesn’t bring it to a close.
Seasons: 1
Watch on NetflixOur Oceans
Former President Barack Obama produces and narrates Our Oceans , a five-part Netflix original documentary series. This show features some jaw-dropping footage of life beneath the sea as it explores the connections between what’s happening in the water and how it affects everything on land.
Our Oceans starts with breathtaking glimpses of sea life in their natural environment before shifting gears to demonstrate how climate change and human-created pollution have impacted these creatures. Some of the sea life have even found inventive ways to adapt to the presence of plastics in their oceans. The series also explores the ways that these underwater dwellers find mates, which seems to amuse Obama at times.
Genre:
Documentary
Stars:
Barack Obama
Seasons:
1
Animation
Love, Death & Robots
There’s no simple way to describe Love, Death & Robots because each episode can be so wildly different. How many shows can get away with an episode about a cat bent on world domination and his new robot servant? And if you love felines, there’s a cat late in the season that takes on Satan himself for the soul of a poet.
All of the cyberpunk dreams and visions turn this anthology into one of the most unique animated programs that Netflix has ever created. The depth of imagination and the glorious visuals are always a trip, and this is a series that you can always count on to make the weirdest creative choices. That’s kind of why we love it.
Genre:
Sci-fi, Horror, Comedy
Stars:
Various
Seasons:
4
Terminator Zero
For the first time in its 40 years of existence, the Terminator franchise is finally getting an animated series of its own. Terminator Zero is ignoring everything but the first two movies and setting the clock back to 1997, shortly before Judgment Day. In Japan, scientist Malcolm Lee (André Holland) has created Kokoro (Rosario Dawson), an AI program that may be able to counter Skynet and prevent the end of the world.
From Skynet’s future perspective, that’s why Malcolm has to die. Toward that end, a new Terminator (Timothy Olyphant) has been dispatched to the past to kill Malcolm. Meanwhile, the human resistance sends Eiko (Sonoya Mizuno) to protect Malcolm. But if the Terminator can’t find Malcolm, it will move on to its next targets: his children.
Genre:
Sci-fi
Stars:
Timothy Olyphant, André Holland, Sonoya Mizuno, Rosario Dawson, Ann Dowd
Seasons:
1
Blue Eye Samurai
Sometimes, a show can sneak up on you and become a breakout hit when you least expect it. That’s what’s happening right now with Blue Eye Samurai , Netflix’s unconventional anime series. Logan and Blade Runner 2049 screenwriter Michael Green teamed up with his wife, Amber Noizumi, to create the series set in Japan’s Edo period when the country was closed off from the world.
Mizu (Maya Erskine) is the titular blue-eyed samurai, a distinctive physical trait that she goes to great lengths to hide in her quest for revenge. Mizu’s skills quickly make her a lot of powerful enemies, even though her greatest secret is that she’s a woman, despite passing herself off as a man. She also tends to leave behind a lot of collateral damage in her wake, because she lets nothing get between her and her deadly goal.
Genre:
Anime, Drama
Stars:
Maya Erskine, Masi Oka, Brenda Song, Darren Barnet
Seasons:
1
