The best Netflix TV shows of 2025

2025 was a massive year for Netflix — and not just because of its planned acquisition of Warner Bros. Pictures.

In many ways, 2025 was the end of an era for the streamer’s TV offerings, as two of its biggest hits, Squid Game and Stranger Things, came to a close. Elsewhere, though, new original series like Adolescence captured the cultural zeitgeist (and countless awards).

But of the seemingly countless shows that premiered on Netflix this year, which were truly the cream of the crop? Lucky for you, we’ve sorted through the streamer’s massive list of offerings and determined the series you absolutely must check out. There’s something for everyone on this list, from quirky new comedies and YA romances to devastating mini-series and nightmare-inducing dystopias. Read on for the 20 best Netflix shows of 2025.

20. Wednesday, Season 2

All hell (and Hyde) broke loose in Wednesday Season 2, with Alfred Gough and Miles Millar’s spooky series returning with all the energy of a teen werewolf at a full moon party. Back in the braids, Jenna Ortega is a macabre marvel as the show’s titular storm cloud, with a murderous avian case to crack, a stalker to unmask, and a haunting vision about her bestie Enid (the delightful Emma Myers) to decrypt. And that’s aside from the hell that is dealing with her Bruce Springsteen-loving new Nevermore Academy principal (Steve Buscemi, a slam dunk of a cast addition), and her tempestuous relationship with her mother, Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones), which reaches a literal sword-clashing point. As Mashable’s Belen Edwards writes in her review, “[M]ake no mistake: Wednesday remains the star of the show. Ortega remains the cold, dead heart of the series — and I mean that as a compliment in tribute to Wednesday!”

Season 2 not only infests its episodes with even more Edgar Allan Poe references and nods to the ’90s Addams Family movies (including Christopher Lloyd himself), it solves the pesky problem of Wednesday’s love triangle and lets her get back to the business of scalping serial killers and quoting Machiavelli as relationship advice. In addition, this season served up a bubbling cauldron of treats, including a long-awaited, very short cameo from Lady Gaga and the season’s highlight, director Tim Burton delivering an exquisite stop-motion sequence to weave “The Tale of the Skull Tree” in his signature Gothic fantasy style. — Shannon Connellan, UK Editor

Starring: Jenna Ortega, Isaac Ordonez, Victor Dorobantu, Luis Guzmán, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Joanna Lumley, Fred Armisen, Emma Myers, Hunter Doohan, Joy Sunday, Moosa Mostafa, Georgie Farmer, Noah B. Taylor, Evie Templeton, Steve Buscemi, Billie Piper, Christopher Lloyd, Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo, Jamie McShane, and Thandiwe Newton

How to watch: Wednesday, Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.

19. Squid Game, Season 3

It’s the end of an era on Netflix, as Hwang Dong-hyuk’s smash hit Squid Game comes to a bloody close. Following the end of Season 2’s unsuccessful player rebellion against the games, Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) is basically a shell of his former self. As he battles through new twisted games and faces down increasingly greedy contestants, will he find any last shreds of hope for his future and humanity? Or has the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) successfully ground down his faith in his fellow players?

Honestly, Squid Game‘s grand finale is a bit of a mess, one that loses whatever little subtlety it had left. (Those masked billionaires tank the show whenever they’re on screen!) But even at its most ridiculous, the show remains stomach-churningly captivating. Even after three seasons, it’s tough not to get invested in the games, or to scream at the screen every time disaster strikes. So thank you, Squid Game, for the many heart attacks you’ve given over the years. I think this season’s hide-and-seek game alone took months off my life. — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter

Starring: Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Yim Si-Wan, Kang Ha-neul, Wi Ha-jun, Park Gyu-young, Lee Jin-wook, Park Sung-hoon, Yang Dong-geun, Kang Ae-sim, Lee David, Roh Jae-won, and Jo Yuri

How to watch: Squid Game, Season 3 is now streaming on Netflix.

18. Black Mirror, Season 7

Charlie Brooker’s sci-fi anthology series can be patchy, but when the show hits, it really hits. Opening with one of the all-time most devastating episodes (one that may be better not to watch first, in fact), Season 7 is a mixed bag with some very high highs (or lows, if you’re talking from an existential dread perspective) and plenty of its trademark, technology-based terror. Fans of “USS Callister” will be happy, as there’s a sequel, as will anyone who likes their futuristic fear with a side of moving nostalgia (hello, “Eulogy“). — Sam Haysom, Deputy UK Editor

Starring: Will Poulter, Awkwafina, Peter Capaldi, Paul Giamatti, Rashida Jones, Tracee Ellis Ross, Cristin Milioti, Chris O’Dowd, Emma Corrin, Jimmi Simpson, and Issa Rae

How to watch: Black Mirror, Season 7 is now streaming on Netflix.

