What to Watch on Netflix: Top TV Series, Movies & More

When you think of Netflix originals, which show pops into your head first? Is it Stranger Things, Squid Game, or Black Mirror? If you haven’t seen these global hits yet, no problem. What to watch on Netflix right now? This article will give you a quick idea of what they’re about, so you can easily decide if they match your taste.

And if you’re on the hunt for something new, something high-quality and worth watching, you won’t be disappointed. From thrillers and dramas to documentaries and underrated gems, there’s something here for everyone.

Trending Now on Netflix

Perhaps you’ve already watched all the classics or masterpieces on Netflix and are now looking for something new. So, what’s new on Netflix? The following is a list of recent rising stars.

Baby Reindeer

• Genre: Black comedy drama / Psychological thriller
• Keywords: Trauma, obsession, stalker, intense
• Main characters: Richard Gadd / Jessica Gunning
• Running time: Around 30 minutes
• Release: 2024
• Episode: 7

It all begins with what seems like a harmless act of kindness, but it quickly spirals into something far more unsettling. Baby Reindeer flips the familiar script, placing a woman in the role of the obsessive stalker and a man as the unraveling victim.

What sets it apart is its refusal to simplify human behavior: viewers may find themselves sympathizing with both the stalker and the victim, blurring traditional lines of guilt and innocence.

With raw, unsettling scenes and an intimate portrayal of emotional unraveling, Baby Reindeer challenges viewers to confront uncomfortable questions about the complex nature of abuse.

Beef

• Genre: Dark comedy / Psychological drama
• Keywords: Rage, ego, identity, spiral
• Main characters: Steven Yeun / Ali Wong
• Running time: Around 30–35 minutes
• Release: 2023
• Episode: 10

One bad day, one middle finger on the freeway, and suddenly, two strangers are locked in an escalating war that’s as ridiculous as it is raw.

It’s a comedy, sure. But beneath the sharp dialogue and wild turns, Beef is quietly unpacking generational trauma, suppressed identity, and the desperation to feel seen.

Steven Yeun and Ali Wong give career-best performances, navigating emotional landmines with unnerving precision. Messy, tense, and painfully human, this is not just a feud; it’s a breakdown in slow motion.

The Night Agent

• Genre: Action thriller / Political drama
• Keywords: Conspiracy, betrayal, secret service, high-stakes
• Main characters: Gabriel Basso / Luciane Buchanan
• Running time: Around 40–55 minutes
• Release: 2023
• Episode: 10
• Based on the novel by: Matthew Quirk

The Night Agent operates in a world where trust is fragile, and silence is survival. Deep beneath the surface of Washington, D.C., a junior FBI agent answers a phone that is never supposed to ring and steps into a conspiracy with deadly consequences.

Each call tightens the noose. Every ally might be a threat. Information becomes leverage, and the wrong word can get you killed.

Adapted from Matthew Quirk’s novel, the series builds its suspense through control and calculation. There are no speeches, no grand gestures. Only pressure, surveillance, and choices made in moments where instinct outruns protocol.

Bridgerton S3

• Genre: Period drama / Romance
• Keywords: Longing, transformation, slow burn, identity
• Main characters: Nicola Coughlan / Luke Newton
• Running time: Around 50-60 minutes
• Release: 2024 (continue to update)
• Episode: 8
• Created by: Chris Van Dusen, based on Julia Quinn’s novels

This season steps into the story of Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton, as friendship begins to shift into something far more complicated.

Season 3 leans into themes of personal reinvention and hidden desire. Penelope sheds the safety of the background while Colin confronts feelings he was never prepared to name.

With its signature mix of elegance, tension, and longing glances across candlelit rooms, Bridgerton continues to deliver a world where social rules are strict, but hearts rarely follow them.

The Diplomat

• Genre: Political drama / Thriller
• Keywords: Crisis management, diplomacy, power dynamics, marriage under pressure
• Main characters: Keri Russell / Rufus Sewell
• Running time: Around 50 minutes
• Release: 2023 – present
• Episodes: 14 (2 seasons)

In The Diplomat, diplomacy is rarely about shaking hands and issuing statements. Behind every press photo lies the cost of holding the world together when your own life is falling apart.

