At this rate, Netflix releases brand new original shows and movies almost daily. While there have been some that are questionable, a lot have become instant hits and remained fan favorites.
While the best shows have become world-famous at this point, there are some you may not have heard about. Here are the best Netflix Original shows you should binge-watch right now.
The Crown
The Crown tells the story of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, from her marriage to Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh, in 1947, through to the 21st century. The series features a star-studded cast, with Claire Foy, Olivia Newman and Matt Smith playing leading roles. New actors are brought in to depict the aging process.
The first season concerned the events of 1955 when Winston Churchill resigned as Prime Minister and the Queen’s sister who chose not to marry. The second season covers the Suez Crisis and the Profumo affair, with the third season covering 1964 to 1977.
Stranger Things
There isn’t much to be said about Stranger Things that hasn’t been said before. Set in the ’80s, the show opens as a young boy disappears into the “Upside Down” which is a dark and evil dimension that starts affecting the residents of his town in strange ways.
Millie Bobby Brown plays the role of Eleven, a young psychokinetic girl who escapes a laboratory and assists the missing boy’s friend in finding him. While children are the lead characters, the show is dark and it deals with adult themes but it is topped with many feel-good moments and humor.
Sex Education
Another show that became an overnight sensation is Sex Education. You follow a group of students, parents, and teachers as they try to navigate life, love and relationships. The mix of inexperience, religious backgrounds and general anxiety leads to hilarious situations.
The show has a similar feel to the hit series Skins, but it has more humor. Once again, even though the leads are young adults, you can relate to what they are going through and look back at your life when you were their age.
The Witcher
The smash-hit video game has finally become a TV series. Henry Cavill plays the role of Geralt of Rivia, a Witcher who has special powers that he uses to rid the world of violent monsters and creatures.
The first season follows Geralt as he explores the world, defeating enemies and learning what’s happening around him. Simultaneously, Yennifer, a sorceress, is trying to gain more power through magic. Their paths cross at the Battle of Sodden Hill, where they discover that they will need to work together if they want to succeed.
After Life
After Life is a black comedy created by Ricky Gervais, he plays the role of Tony Johnson, a man in the grips of depression, trying to get his life back together after losing his wife to cancer.
The series is emotional, funny and portrays a different take on the grieving process. Fellow comedians Joe Wilkinson and Roisin Conaty play supporting roles too. You will spend every episode not knowing if you want to laugh or cry. It is one of the best shows released in the past few years.
Ozark
Jason Bateman plays the lead role in this critically acclaimed crime drama. Bateman plays Marty Byrde, who, with his wife, moves to the Lake of the Ozarks for a money-laundering scheme that goes south.
Marty was working with the Mexican Cartel, cleaning and funneling their money. When the deal goes wrong, he relocates his family to set up a bigger scheme to make amends. He gets tied up with criminals in the area and eventually the Kansas City Mafia.
The Umbrella Academy
The Umbrella Academy is a fresh spin on the superhero genre. The comic books created by Gerard Way follow the lives of a group of adults who were brought to an academy when they were babies because they possessed unique powers.
The first two seasons show the group trying to stop a global apocalypse that the time-traveling member of their group has foreseen. The show is incredibly unique, the characters have depth and a ton of personality and it adds a new layer to a genre that some believe is overdone.
Ratched
Sarah Paulson plays the lead character, Nurse Mildred Ratched, in this psychological thriller that is the prequel to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. This is her origin story as an asylum nurse set in 1947.
Mildred travels to Northern California, seeking employment at an asylum where they have begun to experiment on the brains and minds of their patients. She wants to infiltrate it and those who work there, exposing the wrongs that are being committed.
Bridgerton
Bridgerton is a period drama in an alternate version of the Regency era of London in the early 1800s. While the costumes and buildings fit with the times, there are a lot of modern twists, such as the music you hear at the events that add a twist.
The show centers around the aristocratic Bridgerton family and their trials and tribulations navigating life and the royalty that is part of it. It is a combination of romance, drama and Downton Abbey but portrayed in a modern way.
Netflix is packed with some of the best shows you can find, and while there are many more that could make their way onto this list, these are the best ones to watch. If you haven’t seen any of them yet, take a few hours and indulge, you won’t be disappointed.
