The 50 Best Netflix Original Series, Ranked
With this list, you’ll never have to waste time scrolling through the home page again.
30. Devilman Crybaby
Though this violent one-season anime series certainly isn’t for everyone, fans and critics alike have heralded it a masterpiece. The dark series is a modernized adaptation of Go Nagai’s popular 1970s manga Devilman and is directed by Masaaki Yuasa. Devilman Crybaby follows a high schooler named Akira (Kōki Uchiyama) who discovers that an ancient race of demons hides in plain sight on earth and who is himself soon transformed into a part-demon entity. The series is gorier than its source material, but it’s got a lot on its mind, too; the series tackles issues related to modern-day violence, technology, and sexuality, with some critics calling it an allegory for the LGBTQ+ experience. With striking animation and an infectious soundtrack to boot, the series seems to have instantly found its place in the anime canon.
29. Atypical
Sometimes sitcoms that center on marginalized communities can run the risk of losing their comedic center while they also attempt to educate audiences. Atypical doesn’t have that problem. The coming-of-age series about an autistic teenager named Sam (Keir Gilchrist) is sweet, funny, and honest, with a one-of-a-kind point-of-view. Sam’s parents (Jennifer Jason Leigh and Michael Rapaport) and sister (played by excellent up-and-comer Brigette Lundy-Paine) are given equal screen time and plots that hit hard. The series has also made strides in representing autistic voices, adding several autistic cast and crew members to its second season.
28. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
If anyone can pull off a comedy about a girl who was kidnapped and kept in a bunker re-entering society for the first time, it’s Tina Fey. She and 30 Rock showrunner Robert Carlock created this heavily praised series about a woman (Ellie Kemper as the titular Kimmy) who survives a doomsday cult and moves to New York City to start a new life. The series is perhaps best known for the scene-stealing Titus Andromedon (Titus Burgess), an ever-meme-able gay icon who quickly becomes Kimmy’s roommate. When it comes to some of the darker and more stereotypical humor in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, your mileage may vary, but Kemper’s winning, all-in performance lights up every scene.
27. Marianne
Fair warning: this cult-favorite French horror series is freaky as hell. Emma (Victoire Du Bois) is a horror novelist who’s just written her last genre book, but the characters that haunt the pages of her stories aren’t ready for her to quit on them just yet. When a childhood friend shows up at a book signing with a dire warning, Emma and her companion Camille (Lucie Boujenah) are forced to revisit Emma’s hometown, where some seriously scary stuff is going down. The series title refers to the name of the witch in Emma’s books who can change form and, naturally, is based on a nightmare she had as a child. Whatever you do, don’t watch this one late at night.
26. Easy
Mumblecore writer-director Joe Swanberg has made a career out of indie works that fly under the radar, so it’s no surprise that his Netflix anthology series about love, sex, and modern life never made waves as it deserved to. The three-season series follows a different storyline with each episode (with a few exceptions), and while some are certainly better than others, the self-contained structure leads to plenty of opportunity for depth and wry humor. Neurotic types, free spirits, artists, and lovers all cross paths in Swanberg’s universe, while guest stars including Zazie Beetz, Marc Maron, Orlando Bloom, and Aubrey Plaza (a random sampling chosen from dozens of greats) stretch their acting chops in roles that are often understated and surprising.
25. Marvel’s Daredevil
The original Marvel TV universe outing established a formula that made future shows in its mini-verse (Jessica Jones, Luke Cage) work, namely by presenting a darker and dingier — but no less witty and action-packed — corner of an up-until-then fairly light comic universe. Charlie Cox may be the show’s greatest strength as a version of blind lawyer Matt Murdock who’s worthy of wearing the vigilante’s cowl, while Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson round out the crime-fighting team. Meanwhile, Vincent D’Onofrio is epically great as crime lord Wilson Fisk. Within the neverending web of flashy Marvel content, Daredevil still stands out as a high point in measured writing and acting.
24. Castlevania
While Castlevania may not be the first show that comes to mind when you think of Netflix, the animated series has already found a place in history, becoming the first video game adaptation to ever garner a “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The popular program follows the plotline of the 1989 NES game Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse, while the third season uses elements from a different entry in the franchise. In the series, vampire hunter Trevor Belmont (voiced by Richard Armitage) teams up with a magician and a half-vamp to take down Vlad Dracula Tepes (Graham McTavish), a vampire who’s gone vicious after the death of his wife. With rich animation, intense action, and bloody good lore, Castlevania is one of the greatest animated series Netflix has to offer.
23. Elite
The Spanish-language love child of The OC, Cruel Intentions, and How To Get Away With Murder, Elite is peak guilty pleasure viewing. The private school set mystery series is soapy, sure, but it’s also an addictive good time, overflowing with trysts, secrets, murder, and class warfare. The characters, while occasionally stupid in the way teen show protagonists are, are also a mostly enjoyable bunch, their desires and insecurities acted out in a believable and sometimes touching way. Every network deserves a good melodrama, and Elite is at the top of its class.
22. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
Every shot of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is like a perfect pastel-neon painting. The reboot of the 1980s She-Ra series isn’t all about the aesthetic — it’s about young women finding their power and working towards unity — but the dazzling animated visuals can’t hurt. Graphic novelist Noelle Stevenson (Nimona, Lumberjanes) developed the series, whose hero Adora (voiced by Aimee Carrero) is an orphan instilled with the power of a magic sword she found in the woods. Like The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, this series involves a team of young heroes who choose to fight for good as they attempt to stop a despot from corrupting the world. An ideal hero’s journey for fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender and Steven Universe, She-Ra and the Princess of Power will air its fifth and final season this year.
21. Grace and Frankie
Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin are precious cultural icons, and together, they’re basically comedy superheroes. This series, created by Friends’ Martha Kauffman, takes a high-concept premise and sticks with it until it grows into something lovely. When Grace (Fonda) and Frankie (Tomlin) are both left by their husbands — best friends of 30 years who have fallen in love with each other — the two very different women must pick up the pieces of their lives, together. The show possesses a rare and authentic insight into the full and varied lives people of a certain age live, painting an image of older women who are still learning, loving, and growing. The duos’ ex-husbands, Sol (Sam Waterson) and Robert (Martin Sheen) are written with just as much generosity and care. With six seasons under its belt, Grace and Frankie is one of the longest-running Netflix series that’s still a fan favorite.