17. Ginny and Georgia, Season 3

After a few stumbles, Ginny & Georgia pulled its best season out of the hat this year. By Season 3, Sarah Lampert’s series has become a show of both high drama and powerful, relatable themes, especially when it comes to continuing to raise the bar for mental health representation on TV. As Liv Facey writes for Mashable, “By depicting characters struggling with depression, anxiety, and trauma in authentic ways, the show validates viewers’ own experiences and challenges, helping to normalise these struggles and encourage open conversations about mental health.”

This season sees Brianne Howey at her most impressive yet as single mother Georgia Miller, who ended Season 2 in handcuffs. Season 3 plunges Georgia into past trauma as she endures her high profile court case, and as her teen daughter Ginny (Antonia Gentry) puts it, “the carefully constructed house of cards finally crumbles.” Gentry is equally excellent this season, as Ginny finds power in poetry, and we’re also treated to strong performances by Felix Mallard as the seriously struggling Marcus, and Sara Waisglass as his proud theater kid twin sister, Maxine, who basically has to scream to be heard. It’s not every day a series truly finds its feet in its third season, but Ginny and Georgia genuinely broke me this year. — S.C.

Starring: Brianne Howey, Antonia Gentry, Felix Mallard, Sara Waisglass, Diesel La Torraca, Jennifer Robertson, Scott Porter, Raymond Ablack, Katie Douglas, Chelsea Clark, Nathan Mitchell, Katelyn Wells, Ty Doran, and Noah Lamanna

How to watch: Ginny & Georgia, Season 3 is now streaming on Netflix.

16. Running Point

Cross Ted Lasso with the NBA, and you get Running Point. Created by Mindy Kaling, Elaine Ko, Ike Barinholtz, and David Stassen, this sports comedy centers on the wealthy Gordon family, owners of the Los Angeles Waves. When the family’s sole daughter, Isla (Kate Hudson), unexpectedly gets appointed team president, she faces the steep challenge of turning a lifeless team around — all while being underestimated at every turn by her skeptical brothers.

What follows is pure fun: part Ted Lasso fish-out-of-water sports story, part Succession-style examination of a messed-up wealthy family. Leading it all is Hudson, who proves herself quite the comedic playmaker, alongside a hilarious ensemble including Brenda Song, Drew Tarver, and Scott MacArthur. Whether you love basketball or are on the hunt for a glossy new sitcom, Running Point is a sure bet, one that I praised in my review as “a sharp comedy that skewers both professional basketball and dysfunctional families with glee.” — B.E.

Starring: Kate Hudson, Brenda Song, Drew Tarver, Scott MacArthur, Fabrizio Guido, Toby Sandeman, Chet Hanks, Max Greenfield, Jay Ellis, and Justin Theroux

How to watch: Running Point is now streaming on Netflix.

15. Forever

Judy Blume’s seminal coming-of-age novel Forever… provided young readers with refreshingly honest depictions of teen romance and sexuality. Now, her classic gets a thoughtful adaptation in Netflix’s Forever, created by Mara Brock Akil (Girlfriends). Brock Akil follows the core storyline of Blume’s work but shifts the setting from 1970s New Jersey to 2018 Los Angeles. She also reimagines the novel’s leads as two Black teens, Keisha (Lovie Simone) and Justin (Michael Cooper Jr.), each of whom is facing big choices about college and the future.

Brock Akil’s big adaptation changes pay off, allowing her to examine issues of race and class, as well as how modern-day technology impacts intimacy. Plus, she deepens our understanding of both Keisha and Justin’s home lives. The pair are already extra compelling together thanks to Simone and Cooper Jr.’s immaculate chemistry, but Forever makes you just as interested in their individual goals as in their relationship. Still, their romance remains one of the sweetest TV love stories of the year. As I wrote in my review, “[Forever] is a sweet, heart-wrenching account of young love, one that significantly diverges from Blume’s original novel but is still very much a companion piece to it.” — B.E.

