77 best Netflix shows to stream right now in March 2024 - Tom's Guide
Even with all of its issues, this ever-growing list of the best Netflix shows is a key reason why Netflix stays high on our best streaming services list. Even when they lose something, a new title joins the ranks.
Netflix original shows are some of the most talked-about, buzziest titles in television — ranging from "Stranger Things" and "Wednesday" to "Bridgerton" and "Squid Game."
Want to make the most of your account? You might want to check out our Netflix hacks: 7 tips and tricks for saving money if you're feeling like Netflix costs too darn much after the price increase. You can also check out Netflix's secret codes that can unlock new categories for you.
Best Netflix shows: New picks
'Scott Pilgrim Takes Off'
"Scott Pilgrim" fans were delighted to finally see a proper anime adaptation of Bryan Lee O'Malley's massively popular graphic novel series with the same actors from the live-action adaptation.
It starts off much like the original story, introducing slacker Scott (Michael Cera), who's dating high schooler Knives Chau (Ellen Wong) until he meets the girl of his dreams: Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). Things are moving fast with Flowers until Pilgrim is met with the shocking realization that he'll have to defeat his new girlfriend's seven evil exes, led by Gideon Graves (Jason Schwartzman) if they're going to continue dating.
And that would normally be where the story ends – except this version adds another Ramona-focused layer to the story that fans will be shocked and delighted to explore. No spoilers here, but this is "Scott Pilgrim" like you've never seen it before. - BV
Stars: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ellen Wong, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, Anna Kendrick, Aubrey Plaza, Jason Schwartzman
Seasons: 1 season (8 episodes)
Year: 2023
Genre: Animation, Comedy
Rotten Tomatoes score: 81%
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Best Netflix shows: Dramas
The Fall of the House of Usher
Mike Flanagan has delivered another handful of spine-tingling tale, this one based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe. The miniseries follows siblings Roderick and Madeline Usher in several timelines. As elders, they are the fictionalized version of the real-life Sacklers — ruthless owners of a pharmaceutical company that profited off an opioid that has caused many deaths. Pursued by investigators for decades, they've managed to evade prosecution. But when Roderick's six children begin dying, the Ushers find control over their empire slipping.
Cast: Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Mary McDonnell, Henry Thomas
Seasons: 1
Year: 2023
Genre: Horror drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
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Lupin
Need a getaway and a thrill? Then it's time to tag along with Assane Diop, a thief inspired by the fictional 'gentleman thief' Arsène Lupin. Diop's whole life has been a series of moments where he saw his family being poorly treated by the rich. So he does what all daring menaces to high society do: set out for revenge. His target? The art, jewels and cash owned by the wealthy.
Cast: Omar Sy, Ludivine Sagnier, Clotilde Hesme
Seasons: 3
Year: 2021
Genre: Crime drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
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The Crown
Claire Foy and Matt Smith (Doctor Who) garnered praise from critics and audiences alike for their portrayals of Queen Elizabeth II and Philip the Duke of Edinburgh in the first two seasons of The Crown that made it a must for our list of best Netflix shows. The Crown season 5, which added Elizabeth Debicki and Dominic West as Diana and Charles, just arrived, and has us excited for The Crown season 6, its final run.
Season 6 will add Ed McVey as Prince William, Meg Bellamy as Kate Middleton and Luther Ford as Prince Harry.
Cast: Olivia Colman, Claire Foy, Vanessa Kirby
Seasons: 6
Year: 2016–present (ongoing)
Genre: Drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
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Better Call Saul
With Better Call Saul season six's recent arrival, one of the best shows on Netflix (heck, one of the best shows of the last decade) is finally complete. Originally airing last year on AMC — where cord-cutters couldn't get it — Better Call Saul is one of Tom's Guide's favorite shows in recent memory. So, if you've never started Better Call Saul, now's the perfect time.
This Breaking Bad prequel/spinoff focuses on slick, shady lawyer Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk), but it begins back when he's small-time lawyer Jimmy McGill — who doesn't work with or for the drug cartels yet. While the series takes its moments showing moments "after" Breaking Bad, it's all about the moments that send McGill into the wrong side of the law.
While co-star Rhea Seehorn, who plays Jimmy's friend and colleague Kim Wexler, wasn't one of the original main cast members, her performance became central to the series.
