Top 10 best Netflix shows to watch now (Part 3/5)

2/6/2021

There are so many shows on Netflix that it’s hard to decide what to watch. Luckily, we’ve done the hard work for you and compiled a list of the top 10 best Netflix shows to watch now based on ratings and popularity of the shows.

As a bonus, we’ve included trailers for each show (many of which are available on youtube), so you can check them out before committing to watching the whole series. This is part 3 out of 5 articles for the top 50 shows on Netflix.

The list was determined by analyzing the ratings and popularity of the shows on IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes, Netflix, and Amazon, so it is as accurate as possible. Let's start with the first 10 in this blogs. There is a total of 50 shows that you may be interested. Keep a look out for future posts!

The OA (2016-2019)

From the minds of Britt Marling and Zal Batmanglij, The OA has it all: mystery, sci-fi, the supernatural and even a dash of fantasy for good measure. We follow Prairie, a young woman who reappears after being missing for seven years. She used to be blind, but not anymore! Now she calls herself the OA and she sweeps a host of Midwestern locals of all ages and backgrounds into her dimension-hopping mission to save lives. Sadly, Netflix cancelled The OA after season 2, but this big, inventive and human sci-fi is still well worth taking a look at.

Travelers (2016-2018)

Full disclosure: Netflix sadly canceled Travelers after its third season, but this tightly-plotted sci-fi out of Canada does manage to end with an ambitious bang. We start with Marcy, a disabled woman who's beaten up after helping a friend escape thugs. She dies -- then comes back to life. This strong character-driven sci-fi reveals its secrets in clever ways, following operatives from the future tasked with preventing the collapse of society, but also navigating the tricky territory of living a double life.

Black Mirror (2011—)

While Charlie Brooker's bleak tech anthology series can be hit and miss, at its best, Black Mirror packs its mini-movies with an exploration of futuristic technological ideas through painfully human stories. One of those is San Junipero, following two women in the '80s (cue banging soundtrack) as they fall for each other in ways they couldn't do in their "real" lives outside the beach city. The tech aspect is revealed with genius timing and, in general, the show explores the consequences of our plugged-in lives in disturbing and occasionally uplifting ways.

The Queen's Gambit (2020)

How do you make chess the thrilling centerpiece of a coming-of-age tale? You shake it into a cocktail of stylish visuals, a rocking '60s soundtrack and the magnetic Anya Taylor-Joy as Beth Harmon, one of the youngest (and few female) chess players in the world. The fictional story in The Queen's Gambit, named after a chess opening, follows her rise from an orphanage to toppling the best players in the world -- as long as her drug addiction and bags of wine bottles don't get in the way.

Unorthodox (2020)

This miniseries is based on a memoir and told primarily in Yiddish with painstaking detail. Almost a thriller, Unorthodox follows 19-year-old Esty Shapiro, who escapes her arranged marriage in an ultra-Orthodox community in Brooklyn. She ends up in Berlin, exploring a new life outside the strict beliefs she grew up in, but her community doesn't let go that easily. Featuring a stunning performance from Shira Haas, Unorthodox lets you take a step into a relentlessly compelling world.

13 Reasons Why (2017-2020)

The first season of this YA show stuck most closely to its source material, a novel by Jay Asher that revolves around a teenage girl's suicide. Hannah Baker leaves behind a box of cassettes, which her thoughtful friend Clay Jensen listens to to find out why she chose to take her life. This is deep stuff, dealt with in confronting ways (at one time deemed too confronting), but the social issues like suicide, sexual assault and mental health are handled maturely. A high school drama through fragile, lost young adults draws you in and doesn't let go.

Godless (2017)

This miniseries carves itself firmly into the Western genre, with a female-led cast boasting Merritt Weaver and Downton Abbey's Michelle Dockery. With its 1880s New Mexico vistas swirling around it, Godless draws up the violence in a tale that sees an outlaw on the run from his boss seek refuge with an outcast widower. Oh, Jeff Daniels is in this too, if the show wasn't enticing enough.

The Crown (2016—)

Sumptuous is one word to describe the production values of The Crown's drama about the British monarchy. Following Queen Elizabeth II's life, starting in her 20s with a powerhouse performance from Claire Foy, The Crown captures the grand workings of historical events from deep within Buckingham Palace. Figures like Winston Churchill, Princess Margaret, Margaret Thatcher and more are treated with the highest cinematic sophistication. A fifth and sixth season are on their way to round out your knowledge of the Queen's reign into the early 21st century.

Shadow and Bone (2021—)

Netflix's vault of young adult fantasies is bulging at this point, but Shadow and Bone makes this list as the cream of the crop. While our hero Alina Starkov hits the conventional Chosen One story beats, rising up the ranks of the magical Grisha army as she discovers her powers, you'll find a ton of world-building and rich supporting characters. Ben Barnes' General Kirigan is a standout as the morally questionable and powerful Darkling. At the center of the piece is the Shadow Fold, a stretch of dangerous landing splitting the kingdom of Ravka down the middle. It's up to Alina and General Kirigan to bring it down once and for all. Eight hours of peak young adult fantasy await you.

Lupin (2021—)

If you enjoyed Money Heist, then meet Lupin, another non-English language show with a propulsive action-packed story. This time we're in France, where professional thief Assane Diop enacts his revenge mission on the man responsible for his father's death. Inspired by a book about gentleman thief Arsène Lupin, Assane uses disguises, thieving know-how and a good dose of charisma to expose the wealthy and powerful Hubert Pellegrini's crimes.