The 40 best Netflix series to watch right now
This week: Dive into some coming-of-age classics from Heartstopper to Skins and Stranger Things
GQ's best Netflix series guide is updated weekly.
Look, we’ve all been there: settling in for a night on the sofa, a dinner losing heat by the second on our laps as we scroll aimlessly through Netflix trying to find something to watch, our eyes glazing over as the little TV series icons zip past one by one. It’s classic choice paralysis — when there’s so much at your fingertips, where do you even begin?
At this point, Netflix basically has anything to suit your needs, whether it’s sports documentaries that make you feel like you aren’t slowly becoming one with the cushions around you, or true crime shows that will compel you to triple-check the locks on your doors before you go to sleep.
To save you some trouble, we’ve put together a definitive list of the best Netflix series, whether it’s brand new and you fancy being ahead of the curve or it’s that show you absolutely know you should have watched by now but, you know, life, man. Looking for a list of the best new arrivals to Netflix UK in June 2024? Look no further.
New this week: Dive into some coming-of-age classics from Heartstopper to Skins and Stranger Things. And if you're more into Amazon Prime, Apple+ or Disney Plus, then check out our guides.
Courtesy of Netflix1/40Stranger Things
If you've not seen Stranger Things, the prospect of getting stuck in right now probably feels a bit daunting – like starting Game of Thrones in 2024 or posting your first TikTok. The upside down? Human experimentation labs? All those weird haircuts? But listen, don't be put off. You're on your own journey and this thrilling, 1980s-set sci-fi is well worth a watch. You can watch Stranger Things on Netflix.
2/40Skins
Before Euphoria, before Heartstopper, before Sex Education or whatever coming-of-age TV show that's your most recent fave, there was Skins – the influential 2000s British drama series that made Bristol look like the epicentre of hedonism. Sex, drink, drugs, eating disorders, mental health issues…. Skins tackled it all. It was also a hit factory of-sorts, birthing the likes of Dev Patel, Daniel Kaluuya, Hannah Murray, Kaya Scodelario and a post-About a Boy Nicolas Hoult. You can watch Skins on Netflix.
Netflix3/40Heartstopper
When Heartstopper first came out, it was (and is) one of a kind: a sweet but engaging LGBTQ coming-of-age tale based in Britain that didn't feel too doomy or bleak. Now approaching to its third season, its creator promises a much more grown-up, steamier (!), sort of show in line with its characters getting older and getting to know themselves. Fortunately, if you haven't seen it or you need a refresher, you've got until October to catch up. You can watch Heartstopper on Netflix.
4/40Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult
Dancing for the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult, the new series from filmmaker Derek Doneen, feels a lot closer to home than your average cult documentary. Told from the perspective of former members who’ve just left a group called 7M Management (as in, they literally left during filming), alongside concerned family members of those involved, the three-part show dives into a group of TikTok dancers who are alleged to be under the control of a man called Robert Shinn. You can watch Dancing for the Devil on Netflix.
5/40Eric
Benedict Cumberbatch is so back, baby. In Eric, he takes on a genre that Netflix has made its bread and butter in the crime thriller, portraying a children's entertainer whose kid goes missing in dark, dank ‘80s New York. (Think Tim Burton’s Gotham, or New York in an early Martin Scorsese movie.) It's a great demonstration of his eminent acting chops — if anyone forgot that Cumberbatch is very, very good at what he does — with a brilliant ensemble cast: Girls' Gaby Hoffman, Ozark's McKinley Belcher III and newcomer Ivan Morris Howe put in great shifts in a mystery cloaked by manhole steam. You can watch Eric on Netflix.
6/40Beef
Not seen Beef? Stop what you’re doing now – I don't care if you're at work – and get stuck into the best TV show to come out of last year (there's a reason it scooped up so many awards). The comedy-drama-thriller (it's everything) begins with a road rage incident between two people (played by Amy Lau and Danny Cho) who, as you slowly find out, have their own reasons for being so angry and pent up. The incident spirals out of control, gaining a life of its own over 10 episodes, until the whole thing culminates in a wild, unexpected and oddly touching finale. You can watch Beef on Netflix.
© 2022 Netflix, Inc.7/40You
Most of us have internet stalked someone at least once: a partner’s ex, someone you’re going on a date with, that person from primary school who you randomly thought of in the middle of night and then couldn’t sleep until you found out what they look like now. But Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley) in You takes internet stalking to, er, frighteningly psychopathic levels that even the most “that's valid” among us would baulk at. The thriller series – which is addictive as much as it's absurd – is said to be tying up its fifth and final season this year, so why not catch up or revisit its first four outings? You can watch You on Netflix.