Cast: Bob Odenkirk, Rhea Seehorn, Michael McKean, Jonathan Banks
Seasons: 6
Year: 2015–2022
Genre: Drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
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Maid
If you haven't seen Maid, but can enjoy TV when it's rivetingly tense, you need to open your eyes to one of the best shows on Netflix. Alex (Margaret Qualley, in the performance of a lifetime), is trying to escape an emotionally abusive relationship with her husband Sean (Nick Robinson), and take her young daughter (Rylea Neveah Whittet) with her.
And she does so in the middle of the night, in the first of many chaotic moments. Trying to make it on her own, Alex struggles to find work, and has to settle for being a maid. Her mother Paula (Andie MacDowell, Qualley's real-life mother) doesn't help at all, as she's the most unstable person in this story, and often takes Sean's side.
Maid swings back and forth between heartwarming energy and bleak moments that will make it difficult to binge. That said, I somehow actually watched it all in a weekend, and came out the other side amazed. I'm hoping we get more like this from Netflix some day. – Henry T. Casey
Cast: Margaret Qualley, Andie MacDowell, Nick Robinson, Raymond Ablack, Billy Burke, Rylea Neveah Whittet, Anika Noni Rose, BJ Harrison
Seasons: 1 (10 episodes)
Year: 2021
Genre: Drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
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You
It's time to meet You, your next guilty pleasure binge watch. A thrilling drama, You is the talk of social media these days thanks to how much the show plays with our own addictions to Instagram and other apps. It focuses on a bookstore manager named Joe, who falls in love with/stalks the heck out of Beck (Elizabeth Lail), a grad student. One of the best shows on Netflix, and one with a strong following, You season 4 is currently on break, as Part 1 arrived on February 10, 2023, and You season 4 part 2 arrives on March 10, 2023.
Cast: Victoria Pedretti, Penn Badgley, Elizabeth Lail
Seasons: 4
Year: 2018–2023 (ongoing)
Genre: Drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
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Squid Game
Korean thriller/drama Squid Game has captured Netflix in a nine-episode run that has everyone asking questions left and right. The series revolves around chauffeur Seong Gi-hun, who is broke and finds himself involved in a mysterious series of children's games run by masked guards, for a ₩45.6 billion prize. Squid Game is one of the best shows on Netflix not just for how well it's made, but for how its intriguing cast of characters will send you rooting for people you might not have before. Squid Game season 2 is confirmed, and we can't wait.
Cast: Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Jung Ho-yeon, O Yeong-su
Seasons: 1 season (9 episodes)
Year: 2021 – ongoing
Genre: Thriller/drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
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Ginny and Georgia
Young parents often lead to dramatic lives, and such is the case with Georgia Miller, who's ended her years of a nomadic lifestyle only to find more chaos. Her daughter, 15-year-old Ginny, can't escape her mother's past either. A second season of this popular series — often ranked in the top shows on Netflix — is inevitable, as it ended on a cliffhanger built for more stories. And Ginny and Georgia season 3 is to be confirmed.
Cast: Brianne Howey, Antonia Gentry, Diesel La Torraca, Scott Porter, Sara Waisglass
Seasons: 2
Year: 2021 – Present
Genre: Drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 68%
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From Scratch
This cross-cultural love story is half cute, lighthearted romp and half serious, tear-jerking drama. Amy (Zoe Saldaña) is a college dropout pursuing her artistic dreams in Florence, Italy. There, she meets and falls in love with handsome Sicilian chef Lino (Eugenio Mastrandrea). After a whirlwind romance, Lino follows Amy to Los Angeles to turn their fling into a real relationship, with all the attendant complexities involving families and careers. Still, their passion for each other prevails — until a health crisis completely upends their lives.
Cast: Zoe Saldaña, Eugenio Mastrandrea, Danielle Deadwyler, Keith David, Lucia Sardo
Seasons: 1 (8 episodes)
Year: 2022
Genre: Romantic drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
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Cobra Kai
Yes, almost unbelievably, Cobra Kai — the Karate Kid spin-off show that debuted on YouTube Premium and is now on Netflix — is great. The series stays rooted to the original concept and characters, beginning with Johnny Lawrence re-opening the Cobra Kai dojo as a way to try and right his erring ways. Meanwhile, Daniel LaRusso may be thriving professionally, but he's still dealing with the absence of Mr. Miyagi. It's been announced that Cobra Kai season 6 will be the final season of the series, but spinoffs are already rumored.
