Netflix's 4-Part Sci-Fi Thriller Series Is The Perfect One-Night Binge

1 week ago 12

Paula in an astronaut suit and helmet with the ISS and Earth in poster for The Signal

Published Mar 2, 2026, 6:27 PM EST

Felipe Rangel is a Superheroes Lead Writer and Reviewer at ScreenRant. He has been writing about movies and TV since 2021, with a focus on superhero projects. Felipe joined ScreenRant in 2022, working across different teams, covering everything from breaking news to features to reviews and more. Since the launch of the Superheroes vertical in 2023, he has focused his efforts on coming up with insightful analyses of Marvel and DC's projects.

Felipe is a writer who is an avid film and TV fan, with superhero movies and series being his biggest passion. He graduated from college in 2019, having studied Journalism. Before college, he spent a month studying at the Oxford English Centre. His superhero knowledge expands to the comics, with his undergraduate thesis being "Politics Reflected In American Comics."

This Netflix sci-fi thriller series is an underrated gem that deserves more love, and the fact that it makes for the perfect one-night binge should get new viewers to check out the surprising show. Netflix's TV show library has grown exponentially over the years. Some of Netflix's most popular shows include Stranger Things, Wednesday, Squid Game, The Night Agent, and more.

Netflix's Sci-Fi Thriller Series Is A Unique Release

The Signal was released on Netflix on March 7, 2024. It is one of the shows on Netflix's roster of intriguing German thrillers, such as the mind-bending sci-fi hit series Dark and the recent spy thriller Unfamiliar. The Signal tells the story of Paula, an astronaut who disappears just as she is about to return to Earth and be reunited with her husband, Sven, and daughter, Charlie.

The series follows Sven as he chases a riddle left by Paula that could point to what happened to her. However, as he goes further down the rabbit hole, it becomes increasingly clear that something bad is about to happen to Earth, with Paula having made a shocking discovery in space. The Netflix sci-fi series is perfect for mystery fans, bringing along some huge twists.

The Signal was a hit with critics, as the Netflix sci-fi thriller series stands at a high 88% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes. The Netflix series is perfect for those who are both enticed by the wonders of space but also harbor fears about what the depths of its darkness might hold. The Signal makes for quite an intense binge.

Why The Signal Is The Perfect One-Night Binge On Netflix

Florian David Fitz stands with a little girl in a cornfield in The Signal

While they are hour-long, there are only four episodes of The Signal to be devoured by new viewers. As such, in a single night, taking around four hours, the sci-fi series can be watched in full. Anyone who starts watching The Signal is likely to follow that approach, as the Netflix series' first episode does a good job of setting up the show's key mystery.

As Sven continues to follow the clues to piece together the reason behind Paula's disappearance and what she may have found out in space, the viewer is taken on a wild ride with shocking reveals and plenty of tension. The Signal can get quite heavy as it moves along. At the end of the day, if you're a sci-fi or thriller fan, the Netflix series will prove itself an addictive option.