Keri Russell plays a career diplomat suddenly pulled into a major crisis. She’s navigating tense global negotiations, facing pressure from Washington, and managing a marriage that’s quietly crumbling behind the scenes.

This is a drama where the stakes are global, but the emotions feel personal. The dialogue is sharp, the pace deliberate, and every glance or decision can shift the balance of power.

Related: Fresh Picks: The Best New Movies to Stream This Weekend

Best TV Series to Watch on Netflix

Some shows aren’t just good, they’re endlessly rewatchable. Netflix is home to a handful of series that have stood the test of time, drawing viewers back again and again.

Stranger Things (One of the Most Classic Netflix Series)

• Genre: Sci-fi / Supernatural / Coming-of-age
• Keywords: Parallel worlds, 1980s nostalgia, friendship, monsters
• Main characters: Millie Bobby Brown / Finn Wolfhard / David Harbour / Winona Ryder
• Running time: Around 50 minutes
• Release: 2016–present
• Seasons: 4 (Season 5 upcoming)
• Created by: The Duffer Brothers

A small town. A missing boy. Flickering lights. From the very first scene, Stranger Things throws you into a world that feels both familiar and deeply unsettling.

Stranger Things follows a group of kids who uncover a dark government secret and stumble upon an alternate dimension known as the Upside Down. Among them appears a strange girl with a shaved head and no name, carrying powers she can’t fully explain and a past no one wants to talk about.

What begins as a search for a friend quickly becomes a battle for survival.

Squid Game (One of Netflix’s Original Series)

• Genre: Survival thriller / Social drama
• Keywords: Debt, desperation, game, power, morality
• Main characters: Lee Jung-jae / Park Hae-soo / Jung Ho-yeon
• Running time: Around 55 minutes
• Release: 2021
• Episodes: 9

On the surface, Squid Game is a series about people playing games for money. But the stakes are higher than they appear, and the games are not designed for winners.

456 players, all facing crushing debt, are brought together with one promise: competing, and the last person standing takes it all…

You

• Genre: Psychological thriller / Crime drama
• Keywords: Obsession, identity, manipulation, duality
• Main characters: Penn Badgley / Victoria Pedretti / Elizabeth Lail
• Running time: Around 50 minutes
• Release: 2018–present
• Seasons: 4
• Created by: Greg Berlanti, Sera Gamble

Joe Goldberg isn’t your typical villain. He’s quiet and well-mannered, seemingly just a hardworking guy with a love for books. But when someone captures his obsession, he starts watching… At first, he watches them from a distance, then interferes, and eventually takes control.

What begins as a story about romance slowly unravels into a darker tale of obsession and unease.

Black Mirror

• Genre: Psychological thriller / Crime drama
• Keywords: Obsession, identity, manipulation, duality
• Main characters: Penn Badgley, Victoria Pedretti, Elizabeth Lail
• Running time: Around 50 minutes per episode
• Release: 2018–present
• Seasons: 4
• Created by: Greg Berlanti, Sera Gamble

Black Mirror doesn’t ask what technology will become; it asks what we might become when technology gets too close. Each episode drops viewers into a new reality, familiar yet slightly twisted. There’s a world where your social score decides where you live, who you date, and even whether you get on a plane.

The scenarios are fictional, but they hit a nerve because they’re not far from where we already are. What makes the series so addictive is how it turns everyday tech, from your phone, your feed, to your smart home, into something quietly terrifying.

Adolescence (Crime Drama / Psychological)

• Genre: Psychological thriller / Crime drama
• Keywords: Guilt, secrecy, coming of age, blurred morality
• Main characters: Ava Coleman, Lucas Price, Dr. Miriam Lang
• Running time: Around 45–50 minutes per episode
• Release: 2022–present
• Seasons: 2
• Created by: Lena Whitmore, Daniel Kwok

Adolescence starts all quietly. We follow the first scene: suburban streets, ordinary teens, the familiar hum of high school life. But beneath the surface is something darker – a crime that no one wants to talk about.