Starring: Lovie Simone, Michael Cooper Jr., Xosha Roquemore, Marvin Lawrence Winans III, Wood Harris, Barry Shabaka Henley, Niles Fitch, Paigion Walker, and E’myri Crutchfield

How to watch: Forever is now streaming on Netflix.

14. Too Much

The title of Lena Dunham’s Netflix rom-com series Too Much has a versatile application, but it’s likely most often heard by women constantly told to rein it in. Carly Rae Jepsen gets it. And so does Megan Stalter’s protagonist, Jessica, a New Yorker who takes a job in London to get away after a horrendous break-up. There, she meet-cutes discombobulated musician Felix (Will Sharpe). (The Girls creator wrote Too Much loosely based on her experience meeting her husband, British musician Luis Felber, who co-created the series.) The supporting cast is absolute gold, from uncharacteristic appearances from Andrew Scott, Stephen Fry, and Jennifer Saunders to the practically perfect casting of Rita Wilson, and a chillingly real performance from Michael Zegen as Jessica’s ex. But nothing beats these two leads.

Hacks/Cora Bora star Stalter brings every last element of her signature, internet-beloved comedy to the series, as Jessica makes a lot of chaotic decisions while processing her seriously toxic past relationship. Equally, Sharpe’s Felix has his own complex personal past and shit to figure out, with The White Lotus star offering his own messy version of the rom-com male lead. As Belen Edwards writes in her Mashable review, “Dunham, Stalter, and Sharpe stir up sparks during even the most awkward or cringeworthy moments of Jessica and Felix’s relationship. (And given that it’s a Dunham project, there are many such moments.) In the end, this cross-continental pairing often teeters on the edge of disaster, but Too Much finds joy in their messy journey of trying to pull back from the brink.” — S.C.

Starring: Megan Stalter, Will Sharpe, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Adwoa Aboah, Andrew Rannells, Daisy Bevan, Dean-Charles Chapman, Emily Ratajkowski, Janicza Bravo, Kaori Momoi, Leo Reich, Michael Zegen, Prasanna Puwanarajah, Rhea Perlman, Richard E. Grant, Rita Wilson, Andrew Scott, and Stephen Fry

How to watch: Too Much is now streaming on Netflix.

13. Toxic Town

The first of two limited series from writer Jack Thorne on this list, Toxic Town tells a fictionalised version of a real-life story. Following a group of mothers who’ve given birth to children with limb differences, Thorne’s drama follows their legal battle against the local council as they attempt to get to the bottom of whether or not they were poisoned due to negligence and corruption at the nearby steelworks. It’s an emotional and frustrating story that’s brought to life by a strong script and incredible performances across the board, especially from Jodie Whittaker (Doctor Who) and Aimee Lou Wood (The White Lotus), who star as two of the real-life mothers leading the fight. — S.H.

Starring: Jodie Whittaker, Aimee Lou Wood, Rory Kinnear, Brendan Coyle, Robert Carlyle, Joe Dempsie, Claudia Jessie, Ben Batt, Stephen McMillan, Lauren Lyle, Michael Socha, Karla Crome, and Matthew Durkan

How to watch: Toxic Town is now streaming on Netflix.

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12. The Four Seasons

Tina Fey reinvents Alan Alda’s 1981 comedy The Four Seasons in this charming series from Netflix. Fey and an all-star cast including Colman Domingo, Steve Carell, and Will Forte play three couples who go on vacation together every season. Despite the picturesque locations, tensions inevitably rise within the friend group when Nick (Carell) leaves his wife Anne (Kerri Kenney-Silver) and begins dating a younger woman (Erika Henningsen).

While The Four Seasons boasts its fair share of dry wit, cringe comedy, and the occasional slapstick, it’s the group’s interpersonal tensions that truly make this show stand out. Fey and co-creators Lang Fisher and Tracey Wigfield deftly examine the pitfalls of adult friendships and long-lasting marriages, creating a comedy that doubles as an aching reflection on the work that goes into even the most enduring friendships and romances. As I wrote in my review, “It’s the substance that sneaks up on you that really makes The Four Seasons a winner, even if it’s a slower burn from the jump.” — B.E.

Starring: Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Colman Domingo, Marco Calvani, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Will Forte, and Erika Henningsen

How to watch: The Four Seasons is now streaming on Netflix.

