Netflix Has Many Shows, but Only These 10 Are Genuine Masterpieces

2 weeks ago 13

Danielle Brooks sits with her hands together in contemplation wearing tan prison uniform from the series Orange Is the New Black

Published Feb 11, 2026, 12:31 PM EST

Michael Block is a 14 time GLAM Award nominated writer, producer, and host of the podcast Block Talk. Throughout his time in the entertainment industry, he has worked on and off Broadway as a stage manager, written several produced plays, critiqued hundreds of theatrical performances, drag and cabaret shows, and has produced events randing from drag competitoons to variety concerts!
On Block Talk, he interviews nightlife personalities, covers the wide world of entertainment through features, ranking episodes, and recaps ALL of Drag Race, as well as Dragula and Survivor. He has interviewed hundreds of RuGirls that span the globe at DragCon NYC, DragCon LA, and DragCon UK.
In his free time, he makes one-of-a-kind jewelry and gift baskets with his mom. He is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community.

The world of streaming was forever changed thanks to Netflix. Having access to your favorite TV and film titles, as if it were your own Blockbuster, reshaped how media was consumed. By giving users the chance to curate their content, Netflix found that high risk yielded high reward. The streamer has hosted some of the greatest series of the 21st century. Only on Netflix could a show like Stranger Things come to fruition and have a spanning tenure as it did.

Though shows like Stranger Things and Bridgerton are beloved and have served Netflix well, only a few of the streamer's original titles can truly be considered masterpieces. Whether a short, concise miniseries or a long-running show whose story captivated us from start to finish, these shows certainly reign supreme in the Netflix Hall of Fame.

10 'BoJack Horseman' (2014-2019)

BoJack Horseman on the phone with the full moon in the background

Nowadays, it’s hard to emerge as a sturdy and robust adult cartoon that stands the test of time. The '80s had The Simpsons, the '90s had South Park, and the '00s had Family Guy. So, what series established itself as the series of the 2010s? BoJack Horseman. Created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg and designed by cartoonist Lisa Hanawalt, BoJack Horseman sets us up in an alternate universe Hollywood as the washed-up titular star of a 1990s sitcom (Will Arnett) plans a return to relevance after a life in obscurity, thanks to an autobiography written by ghostwriter Diane Nguyen (Alison Brie). Meanwhile, BoJack must deal with his agent and former girlfriend, Princess Carolyn (Amy Sedaris), the upbeat personality of his former rival, Mr. Peanutbutter (Paul F. Tompkins), the misguided antics of his freeloading roommate, Todd Chavez (Aaron Paul), and his declining mental health, addiction, and recklessness.

Over its six seasons, BoJack Horseman was praised for its handling of real-world themes. Despite a cartoonish setting, BoJack Horseman tackled depression, suicide, and self-loathing with extreme honesty, making the characters feel profoundly human. By establishing itself through deceptive satire, it made you laugh at its absurdity while understanding the profound effect the stories had. Through a masterful balance of explosive humor and profound melancholy, BoJack Horseman earned intense emotional and philosophical moments.

9 'Baby Reindeer' (2024)

Donny on stage holding a microphone in front of a red curtain in Netflix's Baby Reindeer.

As a theater aficionado, it’s always a special moment when a theatermaker has the chance to turn their work into something bigger than the stage, which Richard Gadd did with the dark and twisted Baby Reindeer. The miniseries is a serialized autobiographical drama that tackles the emotional truth about a harrowing years-long saga in which a struggling comedian, Donny Dunn (Gadd), offers a free cup of tea to a vulnerable woman, Martha (Jessica Gunning), triggering a suffocating, intense, and often bizarre stalking obsession. Martha, a lonely and emotionally vulnerable person, pushes the stability of boundaries by taking her admiration too far.

The show explores not just the stalking, but Donny’s deep-seated trauma. Years prior, Donny was groomed and repeatedly sexually assaulted by a successful TV writer named Darrien O'Connor (Tom Goodman-Hill). It’s that trigger that traps Donny into a life of low self-worth, making him have that strange empathy for the woman tormenting him. Baby Reindeer was a rare series thatcaptured the frank, uncomfortable depiction of male victims of sexual assault and stalkingin the media. A groundbreaking hit, Baby Reindeer was an uncomfortable watch, but allowed for crucial conversations to take place.

8 'Mindhunter' (2017-2019)

Holt McCallany and Jonathan Groff show a crime scene photo to someone off-screen in Mindhunter.

All these years later, Mindhunter remains an underrated masterpiece. Created by Joe Penhall and based on the 1995 true-crime book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit by John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker, it was a meticulous thriller that blended intense, dialogue-driven psychological drama with a 1970s aesthetic. The series brings to life the founding of the Behavioral Science Unit at the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the late 1970s and the beginning of criminal profiling. Led by Jonathan Groff as Holden Ford, Holt McCallany as Bill Tench, and Anna Torv as Wendy Carr, Mindhunter was notorious for featuring infamous serial killers, making it an exhilarating series for true crime lovers.

