I’ve forgotten what it was like to watch on cable TV when Netflix came in. Mostly because Netflix has a lot of great movies (including the ones from the 90s) and the never-ending trend of Netflix Original Series. Not to mention the fact that it’s way easier to watch on the go (literally, even on my commute home from work).
Disclaimer: I still have a lot of pending Netflix Original Series to watch, so I haven’t seen most of the trending ones like The Crown, Money Heist, Ozark, etc. But mostly because it depends on which genre fits my mood at the moment.
Here are some of my favorite Netflix Original Series.
Into The Night (2020—)
Into The Night is honestly one of the quickest Netflix Original Series I’ve watched, and boy does it know how to leave me hanging. If you’re into survival thrillers, this is the one.
It’s definitely not about zombies but to give you a glimpse, the sun literally kills everyone (but not like the burning-type) so the plane passengers have to find a way to hide somewhere. I also love that they included different nationalities and how almost every episode has gripping ethical dilemmas.
Stranger Things (2016—)
Stranger Things follows a group of children who tries to fight off otherworldly forces, set in 1980s Indiana (the same era of Back to the Future, yes). The whole “another dimension” vibe is honestly believable as every solution they come up with is backed by science.
This is one of those series that you’d most probably binge-watch because it’s so addicting. If we’re playing favorites, I’d have to pick Season 3—it’s so fun seeing how much the kids have grown.
Maniac (Limited Series)
Maniac is a psychological sci-fi, which instantly made it one of my favorite Netflix Original Series.
Participants of a pharmaceutical trial must take a pill that allows them to deal with their deepest issues through their dreams. However, two of them—Annie and Owen—mysteriously appear in each other’s dreams despite being complete strangers.
Since we’re watching their dreams, expect a lot of dystopian universes and complex fantasies (think Lord of the Rings) making it 10 times better.
I believe the mental health conditions were also handled delicately, so there’s nothing triggering. Emma Stone and Jonah Hill are amazing together—I didn’t expect them to handle dark humor perfectly.
Russian Doll (2019—)
Nothing like a loop to hook me in an instant. Russian Doll revolves around Nadia, who relives the day she died over and over. It would probably remind you of Happy Death Day or Before I Fall, except this one has more puzzles to decode.
To tell you the truth, I wasn’t really into this show until the middle of season one. The last episode was such a cliffhanger so I’m definitely going to watch season two when it comes out.
Lucifer (2016-2021)
If you have been putting off watching Lucifer, this is your sign. Yes, there are some flawed animations here and there, and the (sometimes) weird cosmic plot making you question what you know about the universe so far, but it stayed true to its detective theme. Plus, Tom Ellis is really, really fun to watch.
It’s funny and puzzling at the same time. Again, you’ll love the character development of everyone. Apart from the crimes, the show also talks a lot about mental health, and you’ll pick up a thing or two from the therapy sessions.
Black Mirror (2011—)
Please don’t binge-watch this Netflix series. Just don’t. Unless you’re like me who was told not to binge-watch this, but did it anyway, then go ahead and watch this in one go.
Black Mirror is set in a dystopian world—a future where modern technology can literally kill us all. You can cherry-pick some of the best episodes if you’d like. One of my favorites is Playtest (Season 3, Episode 2).
Emily in Paris (2020—)
Emily in Paris kind of reminds me of the Devil Wears Prada goes to Paris, if I must say. Emily is a marketing professional from Chicago sent to Paris for an American point of view.
There were a lot of snide remarks about this Netflix series, specifically that it’s not realistic to lure multiple French men as the only American woman around.. unless I guess if you’re as lovely as Lily Collins.
Nonetheless, I still liked this, especially because I’m also handling social media marketing and advertising by profession like Emily (although I can personally say it’s not as easy as it’s portrayed in this series). Feminism and fashion are hard to resist, too.
After Life (2019—)
For a more heavy Netflix series, After Life is a story of a local journalist who recently lost his wife to cancer, and now he’s picking up what’s left of his life wanting to be as apathetic as he could, except that it’s not easy to not care.
Each episode follows mundane lives but that’s what makes it relatable. After Life is also written, produced, and directed by Ricky Gervais, the same local journalist who stars in this Netflix series.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015-2019)
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is about a girl who was kidnapped and trapped in a bunker for 15 years (wow, writing that down sounds very horrible). But I adore the innocence with a dash of rainbows and unicorns of this show.
It’s light and funny but it revolves around the theme of never giving up, which feels good to watch if you need to uplift your spirits. Ellie Kemper (Kimmy) is absolutely amazing.
Love (2016-2018)
Love is about two people—a wild femme fatale and a nice boy-next-door—on their quest of figuring out the twist and turn of relationships.
I’ve loved Gillian Jacobs ever since I first watched her in Community, so this was a no-brainer to watch. Her character, Mickey, is kind of like Community’s Britta with the same angst but nothing goofy whatsoever.
And Bertie (played by Claudia O’Doherty) is so cute and.. cute—definitely one of my favorite female sidekicks. She reminds me of Jess from New Girl with her colors and niceness.
Note that this Netflix Original Series has a lot of sex scenes so better skip it if you’re watching with family.
Lovesick (2014-2018)
Lovesick is fairly light, romantic-comedy-ish that I surprisingly got hooked into. Our main protagonist, Dylan, was diagnosed with chlamydia, so now he has to tell every girl he’s ever slept with for the past two years (I think 20 girls).
We meet each of these ex-lovers in every episode, with a flashback of what went wrong and how it ended. It’s like following them on a trip down memory lane, and the best part is that the stories are something that 20-something people can relate to.
This actually reminded me of my favorite romantic comedy movie, What’s Your Number (but in a more freaky way). And can we talk about how cute Luke is?
Clickbait (Limited Series)
The latest addition to my list of favorite Netflix Original Series—Clickbait. There are only eight episodes so watch it now before you read any spoilers. For your sake, I’m not giving away any.
The “perfect” husband (and father and brother and son) Nick Brewer is abducted with everyone knowing about it when a video of him holding a sign about abusing women goes viral. And here’s the catch: he apparently will die if the video reaches five million views. We follow the police and his family through the investigation in every episode.
Just when you thought you’ve watched enough detective series… I’m screaming inside as I’d love to tell you more about it, but this is definitely one of my favorite whodunnit shows. Anyway, Nick Brewer is played by Adrian Grenier (Nate from The Devil Wears Prada).
Sweet Home (2020—)
Sweet Home follows a troubled teen and his neighbors as they try to survive inside their apartment building—in a world full of monsters.
I don’t really watch K-drama, like ever. But seeing the trailer made me curious because it looked like a zombie series (and I’m really into those). And although it obviously included monsters instead of zombies, I still loved every part of it. The monsters are VERY creepy that you’ll probably have nightmares after. Plus, there’s something about watching people try to survive amidst what seems like doomsday.
What are some of your favorite Netflix Original Series? I’d love to hear your suggestions in the comments below.
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