The current king of the streaming revolution, Netflix releases what often feels like a billion new titles every month. Its television offerings are vast, from prestige dramas and sly comedies to coming-of-age teen series, soapy romances, thoughtful animated shows, and foreign language hits. (And that’s not even touching its reality and documentary arms, which are constantly churning out new twists on the dating show and true crime tales.)
This is a lot to say that trying to figure out what you want to watch on this particular streamer can feel like a second job. So, let us try and help. Here are the series you need to watch on Netflix right now.
British drama Adolescence scooped up virtually every kind of television award imaginable following its 2025 premiere, and with good reason. An uncomfortably timely story about a troubled 13-year-old accused of stabbing his classmate, the four-part series unflinchingly wrestles with the myriad ways toxic masculinity and internet culture are damaging a generation of young boys. Compelling performances and technical wizardry—each episode unfolds over one single shot—make it a genuine must-see.
Baby Reindeer
Stars: Richard Gadd, Jessica Gunning, Nava Mau, Tom Goodman-Hill, Nina Sosanya, Michael Wildman, Danny Kirrane, Thomas Coombes, Shalom Brune-Franklin
Number of seasons: One
One of the darker and more psychologically disturbing series on this list—and this platform—Baby Reindeer isn’t a show you necessarily enjoy so much as survive. Still, the riveting drama, which is based on creator Richard Gadd’s own experiences with stalking and sexual assault, deftly mixes dark humor with unflinching emotional depth and honesty.
Black Mirror
Stars: Cristin Milioti, Jimmi Simpson, Issa Rae, Emma Corrin, Paul Giamatti, Rashida Jones, Chris O’Dowd, Tracee Ellis Ross, Peter Capaldi, Chris O’Dowd and so many more
Number of seasons: Seven
The course of human events has conspired to make some elements of Charlie Brooker’s dystopian anthology series feel less shocking than they might once have done, but the series remains equal parts scary, addictive, and frighteningly prescient. Recent episodes have dealt with everything from artificial intelligence and predatory subscription services to digital revenge, memory, and more.
BoJack Horseman
Stars: Will Arnett, Alison Brie, Paul F. Tompkins, Aaron Paul, Amy Sedaris
Number of seasons on Netflix: Six, plus a special
BoJack Horseman, the brilliant animated dramedy about a has-been ’90s sitcom star who also happens to be an anthropomorphic horse, might just be the deepest series Netflix has ever produced, tackling alcoholism, drug addiction, death, depression, fame, childhood trauma, betrayal, failure, and on and on and on. The series is also, we should add, very funny.
Bridgerton
Stars: Jonathan Bailey, Claudia Jessie, Luke Thompson, Hannah Dodd, Luke Newton, Phoebe Dynevor, Yerin Ha, Nicola Coughlan, Simone Ashley, Masali Baduza, Adjoa Andoh, Ruth Gemmell, Polly Walker, Regé-Jean Page, Julie Andrews
Number of seasons: Four
Based on Julia Quinn’s popular series of novels, Netflix’s Bridgerton elevated Regency-era romance to an unprecedented level of bingeability. A candy-coated, fully anachronistic romp, each season of this sparkling series lets a Bridgerton sibling take the lead and look for love on their own terms in stories that are as emotionally compelling as they are addictive to watch. Not to mention all the steamy sex. (This is not your mother’s style of period drama, is what we’re saying.) The series has been renewed through season six.
The Crown
Stars: Claire Foy, Matt Smith, Tobias Menzies, Olivia Colman, Imelda Staunton, Jonathan Pryce, Charles Dance, Vanessa Kirby, Helena Bonham Carter, Emma Corrin, Josh O’Connor, Gillian Anderson, Lesley Manville, Elizabeth Debicki, Dominic West
Number of seasons: Five
A sprawling dramatization of (most of) the reign of England’s Queen Elizabeth II, The Crown’s unique casting gimmick—the show switched out lead actors every two seasons—allowed its main characters to age naturally and gave a frightening amount of prestige British actors the chance to deploy their poshest accents. A surprisingly sympathetic portrait of a woman whose life was never really her own, the show wrestles with questions of duty, progress, and whether a public figure’s life can ever be truly their own.