Perhaps because David Fincher served as the most consistent director of the series, Mindhunter has an innate immersive atmosphere that carried the series to a captivating destination. Rather than just asking "who," the series delves into why criminals do what they do, providing a deeply intellectual and often uncomfortable exploration of the darkest parts of the psyche. With a focus on the psychology of the killer rather than the glorification of violence, Mindhunter set itself apart from other true-crime series, bringing you deep within the minds of the infamous criminals.

7 'Ozark' (2017-2022)

After the extraordinary run of Breaking Bad, everybody wanted to replicate its success. So, creators Mark Williams and Bill Dubuque took a beloved sitcom star, Jason Bateman, and tasked him to play a family man forced down a dark path of money laundering and drugs, and the result was Ozark. The series follows Marty Byrde (Bateman), a financial advisor, who moves his family from Chicago to the Missouri Ozarks to launder $500 million for a drug cartel, navigating dangerous local criminals. Highlighting a dark road to survival amid class disparities in the treacherous underbelly of the suburban dream, Ozark pushes the gritty crime drama to a new frontier.

With fervent intensity and fast-paced storytelling, Ozark defies character norms to craft a stellar narrative. Rather than portraying the locals as backwoods hillbillies, they were well-rounded, multidimensional individuals. Look no further than Ruth Langford, portrayed exceptionally well by Julia Garner. Though it was no match for Breaking Bad, Ozark matched the energy of the unlikely anti-hero narrative. Unleashing a gloomy tone that evoked a suspenseful atmosphere, it made no secret about the moral corruption of this world. A tightly written, gripping four-season thriller, if you’re still devastated by that major death at the end, you’re not alone. But would a happy ending truly be a satisfying ending to Ozark? Likely not.

6 'Orange is the New Black' (2013-2019)

We’ve had our fair share of prison dramas, but never told through a female perspective until the genre-blending Orange is the New Black. Created by Jenji Kohan, the seven-season series was inspired by Piper Kerman’s Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison. The series tells the story through the lens of Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling), a 33-year-old woman living in New York City who is sentenced to 15 months in Litchfield Penitentiary, a minimum-security women's federal prison in Upstate New York. Filled with an array of characters, struggles, and life-changing moments, the inmates of Litchfield had their stories told through their lives behind bars and character-building flashbacks.

A tried-and-true ensemble series, Orange Is the New Black was a character-driven showcase of familiar faces and rising stars. Just look at the names that appeared in the series — Uzo Aduba, Danielle Brooks, Natasha Lyonne, Laura Prepon, Samira Wiley, the list goes on — there was no weak link among the cast. You loved the prisoners, loathed the establishment, and rooted for the growth of everybody involved. As one of the first series to truly define the binge-watch era, Orange Is the New Black ensured that Piper was a critical character. Still, its ability to expand its reach and allow secondary figures to become main characters that fans loved gave the series longevity. Perhaps the only struggle we might have is how Orange Is the New Black defined itself. Sure, there were comedic moments, but it was quite heavy nevertheless.

5 'The Crown' (2016-2023)

Queen Elizabeth (Olivia Colman) saluting while riding a horse in a parade in 'The Crown'

Our affinity for historical dramas has allowed many stories to prosper on screen, both big and small. While we tend to save some prolific figures’ biographical dramas until after their passing, Queen Elizabeth II’s life was far too extraordinary to wait. Created by Peter Morgan, The Crown spanned six decades, dramatizing the royal family through the central figure of the Queen. With a new cast of actors portraying the key figures every two seasons, The Crown proved that our desire to learn the juicy stories behind the royal walls lent the series a masterful quality.

The Crown explored what-ifs surrounding pivotal moments that defined the family. From her rise to the throne to the world’s most famous romance, The Crown was a royal soap opera led by a sensational cast of actors. Each cast had some brilliant performances, including Vanessa Kirby and Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret, Josh O’Connor as Prince Charles, and Emma Corrin and Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana. However, the series would not be what it is without the trio that donned the crown— Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, and Imelda Staunton. From romance and scandal to birth and death, The Crown became a masterclass of direction, cinematography, and performance. Now, if you're looking for historical accuracy, clearly you're watching the wrong show. That said, if you’re seeking drama, this family was filled with it.

4 'Squid Game' (2021-2025)

Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) makes the jump rope gap jump with Jun-hee's baby in Squid Game Season 3.