8/40Big Boys
It’s been a while since we’ve had a good British sitcom to sink our teeth into, but Big Boys, which just tied up its second season, more than delivers. Starring Dylan Llewellyn and Jon Pointing as two unlikely friends (ones a proper lad, the other's a shy, closeted gay guy) who've been thrown together at uni in 2013, Big Boys achieves that perfect balance between 'laugh out loud' funny and ‘could actually cry’ emotional. You can watch Big Boys on Netflix.
Netflix9/40The Queen’s Gambit
2020 was a weird year for, er, a lot of reasons, which meant that a lot of us were watching waaay more TV than we might usually. To that end, we don’t blame you if you missed out on The Queen’s Gambit, the Anya Taylor-Joy-fronted limited series about a chess champion that you can’t help but get behind. Refreshingly original and riveting in the same way a crime thriller might be, The Queen’s Gambit deserved every one of its 11 Emmy Awards. Luckily, you can steam the whole thing online! You can watch The Queen’s Gambit on Netflix.
10/40Carol and the End of the World
You don't know what you've got until it's gone, or so the old saying goes. With a meteor hurtling towards the Earth which will end life as we know it, Carol and the End of the World takes that timeless adage to its extreme. With time ticking down to oblivion, Carol, a shy middle-aged cat-woman type, is one of a rare few who isn't struck with sudden inspiration to go out and do. And honestly, she makes some points. Who could be arsed, really? Is it vital that I go out and join a pottery club because of impending Armageddon; should I skydive just because everyone is going to be blown to bits in two months? It's a sentiment shared by the series, which teems with poignant rumination on how we divine meaning from our lives. It's also quite frightening because of the apocalyptic stuff but don't let that put you off. You can watch Carol and the End of the World on Netflix.
11/40Orange is the New Black
Netflix's opening salvo in the original programming game came in 2013: House of Cards and Orange is the New Black, two bonafide drama hits that would cement Netflix's place in the content zeitgeist, changing the TV landscape for good. With its diverse ensemble, political consciousness and ample deployment of Natasha Lyonne — before it was cool!! — Orange has aged especially well, the humanist story of a woman's prison with community at its core. Worth a rewatch. You can watch Orange is the New Black on Netflix.
Netflix12/40A Man in Full
It's been a while since we've had a good, meaty mini-series to sink our teeth into, so A Man in Full, from David E. Kelly (Big Little Lies, Anatomy of a Scandal) couldn't have come at a better time. Based on a 1998 novel of the same name, the new drama focuses on an Atlanta real estate tycoon, Charlie Croker (Jeff Daniels), who has to claw his way back to the top when his empire begins to crumble. Imagine Selling Sunset meets Succession, but set in the late '90s. You can watch A Man in Full on Netflix.
Netflix13/40The 8 Show
If you’re missing slickly-produced dystopian dramas about people doing insane, extreme things for cash, then new Korean drama The 8 show could be just the ticket. The premise is as follows: eight financially desperate participants enter a game show where they must be trapped in an eight-story building and earn money as time passes. Obviously, though, it's not as simple as that, and grotesque, violent shenanigans follow. “The series is about the formation of power dynamics that arise when a small society is created," director Han Jae-rim said at a press conference. You can watch The 8 Show on Netflix.
LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX14/40Bridgerton
The Ton's next social season has landed. As with the last two seasons, this time we'll be planting our flag with another Bridgerton sibling, Colin (Luke Newton), and his friends-to-enemies-to-lovers relationship with Penelope (Nicola Coughlan), who is secretly the town's chief gossip, Lady Whistledown. As ever in this costume drama for people who don’t like costume dramas, you can expect heavy breathing beneath corsets, plenty of turns around the garden, stolen snogs and more. You can watch Bridgerton on Netflix.
15/40Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal
Imagine being married to your husband or wife for decades only to spot their name on a leaked list of those signed up to Ashley Madison, a dating site whose tagline is “Life is short. Have an affair.” Or, on the flip side, imagine that you low-key had an affair only for your pictures, real name and details to be leaked to literally everyone, including your boss. That’s what this new three-part Netflix docuseries is about: how the site came to be hacked, why their cybersecurity was even hackable in the first place and the mammoth fallout that inevitably followed. You can watch Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal on Netflix.