Cast: Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Courtney Henggeler, Xolo Maridueña
Seasons: 5
Year: 2018 – 2022 (ongoing)
Genre: Comedy/drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%
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The Queen's Gambit
Believe it or not, chess is en vogue once more. In The Queen's Gambit, Anya Taylor-Joy (Emma) stars as Beth Harmon, a prodigious master of the chessboard who wants to be the very best in the world. Not only does Taylor-Joy captivate on-screen, but this is a beautifully shot show that's already earned think-pieces about its gorgeously designed spaces.
Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Bill Camp, Marielle Heller
Seasons: 1 (7 episodes)
Year: 2020
Genre: Drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
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Money Heist (La Casa de Papel)
If you're looking for an intense and action-packed crime series, check out the greatest heists this side of Danny Ocean. The beautifully-shot series tracks the crews led by The Professor, who aims to take rob the Royal Mint of Spain and the Bank of Spain. This Spanish-language show zigs and zags all over the place, with flash-backs and time jumps to keep you on your toes. You even have to be concerned with the ol' "unreliable narrator" conceit, which adds even more intrigue. The series just ended, so you can binge it all now!
Cast: Úrsula Corberó, Álvaro Morte, Itziar Ituño, Pedro Alonso
Seasons: 2 seasons (in 5 parts)
Year: 2017 - 2021
Genre: Crime
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%
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Ozark
For us, at first, Ozark suffered from what I like to call "Didn't we just watch this?" Syndrome. Jason Bateman and Laura Linney star as "Marty" and Wendy Byrde, who get into the dark, seedy underworld to make ends meet. While early reviews were mixed, season 3 gives a giant stage for Laura Linney to thrive on screen. One of the biggest shows ending in 2022, Ozark is without a doubt one of the best shows on Netflix.
Cast: Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, Julia Garner
Seasons: 4
Year: 2017–2022
Genre: Crime drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 81%
Watch now
Mindhunter
Thought we had enough crime dramas? Think again. Mindhunter brought cinema-quality visuals and strong character development to the genre, and took us back in crime to the 1970s as police began to track serial killers. Excellent acting and moody writing help make it one of the best Netflix series. Frustratingly, Mindhunter has apparently been put on an indefinite hiatus, so we don't know if or when season 3 will happen.
Cast: Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, Anna Torv
Seasons: 2
Year: 2017–2019
Genre: Crime drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
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Peaky Blinders
The first five seasons of Peaky Blinders has spanned a decade of crime drama in Birmingham, England. The series, driven by Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later) starring as the upwardly criminal Tommy Shelby, started off slow but currently moves at a breakneck pace. And Peaky Blinders the show is finally over, as season 6 just hit Netflix. A movie is to follow.
Cast: Cillian Murphy, Tom Harper, Iddo Goldberg
Seasons: 6
Year: 2013–2022
Genre: Crime drama
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Watch now
Breaking Bad
Breaking Bad is a story about disease, drugs, family, profit, power and much, much more. High school chemistry teacher Walter White needs money for his cancer treatment, and realizes he can profit from scientific know-how by cooking meth. Breaking Bad is not just one of the best Netflix shows, but one of the top series ever.
Cast: Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, RJ Mitte
Seasons: 5
Year: 2008–2013
Genre: Drama/Crime
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
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Best Netflix shows: Comedies
Never Have I Ever
This funny, sharp, heartwarming coming-of-age dramedy is what we need right now. Co-created by Mindy Kaling and inspired by her own upbringing, Never Have I Ever focuses on the very charming Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), an Indian-American high school sophomore who's trying to have a normal American teen experience.
Never Have I Ever ended its run in excellent fashion, with a heartfelt finale. We rarely see show depict the end of high school as well as NHIE just did.
Cast: Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Poorna Jagannathan, Ramona Young
Seasons: 4
Year: 2020 - 2023
Genre: Comedy
Rotten Tomatoes score: 87%
Watch now
Insecure
Yes, Netflix has an HBO show. It's a weird world right now, but audiences are winning here. Issa Rae's Insecure is both her and on Max, meaning more people that ever can meet long-time friends Issa (Issa Rae) and Molly (Yvonne Orji), and watch them struggle through their late 20's.
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