There is a lot to say about an international series that not only becomes mainstream but takes the entire world by storm. That series was the groundbreaking Squid Game. Created, written, and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, the dystopian survivor thriller centers on a sadistic secret contest where 456 players, all of whom are in deep financial hardship, risk their lives to play a series of children's games that result in death if eliminated, for the chance to win a ₩45.6 billion prize. Over three seasons, all led by Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun, better known as Player 456, Squid Game made children’s games and reality television look twisted.

After a near-perfect first season, it was going to be impossible to provide a gripping story with the same shocks, and we’re not talking about that finale cameo. What Squid Game did better than many series was establish a terrifying universe built on mystery and intrigue while allowing the story to unfold properly. Filled with twists and turns at every moment, the South Korean series explores themes of class welfare and capitalism through an excruciating lens. Of course, its success spawned a reality series, Squid Game: The Challenge, which proved that people will truly do anything for money.

3 'Adolescence' (2025)

Stephen Graham wears an orange shirt with a black sweater over it and talks to a young boy inside a police station

There are no tough topics that are off limits nowadays; it just requires care and delicacy to tell them. The premise of Adolescence was not easy by any means, but with a solid ensemble tackling the story with a raw, authentic approach, the miniseries became a mammoth hit. Created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham and directed by Philip Barantini, the drama follows the dramatic aftermath surrounding 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper) after the murder of his classmate, Katie Leonard (Emilia Holliday). Through multiple perspectives, including his father, Eddie Miller (Graham), and forensic therapist Briony Ariston (Erin Doherty), the series explores male rage and the weight of social media.

While Graham is the veteran of the cast, wearing multiple hats on the production, it's Cooper's career-making performance that pushed the series to masterpiece status. From a production standpoint, the series’ brilliance lies in its use of a single take for each episode. The story isn't necessarily the shock; it's how it's told. The extraordinary choreography is one thing, but understanding how the scene, almost like a work of theater, allows those profoundly realistic performances to take flight is another. It’s a heart-wrenching series that tests your morality. At only four episodes, Adolescence is a cinematic marvel that every short-form series will attempt to match.

2 'The Queen's Gambit' (2020)

A TV show about chess doesn’t sound appealing, and yet, The Queen’s Gambit became one of the most enthralling miniseries of all time. Based on the 1983 novel by Walter Tevis, The Queen's Gambit is a coming-of-age story about a chess prodigy in the 1950s and 1960s who rises to the top of the game while grappling with drug and alcohol addiction. It starts with Beth Harmon’s (Anya Taylor-Joy) tale as a young orphan who is taught the game of chess by Mr. Shaibel (Bill Camp), the orphanage's custodian. As Beth develops her skills as a cash-earning tournament chess champion, her adoptive mother Alma (Marielle Heller) pushes her to continue her journey to the top while reaping the financial benefits. As she meets friends and peers along the way, Beth prepares for an international tournament of a lifetime. The Queen’s Gambit was more than a show about a sport; it was a brilliant study of a remarkable protagonist who discovered a wonderful gift while discovering herself.

Whether you were familiar with her work prior to the series, The Queen’s Gambit launched Taylor-Joy to a new level of stardom. Through her nuanced performance, layered with subtle complexity, she gave viewers a character to root for while understanding why her flaws arose. As a work of cinematography, The Queen’s Gambit expanded beyond a straightforward drama. Through genius directorial moments, including Beth calculating her moves on the ceiling tiles as her chessboard, the ability to build the world beyond realistic means made for a captivating series. As one of the largest success stories on Netflix, The Queen’s Gambit gave credence to exploring risky concepts in hopes of capturing lightning in a bottle again.

1 'The Haunting of Hill House' (2018)

Victoria Pedretti as Nell in a night gown standing on a balcony next to a rope in The Haunting of Hill House.

The collaboration between Mike Flanagan and Netflix might be the most prosperous of all. Almost every Halloween season seemed to kick off with a new horror thriller from Flanagan’s brilliant brain, and it all started with The Haunting of Hill House. Based loosely on Shirley Jackson's 1959 novel of the same name, The Haunting of Hill House takes viewers on a gripping journey through paranormal experiences inside the titular dwelling. Alternating between two timelines, the Crain siblings reunite in the home that tormented them as they each confront the horrors they faced inside Hill House. An absolutely gripping thriller, The Haunting of Hill House reignited our love for horror on the small screen.

Led by a stellar ensemble of Flanagan regulars, including Carla Gugino, Henry Thomas, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, and Kate Siegel, among others, The Haunting of Hill House elevated the genre thanks to stellar performances. For a family story, it’s integral to believe they are a cohesive unit, and they do so with ease. The miniseries' success rests on the visionary work of its creator. The Haunting of Hill House became the new standard for telling ghost stories in modern times thanks to its satisfying pacing, chilling twists, and masterful direction. The brilliant one-shot scene is still one of the most chilling sequences in recent memory. The Haunting of Hill House remains peak programming.