16/40The Asunta Case
When two divorced parents report their 12-year-old daughter missing, the police assume it must have been a random kidnapping. However, as unexpected details, odd shreds of evidence and unanswered questions begin to mount, suspicion turns to the parents, who perhaps aren’t as regular as they originally appeared. Though The Asunta Case looks like a docuseries, it’s actually a drama mini series based on real life events that you'll have a hard time wrapping your mind around. You can watch The Asunta Case on Netflix.
17/40Bodkin
It’s been over a decade since the world got hooked on This American Life’s Serial and then, like a gateway drug, essentially didn't stop eating up true crime podcasts thereafter. Described as a “post-Serial story”, this darkly funny new seven-part thriller Bodkin centres on a motley crew of podcasters who descend on a small Irish village in the hopes of unpacking the mystery behind several unsolved disappearances from 25 years ago. What they discover is – you guessed it – much more than they bargained for. You can watch Bodkin on Netflix.
18/40Obituary
In a small Irish town, a young woman who is, for some reason, obsessed with death lands her dream job: an obituarist for the local newspaper. Except, when she runs out of interesting deaths to write about, she starts, er, murdering the locals. Fair enough, really, when you consider that she gets paid €200 per obit. It’s a darkly funny premise for an even funnier TV show that’s definitely worth a watch if you’re a fan of other black comedies done well, like Bad Sisters and The Dry. You can watch Obituary on Netflix.
19/40Trust Me
Amid the collective trauma that was the pandemic, it can be easy to forget that, even before 2020, the medical profession was rife with adrenaline, high-stress situations and more of a dark side than the moon itself. In Trust Me, a British anthology series that was first released via the BBC in 2017, the story of medical professional Cath Hardacre (Jodie Whittaker) unfurls like a gritty crime thriller. If you love a dark and twisty turny mystery, but can’t stomach another yet dose of copaganda, then Trust Me might just do the trick. Fortunately, Netflix has just uploaded two seasons of the show to the platform. You can watch Trust Me on Netflix.
20/40Files of the Unexplained
UFOs. Ghosts. Sasquatch. Netflix has got into a reasonably consistent habit of dropping a new docuseries unpacking the strangest, most absurd mysteries in recent human memory — it's kind of an off-shoot from the whole true-crime obsession that they've savvily capitalised on over the last few years. Files of the Unexplained is their latest bite at the paranormal cherry, centring on an alleged alien abduction in America's Deep South, that government UFO conspiracy that set the world alight for about five minutes last year, and other such stories that exist on the tantalising fringes of credibility. Proper good Sunday afternoon fodder. You can watch Files of the Unexplained on Netflix.
Alamy21/40Life on Mars
The world of crime procedurals is crammed and quickly running out of USPs (forensic bone specialists, anyone?), but Life on Mars, the shortlived BBC series from 2006 managed to weave something entirely new: what if a present-day policeman randomly woke up back in 1973 and had to solve crimes? A bizarre premise, sure, but one that works. While trying to figure out whether he's mad, in some sort of coma or has found a wormhole in the space-time continuum, our lead copper (John Simm) has to go about his not-quite-day-job on the beat in '70s Manchester. You can watch Life on Mars on Netflix.
Ed Miller/Netflix22/40Baby Reindeer
If you go down the pub this weekend, chances are, someone will have a strong opinion about Baby Reindeer. The series – which is a dark comedy (emphasis on the dark) based on star and creator Richard Gadd's real experience with a stalker - has topped the streamer's weekly chart and even cracked the US one as well. Adapted from Gadd's one-man Edinburgh Fringe show that left audiences wondering if they'd booked the wrong comedy festival, the show fleshes out a story that's as much about self-loathing as it is about harassment from the outside world. Don't miss it, but be prepared for some harrowing scenes. You can watch Baby Reindeer on Netflix.
Courtesy of Netflix23/40Ripley
There have been a handful of Talented Mr. Ripley remakes, but perhaps none as well-known as the 1999 film starring Matt Damon, Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow - all the absolutely best they've ever looked! That adaptation was sun-drenched and colourful, literally oozing elite envy. Netflix's latest take on the world's most infamous scammer, then, is a bold deviation. Filmed in stark black and white, Andrew Scott's take on Ripley is older and less seduced by the beauty of the privileged world he tries to grab hold of. Instead, it paints a portrait of a man desperate to stop having to chase scraps. With 8 long episodes (some over an hour), this take on Patricia Highsmith's novel is an endurance exercise, much like the scams Tom Ripley hangs his life on. You can watch Ripley on Netflix.