Lisa McGee’s Irish teen comedy is specifically set during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, but it has a universal appeal in how it portrays the coming-of-age years of its central heroines. Ridiculously funny and heartwarming by turns, the story follows a group of quirky, quick-witted Catholic school girls as they navigate school, faith, crushes, and family dynamics.
Forever
Stars: Lovie Simone, Michael Cooper Jr., Xosha Roquemore, Karen Pittman, Wood Harris
Number of seasons: One
Mara Brock Akil adapted Judy Blume’s 1975 novel, which was often banned for its portrayal of adolescent sex, into this charming TV show about two athletes navigating the highs and lows of an intense relationship. A poignant, tender drama that embraces Black culture and uses modern technology to update its story for a modern audience, its themes of navigating first love, family pressure, and identity remain universal.
The Haunting Of Hill House
Stars: Carla Gugino, Kate Siegel, Michael Huisman, Elizabeth Reaser, Victoria Pedretti, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Henry Thomas
Number of seasons: One
While there are five “emotionally fucked-up takes on horror” from Mike Flanagan to choose from on Netflix, the best of the lot is still his first venture, The Haunting Of Hill House. This gripping drama about the Crain family has plenty of twists and turns, not to mention deaths, ghosts, and jump scares. Hill House works because it weaves a tragic, moving story into its extremely supernatural setting.
Heartstopper
Stars: Joe Locke, Kit Connor, Yasmin Finney, William Gao, Olivia Colman, Corinna Brown, Kizzy Edgell, Tobie Donovan
Number of seasons: Three, plus finale movie Heartstopper Forever
Alice Oseman’s adaptation of her graphic novels has a lot going for it: Heartstopper is at once a cute, coming-of-age rom-com and deep drama, tackling weighty issues with realism and, yes, heart. We dare you to stop smiling as Charlie (Locke) and Nick (Connor) find love against all odds.
Mindhunter
Stars: Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, Anna Torv, Hannah Gross, Stacey Roca
Number of seasons: Two
More Mad Men than Law And Order, Mindhunter is not your typical procedural about FBI agents chasing after serial murderers. A thoughtful psychological crime drama about two odd-couple agents (Groff and McCallany) and a professor (Torv) in the Bureau’s Behavioral Science Unit who launch a project to interview serial killers about why they commit crimes. Executive produced and frequently directed by Zodiac’s David Fincher, the series is a high-tension exploration of the origins of criminal profiling and features a particularly compelling guest turn from Cameron Britton as murderer and necrophiliac Ed Kemper.
Never Have I Ever
Stars: Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Poorna Jagannathan, Richa Moorjani, Darren Barnet, Jaren Lewison, Lee Rodriguez, Ramona Young, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Niecy Nash
Number of seasons: Four
Mindy Kaling and Louie Lang’s Never Have I Ever is the rare fun teen dramedy with an Indian American family that also subverts South Asian stereotypes. Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) is a high schooler struggling with grief after her father’s death, and the show handles her coming-of-age issues with relatable vulnerability and relieving bouts of humor. Plus, Ramakrishnan is just an ingenious breakout star.
One Hundred Years Of Solitude
Stars: Diego Vásquez, Claudio Cataño, Marledy Soto, Akima Maldonaldo, Édgar Vittorino, Marco Antonio González, Susana Morales, Loren Sofía, Janer Villarreal
Number of seasons: Two
Gabriel García Márquez’s epic novel One Hundred Years Of Solitude had long been accepted as one of the great “unfilmable” novels. But series writers José Rivera, Natalia Santa, Camila Brugés, and Albatros González pull off the impossible: An adaptation that, though it deviates significantly from its source material in some ways—the novel contains surprisingly little dialogue, for example—gets the novel’s wild spirit and gorgeously descriptive imagery exactly right.
