The 2013 release of House of Cards by Netflix altered the way that people watched television. Since then, “binge-watch” and “Netflix and chill” have become common phrases, competition in the streaming world has increased (see: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Peacock, etc.), and Netflix has dramatically increased its output of originals, seemingly releasing a dozen new shows and movies every week.
There are some original Netflix programs that are superior to others, which is why this list exists. We have very strict guidelines regarding what we will not include: programs for children, reality shows such as “Selling Sunset,” and documentaries such as “Tiger King.” Additionally, we are only interested in Netflix originals produced by Netflix. We’re not interested in Netflix Originals such as The End of the F***ing World or Peaky Blinders, which are co-productions or licensed pick-ups that originally aired elsewhere. Got it? Then let’s commence.
Maniac
This elegant, mind-bending limited series stars Jonah Hill and Emma Stone as two damaged individuals who volunteer for an experimental drug trial. It is an ambitious undertaking that parodies the drug industry and addresses themes of love, family, trauma, and loss, but its tone is inconsistent. With Justin Theroux, Sally Field, and Sonoya Mizuno delivering entertaining, unhinged performances, Maniac captures you and propels You forward with an endearing frenzied energy. In addition, Hill and Stone’s rapport is undeniable as they navigate the deepest, darkest corners of their minds.
Grace and Frankie
Netflix users of a certain age may have missed this seven-season comedy from Marta Kauffman (Friends) and Howard J. Morris (The Starter Wife) about two septuagenarian friends (Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin) whose spouses (Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston) proclaim they are in love and intend to marry. With echoes of The Odd Couple and The Brady Bunch—both spouses have grown children who are equally stunned by the news—Grace and Frankie is a realistic comedy that is rife with observational wit on the progressive notion of being loyal to one’s identity and the cliche that everyone ages with time. Try this film if you’ve enjoyed the low-key, picture-perfect comedies of Nancy Meyers (see: It’s Complicated, Something’s Gotta Give).
Master of None
Master of None explores the anxiety of limitless options, that gradual trickle of dread that begins whenever you launch Netflix or look up restaurant recommendations on your phone. However, the series, which was co-created by former Parks and Recreation writer Alan Yang and Aziz Ansari, is able to find humor in the mundane problems of affluent urbanites. Sexual misconduct allegations against Ansari that arose during the show’s run have undoubtedly tarnished its legacy and complicated its plots surrounding online dating and modern love for many viewers, and the shortened third season eliminated Ansari’s character Dev entirely in order to focus on Lena Waithe’s Denise and her wife. Denise seems like she should have been the focus of the program from the beginning. Still, episodes such as “Parents” and “Thanksgiving” from the first two seasons stand out as some of the most deliberate comedic storytelling Netflix has to offer.
Orange Is the New Black
The third original Netflix series merits many accolades: Throughout its seven seasons, OITNB highlighted LGBTQ and trans characters, addressing America’s obsession with mass incarceration. Jenji Kohan, the show’s creator and executive producer, adapted Piper Kerman’s memoir of the same name into a show that addresses extremely serious topics with a dash of humor while not avoiding format changes and cliffhangers to keep its audience coming back for more. As one of the earliest and greatest binge-watching television series, Orange Is the New Black revolutionized the way we watch television. This, along with the intensely lesbian nature of the program, is its enduring legacy.
Everything Sucks!
This teen melodrama, which is set in a small Oregon town in 1996 and follows the social blunders of a group of A/V clubbers and drama enthusiasts, will remind you of Freaks and Geeks, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and other depictions of melancholy adolescents and their unrequited admirers. (Episodes also prominently feature a deep cut from Sebadoh’s Harmacy and Ride’s shoegaze smash “Leave Them All Behind,” which boosts the show’s position in this classification by at least one rung.) Unfortunately, Netflix did not renew Everything Sucks!, cementing its cult status alongside other “canceled too soon” one-season marvels like Freaks and Geeks.