24/403 Body Problem
Looking for an ambitious, big budget, cerebral sci-fi series to get stuck into this weekend? Then look no further than 3 Body Problem, the new show from David Benioff and Daniel Weiss AKA the minds behind Game of Thrones, plus Alexander Woo. The eight-episode series is quite hard to explain in just a few words – especially if you've not read the Liu Cixin trilogy it's based on – but I'll try. It's essentially about a group of scientists trying to prevent a huge existential event – an alien invasion – that will threaten mankind 400 years into the future (a long time away, yes, but there's no time like the present). If there's one series that people are talking about this week, it's probably this one, so watch to stay ahead of the curve. You can watch 3 Body Problem on Netflix.
25/40One Day
Over 14 episodes, One Day, based on the David Nicholls best-seller of the same name (and, crucially, way better than the 2011 film adaptation) will have you cycling through every single emotion – from swooning to soul-crushing sadness. It follows Emma and Dex who, after fumbling through an almost one-night stand on their last day of uni, orbit each other's lives for the next twenty years as unlikely best friends who are sometimes less and sometimes more. More than just a love story (though that is the reason for the season), One Day is a journey through the relatable roadblocks of ageing into adulthood. You can watch One Day on Netflix.
26/40Starstruck
Ever fantasised about accidentally hooking up with a celebrity and then getting swept along in their crazy, weird life? In Starstruck, comedian Rose Matafeo brings the vision to life as she plays Jessie, a girl meandering through life in London, who ends up in an unlikely relationship with Tom, one of the buzziest actors in the world. If you fancy yourself a romcom connoisseur, you'll be punching the air over how many classic references Matafeo has snuck in. While there's discourse brewing about the failed state of romcoms, Starstruck is a great entry into its TV canon that offers something perfectly modern. You can watch Starstruck on Netflix.
Netflix27/40Lovesick
Lovesick is one of those shows that got the Netflix saviour treatment back in the halcyon days when the streamer used to do that, and when it was airlifted from Channel 4, it was renamed – thankfully – from Scrotal Recall. The reason for that bonkers name lies in its premise, which jumps off from its lead, Dylan, having to re-contact all of his exes after contracting chlamydia. That nostalgic trip through the little black book is a recipe for disaster for someone as hopelessly romantic as Dylan, who remakes old mistakes in a bit to find true love. The best love story of the series, however, is with his best friends, Evie and Luke. You can watch Lovesick on Netflix.
28/40Hannibal
Hannibal stars Mads Mikkelsen — most famously deployed as Daniel Craig's first villain in Casino Royale — as the eponymous slasher-sophisticate, in a new adaptation of Thomas Harris' novels. This one sticks closer to the text and, like all prestige TV in the 2010s, is viciously bloody, pulling no punches with its graphic gore and brutal butchery (think Saturday Kitchen but with human corpses). Notably one of those shows canned right at its peak, as far as the fans are concerned. But at least what we've got is as lean as a chunk of forearm. You can watch Hannibal on Netflix.
BBC29/40The Fall
Props to Jamie Dornan for single-handedly choosing to wreck his Fifty Shades of Grey hunky image by playing possibly one of the most grotesque serial killers to ever grace the small screen. The Fall stars Dornan as an insidious predator, stalking and killing women in Belfast, and Gillian Anderson as the detective assigned to try and catch him. Far from the sleek and curated world of American crime dramas of similar note, the series explores the frustration of manhunting – the near misses, the painful pouring over evidence and, sometimes, the sheer banality of evil. You can watch The Fall on Netflix.
Everett Collection30/40Breaking Bad
Now they're the head honchos of an alcohol empire in Dos Hombres Mezcal, but Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul first bumped heads on a little AMC drama called Breaking Bad, the finale of which somehow aired a decade ago this year — is that a grey hair? It more than stands up on rewatch. You'd be hard pressed to find a grippier story to binge, aside from the likes of The Sopranos and The Wire (the other GOATs), in Walter White's ascent and fall from chemistry teacher, to regional drug baron, to [spoiler!]. Many have made the argument that its final half-season is the greatest ever. We have few counterpoints. You can watch Breaking Bad on Netflix.