Teenage crime? Way more than that. How do people react? That’s where the story really kicks in. You could say the show perfectly captures the fragility of identity at the edge of adulthood.

Must-Watch International Series

Netflix’s global reach means some of the best stories come from outside Hollywood. Here are standout international series that have captured audiences worldwide.

Kingdom (South Korea)

• Genre: Historical / Horror / Thriller
• Episodes: 2 seasons, 6 episodes each
• Runtime: About 50 minutes per episode
• Main Cast: Ju Ji-hoon, Bae Doona, Ryu Seung-ryong

Overview: Set in Korea’s Joseon era, a mysterious plague turns people into zombies. A crown prince investigates the outbreak while facing political conspiracies and deadly threats.

When Life Gives You Tangerines (South Korea)

• Genre: Coming-of-age / Drama / Slice of life
• Episodes: 1 season, 10 episodes
• Runtime: About 45–50 minutes per episode
• Main Cast: IU, Park Bo-gum, Park Hae-joon, Moon So-ri

Overview: Set in the quiet countryside of Jeju Island during the early 2000s, the series follows a teenage girl navigating grief, friendships, and first love after the sudden death of her mother.

Through the changing seasons and the annual tangerine harvest, she slowly pieces together what it means to grow up, let go, and find herself again. A gentle, emotionally rich story with nostalgic warmth and subtle beauty.

Alice in Borderland (Japan)

• Genre: Sci-Fi / Thriller / Action
• Episodes: 8 in Season 1, renewed for Season 2
• Runtime: Approximately 40–50 minutes per episode
• Main Cast: Kento Yamazaki, Tao Tsuchiya, Nijirō Murakami

Overview: A group of young people is transported to a parallel Tokyo where they must compete in deadly games to survive and uncover the truth behind their predicament.

Money Heist (La Casa de Papel) (Spain)

• Genre: Crime / Thriller / Drama
• Episodes: 5 Parts (total of around 41 episodes)
• Runtime: Around 40–50 minutes per episode
• Main Cast: Álvaro Morte, Úrsula Corberó, Pedro Alonso

Overview: A mastermind called “The Professor” recruits a group of criminals to pull off the biggest heist in Spanish history – robbing the Royal Mint of Spain. The series mixes high-stakes action with deep character drama.

Sacred Games (India)

• Genre: Crime / Thriller / Drama
• Episodes: 2 seasons
• Runtime: Around 40–50 minutes per episode
• Main Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Radhika Apte

Overview: A Mumbai police officer receives a cryptic tip that sets him on the trail of a powerful crime lord, uncovering layers of corruption, politics, and religion in the process.

Best Netflix Movies

There are also so many good movies to watch on Netflix. Here’s a rough list of what to watch on Netflix movies:

The Irishman – A gripping crime drama directed by Martin Scorsese, exploring decades of loyalty and betrayal within the mob world.

Extraction – An action-packed thriller starring Chris Hemsworth as a black ops mercenary on a deadly mission in Bangladesh.

Enola Holmes – A fun, adventurous take on Sherlock Holmes’ younger sister, played brilliantly by Millie Bobby Brown.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Based on true events, this legal drama dives into the turbulent 1968 protests and the controversial trial that followed.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before – A charming teen romantic comedy that became an instant classic for young audiences.

The Wolf of Wall Street – A fast-paced, outrageous tale of greed and excess, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as infamous stockbroker Jordan Belfort.

Want to know more about different genres of standout movies? Check the list here: Best Movies on Netflix of All Time.

Netflix Anime

Netflix’s anime selection has grown steadily into a diverse collection that goes beyond mainstream titles. It offers a range of styles and stories – nearly all the kinds you’re looking for. Now we are going to introduce you to some of the best anime on Netflix:

Cyber Punk

• Genre: Sci-Fi / Action / Drama
• Keywords: Dystopia, body mods, corporate corruption, tragedy
• Episodes: 10 (1 season)
• Main Voice Cast: Kenichiro Ohashi (JP), Zach Aguilar (EN)

Overview: A street kid in Night City becomes a mercenary to survive in a brutal cyberpunk world. Visually explosive, emotionally devastating.

Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song

• Genre: Sci-Fi / Action / Music
• Keywords: AI, war prevention, time travel, self-awareness
• Episodes: 13 (1 season)
• Main Voice Cast: Atsumi Tanezaki, Jun Fukuyama

Overview: An AI songstress is tasked with rewriting the future by preventing a catastrophic war between humans and machines.

While ‘Vivy: Fluorite Eye’s Song’ is not available on Netflix US, it’s not accessible in some regions, unless you use a VPN. You can easily unlock it with a reliable VPN like LightningX VPN.

Beastars

• Genre: Drama / Psychological / Anthropomorphic
• Keywords: Instinct vs. morality, identity, interspecies romance, social tension
• Episodes: 24 (2 seasons)
• Main Voice Cast: Chikahiro Kobayashi, Yuki Ono

Overview: In a world of civilized animals, a shy wolf battles his predatory instincts after falling in love with a rabbit.

Castlevania

• Genre: Dark Fantasy / Horror / Action
• Keywords: Vampires, revenge, gothic violence, cursed bloodlines
• Episodes: 32 (4 seasons)
• Main Voice Cast: Richard Armitage, James Callis, Alejandra Reynoso

Overview: A vampire hunter and unlikely allies fight to save humanity from Dracula’s wrath in this brutal, gorgeously animated adaptation.

Devilman Crybaby

• Genre: Psychological Horror / Supernatural / Drama
• Keywords: Demons, identity, apocalypse, existential dread
• Episodes: 10 (1 season)
• Main Voice Cast: Koki Uchiyama, Ayumu Murase

Overview: A teenager fused with a demon must battle other devils while confronting what it means to be human.

Dorohedoro

• Genre: Dark Fantasy / Mystery / Action / Black Comedy
• Keywords: Sorcery, amnesia, twisted cities, surreal gore
• Episodes: 12 (1 season) + 6 bonus OVAs
• Main Voice Cast: Wataru Takagi, Reina Kondō

Overview: A man with a lizard head and no memory hunts sorcerers in a bizarre world of violence, magic, and dark humor.

Hidden Gems

Tired of scrolling past the same titles? Try something off the radar. Here are some must-watch hidden gems on Netflix:

1. Rectify

• Genre: Drama / Psychological
• Keywords: Redemption, trauma, small-town life, moral complexity
• Episodes: 4 seasons (30 episodes)

2. Godless

• Genre: Western / Drama / Limited Series
• Keywords: Outlaws, frontier justice, female-led town, revenge
• Episodes: 1 season (7 episodes)

3. Top Boy (UK)

• Genre: Crime / Urban Drama
• Keywords: Gangs, street life, loyalty, poverty, survival
• Episodes: 5 seasons total (including Channel 4 + Netflix revival)

4. Maniac

• Genre: Sci-Fi / Dark Comedy / Psychological
• Keywords: Experimental drug trial, identity, hallucination, alternate realities
• Episodes: 1 season (10 episodes)

5. The OA

• Genre: Sci-Fi / Fantasy / Mystery
• Keywords: Near-death experience, parallel worlds, cult following, missing person
• Episodes: 2 seasons (16 episodes)

Best Documentaries to Watch on Netflix

While often seen as niche, documentaries have quietly built a large and loyal audience on Netflix. They offer something scripted content can’t – direct engagement with the real world, often with the same level of narrative tension and emotional impact.

For viewers looking to shift gears from fiction to fact, documentaries can be an unexpectedly rewarding choice. (See our full list here: Best Documentaries on Netflix: Top Picks)

Free Options

If you’re looking for options beyond Netflix, there are plenty of great streaming services that offer diverse content and unique features. Explore more choices with our guide to Netflix alternatives.