Tuca & Bertie
Tuca & Bertie was never accorded the respect it deserved at Netflix, where it was abruptly terminated after one season and has since flourished at Adult Swim. But even the first season does not hold back, containing the ingredients for a wonderful adult animated series that could last for years. From BoJack Horseman producer and designer Lisa Hanawalt, Tuca & Bertie takes place in a similar anthropomorphic universe that takes its blurred line on object sentience further, introducing us to talking, walking, breast-having plant people and a cell phone that speaks when it’s in danger as bird BFFs Tuca (Tiffany Haddish) and Bertie (Ali Wong) navigate thoroughly modern workplace issues, their mental health, romantic relationships, and their long friendship. Similar to BoJack, Tuca & Bertie employs animal people to illustrate human frailty in between jokes, while also incorporating a song interlude.
Godless
In this limited series Western from Logan screenwriter and The Queen’s Gambit writer-director Scott Frank, Jeff Daniels plays a one-armed man with a terrible attitude who terrorizes a town governed almost exclusively by women following a mine disaster. Michelle Dockery of Downton Abbey portrays a no-nonsense widow, while Jack O’Connell plays an attractive young gunslinger concealing from Jeff Daniels’ domineering outlaw father figure. There are enough gunfights and horseback monologues to make the seven-episode run worthwhile, despite the fact that it doesn’t precisely disrupt the Western mold.
The Umbrella Academy
A Netflix series based on an edgy comic written by My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way, about a group of masked superheroes with weird powers who all grew up in a mansion and hate their father, sounds like a very elaborate, very specific joke, but we assure you it’s real, and it’s actually quite good once it finds its footing. You’ll come for the pyrotechnics, time travel, and chimpanzee butler, but you’ll remain for the curiously moving depiction of how sibling relationships develop and profoundly influence each other, for better or worse.
One Day at a Time
In a world that can be unkind to audience hilarity, large comedic performances, and that stage-bound multi-camera look, One Day at a Time is a vintage family sitcom. However, single-camera purists should overcome their prejudices. This clever remake of Norman Lear’s 1970s success about a single mother parenting two adolescent daughters is more endearing and humorous than many of its “edgier” competitors. The show finds familiar laughs in the way generations conflict and families wage war, but it’s also culturally specific, socially engaged, and leisurely paced in a way that sets it apart from your typical CBS family program—or Netflix’s own dreadful Fuller House. The fan outcry didn’t just demonstrate the show’s popularity; it also gave One Day at a Time a second (or third) life on Pop TV, despite Netflix’s clumsy cancellation announcement.
You
After Netflix kidnapped You away from Lifetime in 2018, the show about a homicidal sociopath addicted to crushing on the defenseless women he encounters (read: pursues) in America’s largest cities became a massive success, generating two more seasons (and soon three!) with a new ensemble of characters for each. Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley), an obsessive collector of rare books, repeatedly assures himself that he has “overcome” his violent tendencies by relying on the women in his life. As we now know after three seasons, this mandate always tragically backfires, even when Joe encounters a woman who is arguably even more terrifying than he is. The sick pleasures of watching You are not derived from rooting for the heroines to survive, but rather from the perverted morality of wondering in what startling ways all the “good guys” will perish, and how the “good guys” may not be as good as they believe they are.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
A exile from NBC’s primetime lineup, Tina Fey and Robert Carlock’s follow-up to 30 Rock found new life in the early days of Netflix original programming, where it became an eccentric beacon for the platform. If 30 Rock was the epitome of the sitcom tradition, then Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is its awkward cousin. The concept of combining a childlike kidnapping survivor (Ellie Kemper), a gay Black man with the voice of angels (Titus Burgess), a conspiracy-theorizing old lady landlord (Carol Kane), and an upper-class divorcee (Jane Krakowski) is riskier when there is room to explore the tragic side of the situation. The show’s musical backbone is provided by Burgess, who lends Kemper’s performance a Pixy-Stix-level of intensity (from “Pinot Noir” to “Boobs in California”).If you’re a fan of Netflix and are always looking for the finest binge-watchable TV programs and original series, Thrillist has you covered. Their blog contains an exhaustive list of the most entertaining Netflix offerings that will keep you occupied for hours. From riveting dramas to hysterical comedies, they’ve curated a selection of programs to suit every flavor. However, if you’re interested in exploring even more popular Netflix series and films, visit SpinGenie.Ca. Their blog explores the most in-demand titles on Netflix, providing recommendations and insights to maximize your streaming experience. Grab some popcorn and visit here for more information on SpinGenie.Ca‘s site!