Peaky Blinders
Stars: Cillian Murphy, Helen McCrory, Paul Anderson, Sophie Rundle, Finn Cole, Joe Cole, Harry Kirton, Kate Phillips, Annabelle Wallis, Sam Neill, Natasha O’Keeffe, Anya Taylor-Joy, Aidan Gillen, Stephen Graham, Packy Lee
Number of seasons: 6, plus feature film Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man
One of the last great antihero dramas, Peaky Blinders features a generational performance from Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby, the violent, emotionally compromised head of the titular 1920s Birmingham gang. As the family battles internal tensions and outside enemies, Tommy’s power and influence grow, as do the difficult choices he must make to survive. Featuring stylish production stories, an anachronistic soundtrack full of Nick Cave bangers, and an incredible cast, it’s easy to see why this series managed to become such a breakout word-of-mouth hit. Two new seasons have been greenlit and are set to follow the next generation of the Shelby family in post-World War II England.
The Queen’s Gambit
Stars: Anya Taylor-Joy, Marielle Heller, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Bill Camp, Moses Ingram, Harry Melling, Rebecca Root
Number of seasons: One
Based on Walter Tevis’ 1983 novel of the same name, this coming-of-age dramedy chronicles the evolution of the (regrettably fictional) chess prodigy Beth Harmon. Combining the pulsing intensity of ambition with the interiority of strategy games, The Queen’s Gambit is one of those pandemic sensations that holds up well in the metaphorical light of day. At just seven episodes, it’s a tight story with a flourishing finish you won’t soon forget.
Russian Doll
Stars: Natasha Lyonne, Charlie Barnett, Yul Vazquez, Elizabeth Ashley, Greta Lee, Rebecca Henderson, Dasha Polanco
Number of seasons on Netflix: Two
In this killer series, Natasha Lyonne stars as Nadia, a snarky New York City woman who finds herself trapped in a Groundhog Day-style time loop. This puzzle box of a show delivers a never-ending treasure trove of questions to be answered and matches that surface-level satisfaction with some real emotion.
Squid Game
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byun-hun, Wi Ha-joon, Park Hae-soo, Anupam Tripathi, Heo Sung-tae, Kang Ae-shim, Im Si-wan
Number of seasons: Three
South Korean hit Squid Game took the world by storm when it premiered in 2021 and broke viewership records with its third and final season, which arrived in June 2025. The survival series centers on a group of people participating in competitions to win prize money, even if it means watching their fellow players die brutally.
Stranger Things
Stars: Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink
Number of seasons on Netflix: Five
The Duffer Brothers’ love letter to ’80s movies and the childhood thrills of that decade took off—and took over the culture—like few Netflix shows had when it debuted back in 2016. A love letter to the power of friendship, tabletop gaming, and always showing up for your friends, the final season’s epic battles test our favorite squad of teens against the villainous Vecna, the U.S. military, and more.
Wednesday
Stars: Jenna Ortega, Emmy Myers, Hunter Doohan, Owen Painter, Evie Templeton, Joy Sunday, Isaac Ordonez, Victor Dorobantu, Luis Guzmán, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Joanna Lumley, Billie Piper, and Fred Armisen
Number of seasons: Two
Jenna Ortega stars in this popular comedy-drama that mixes The Addams Family lore and supernatural mysteries with traditional coming-of-age teen drama. Forced by her family to attend Nevermore Academy after she’s kicked out of her previous school, Wednesday Addams must navigate everything from roommate issues and potential romance to burgeoning psychic powers. A third season is in production.
When They See Us
Stars: Michael K. Williams, Vera Farmiga, Felicity Huffman, Niecy Nash, Blair Underwood, John Leguizamo, Christopher Jackson, Joshua Jackson
Number of seasons on Netflix: One
Ava DuVernay devastated audiences in 2019 with her painful yet poignant dramatization of the infamous Central Park jogger case, the stain on the American justice system that saw five Black and Latino teenagers wrongly accused of assaulting and raping a woman in Manhattan in 1989. Their stories remain as timely as ever, and DuVernay’s retelling delivers a uniquely gut-wrenching blend of sobering realism and cinematic sensationalism that should leave practically every viewer moved.
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