Streaming services are known for having award-worthy series but also plenty of duds. Our guide to the best TV shows on Netflix is updated weekly to help you know which series you should move to the top of your queue. They aren’t all surefire winners—we love a good less-than-obvious gem—but they’re all worth your time, trust us.
Feel like you’ve already watched everything on this list that you want to see? Try our guide to the best movies on Netflix for more options. And if you’ve already completed Netflix and are in need of a new challenge, check out our picks for the best shows on Hulu and the best shows on Disney+. Don’t like our picks or want to offer suggestions of your own? Head to the comments below.
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City of Shadows
This Spanish crime thriller plays with a lot of genre conventions—a disgraced cop, Milo Malart (Isak Férriz), forced to prove himself again; the frosty relationship with a new female partner, Rebeca Garrido (Verónica Echegui), brought in from another department; a maze of clues and conspiracy elements—but gets a distinct twist thanks to its Barcelona setting. When a series of ritualistic murders spreads across the city, seemingly tied to the architecture of Antoni Gaudí, the city itself becomes a character in a sprawling and increasingly bizarre case. The English-dubbed version leaves a lot to be desired, but the original Spanish audio and English subtitles are available, and make for the perfect way to enjoy this twisty, pulpy limited series.
Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft
Bridging the gap between the modern Tomb Raider prequel games and the events of the original 1990s outings, The Legend of Lara Croft finds the iconic treasure hunter (voiced by Hayley Atwell) still growing into her role as a globe-trotting adventurer. Grappling with her own traumatic past while forging bonds with vital allies, this animated outing finds Lara searching for ancient artifacts with a personal connection to her own family, and hunting down powerful masks that channel world-changing powers. Throw in a few encounters with meddling spirits and angry gods, and Lara’s in for some of the toughest battles of her life—and this is a woman who’s canonically fought T-rexes armed only with a pair of pistols. A must-watch for fans of the games, and an action-packed thrill ride even for those who’ve never picked up a controller in their life.
Stranger Things
After what feels like a thousand years trapped in the Upside Down (although in reality only three and a half), Stranger Things is back for its fifth and final season. Following the reality-tearing events of Stranger Things 4, the residents of Hawkins are now under military quarantine, but not everyone is taking it laying down. Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) is secretly training her powers, aided by adoptive parents Hopper (David Harbour) and Joyce (Winona Ryder), while Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), and the rest of the adventuring party are organizing an underground movement to hunt down demonic big-bad Vecna. But when Mike's young sister Holly (Nell Fisher) is dragged into the Upside Down by a Demogorgon, it raises one major question—just why was Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) kidnapped at the very start of the show, instigating the wave of horror that's consumed Hawkins since? The full eight-episode season is being released in three blocks—the first four are out now, three more arrive on December 25, and the overall finale lands on New Year's Eve—but the ultimate end of Stranger Things is off to a strong start.
The Beast in Me
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