31/40Bodies
If time loops are your thing, then it doesn't get much more timey-wimey-loopy-doopy than Bodies. Based on the graphic novel by Sy Spencer, the series follows four detectives across four different time periods who find a body - the same body - in the same place. Somehow, all their lives are linked despite the decades between them, and it might have something to do with a wealthy aristocrat (played by Stephen Graham) who seems to be in every era too. You can watch Bodies on Netflix.
32/40Catastrophe
The very funny Sharon Horgan and Rob Delaney join forces in this comedy about two strangers who have a one-night stand that leads to an accidental pregnancy. The pair have shedloads of chemistry on screen, and turn what could be a simple sitcom into a deeply funny and relatable series about the weird twists and turns that life can take. Also features a truly great guest starring role from Carrie Fisher. You can watch Catastrophe on Netflix.
33/40Fresh Meat
The British uni experience is a rich tapestry of regrettable hook-ups, off-brand vodka and houses full of potential black mould that we would mostly like to forget. But that experience is so perfectly evoked in Fresh Meat, created by Peep Show and Succession alum Jesse Armstrong. Take a trip into the truly gross lives of these Manchester freshers, made up, in part of Jack Whitehall and Zawe Ashton. You'll be craving a snakebite by the end, no doubt. You can watch Fresh Meat on Netflix.
34/40Peep Show
It’s an almost-commendable feat if you’ve managed to avoid Peep Show all these years. The series, originally broadcast on Channel 4, centres on dysfunctional flatmates Mark (David Mitchell) and Jez (Robert Webb) – whose lives you see through their own eyes – as they get into excruciatingly awkward situations. Written by Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong – the man behind Succession – it contains an unending supply of brilliant, insane, and forever quotable quips. You can watch Peep Show on Netflix.
Netflix35/40Black Mirror
Charlie Brooker’s phenomenal Black Mirror originally premiered on Channel 4 back in 2011 but moved to Netflix in 2015, where it’s lived in cynical. digital nihilism ever since. An anthology series, each episode tells a unique, usually terrifying story, often set in a near-future and featuring spooky, dystopian tech. You can watch Black Mirror on Netflix.
Peter Marley36/40Derry Girls
Growing up is hard. It’s even harder as a teenage girl trying to navigate boys, strict Catholic school teachers and the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Set in the 90s, Derry Girls follows the lives of Erin, Orla, Clare, Michelle and "wee English fella" James as they amble through teenagehood, almost burning down a chip shop, skipping school and dodging bomb scares along the way. You can watch Derry Girls on Netflix.
37/40Top Boy
Channel 4's cult smash Top Boy was brought back from the dead in 2019, thanks to Netflix and executive producer Drake. The groundbreaking drama follows the residents of the fictional Summerhouse estate and the drug dealers at war to control the area. Having just wrapped up its fifth and final season, there's no better time to dive in. A masterful reflection of the ultraviolent and the everyday, Top Boy is a rich addition to British drama. You can watch Top Boy on Netflix.
38/40It's a Sin
There are many AIDS dramas out there, from more esoteric arthouse gems like Parting Glances and Poison through to big-screen hits along the lines of Philadelphia. But It's a Sin, the story of one boy's gay coming-of-age in the midst of the epidemic in London, stands out among the pack. Russell T. Davies crafts a tremendously affecting melodrama here, as the early days of exciting queer hedonism fall foul of a terrible biological terror, and our youthful ensemble is tragically torn asunder. But, as is makes refreshingly clear, they aren't victims. You can watch It's a Sin on Netflix.
Netflix39/40Squid Game
If you haven't heard of Squid Game already, congrats! You somehow have managed to avoid the single most talked-about show of all time. The South Korean series – which has broken streaming records left, right and centre – is a kind of Parasite/Hunger Games mash-up, in which debt-laden contestants compete in various children’s games for an eye-watering sum of cash. The catch? You lose, you die. Hyper-violent and totally addictive, we challenge you to watch without binging, especially as a second series is now in production. You can watch Squid Game on Netflix.
Courtesy of Netflix40/40Mindhunter
Mindhunter will always be known as the best thing Netflix ever cancelled, but that shouldn't stop you from devouring its remains. From David Fincher, the director behind Seven and Zodiac, it delves into the early days of the FBI’s behavioural sciences unit. Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany star as two agents who spearhead the operation, travelling the country to interview the most heinous serial killers (including Charles Manson). You can Mindhunter on Netflix.