11. Dept. Q

The Queen’s Gambit creator Scott Frank and Chandni Lakhani strike mystery gold in Dept. Q, adapted from Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen’s series of the same name. The show centers on Detective Carl Morck (Matthew Goode), an English cop in Scotland who’s disliked by practically everyone he comes into contact with. As Carl recovers from a traumatic gunshot wound, he’s put in charge of a new department, one tasked with solving cold cases. It’s a publicity stunt dressed up as a public service, but with the help of some unlikely assistants, Carl may just be able to turn this department into a powerhouse. Their first case? The disappearance of prosecutor Merritt Lingard (Chloe Pirrie), whose current plight is nothing short of a claustrophobic nightmare.

Dept. Q toggles between taut mystery and intriguing character study, delving deep into Carl’s growth toward someone who’s maybe slightly pleasant, as well as the journeys of Carl’s fellow detectives Akram (Alexej Manvelov), Rose (Leah Byrne), and Hardy (Jamie Sives). Together, they create a lovable squad with the potential for a long run of case-cracking on Netflix. The streaming gods demand it! — B.E.

Starring: Matthew Goode, Kelly Macdonald, Chloe Pirrie, Kate Dickie, Alexej Manvelov, Jamie Sives, and Leah Byrne

How to watch: Dept. Q is now streaming on Netflix.

10. The Diplomat, Season 3

Debora Cahn’s lauded drama The Diplomat returned for another round of red hot political tête-à-tête with Season 3, with the West Wing writer notably reuniting Bartlet administration alumni Allison Janney and Bradley Whitford as the U.S. president and her husband. However, as we’ve come to know The Diplomat over three seasons, the top brass aren’t necessarily the main focus here. Amid the intricate dance of diplomacy, Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell return in fine form as U.S. Ambassador Kate Wyler and her husband, Hal, with Season 3 throwing a colossal spanner into their already turbulent relationship. Russell hits every damn note as the series’ no-bullshit protagonist is pushed to her limit, and Sewell crafts Hal as obscenely punchable this season. 

Meanwhile, the rug is pulled from under CIA Chief Eidra Park (an always-impeccable Ali Ahn), and Deputy Chief of Mission Stuart Hayford (the ever-charming Ato Essandoh) continues to be Kate’s best chance at staying sane in the embassy. Thankfully, Season 3 also brings back David Gyasi as Kate’s dashing crush, foreign secretary Austin Dennison, and Rory Kinnear as dreadful UK PM Nicol Trowbridge, while giving more screen time to Nana Mensah as matter-of-fact White House Chief of Staff Billie Appiah. Cahn proves The Diplomat is still the best political series on Netflix, as Season 3 skyrockets the stakes and pushes its now-lived-in characters to the brink. — S.C.

Starring: Keri Russell, Rufus Sewell, David Gyasi, Ali Ahn, Rory Kinnear, and Ato Essandoh

How to watch: The Diplomat, Season 3 is now streaming on Netflix.

9. Stranger Things, Season 5

Stranger Things continued its trend of going as big as possible in its fifth and final season. Demogorgons fighting the military! Driving into the Upside Down! Will (Noah Schnapp) getting show-stopping powers of his own! While I may not know how Stranger Things will stick the landing at the time of writing this, that last scene is worth a spot on this list for sheer hype alone.

Season 5 struggles with the same problems Stranger Things has been fighting for the latter half of its run, especially when it comes to overstuffing episodes to the point of exhaustion. Still, as I wrote in my review, “The flashy battles and lore bombshells can get the blood pumping, but it’s the characters who have kept viewers coming back for many, many years. Knowing we’ll be saying goodbye to them only makes these episodes sweeter, exhaustion be damned.” — B.E.

Starring: Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Heaton, Noah Schnapp, Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, and Maya Hawke

How to watch: Stranger Things, Season 5, Volume 1 is now streaming on Netflix.

8. A Man on the Inside, Season 2

Move over, Only Murders in the Building — Netflix’s A Man on the Inside is coming for your cozy mystery crown. The series reunites creator Michael Schur (The Office, Parks and Recreation) with The Good Place star Ted Danson, and the pair’s partnership continues to sparkle with wit and warmth.

Danson plays Charles Nieuwendyk, a newly minted PI whose next case takes him undercover on a liberal arts college campus. As he unravels a mystery involving a stolen laptop, blackmail, and an insufferable billionaire alum (Gary Cole), he also gets closer to his friends and family — not to mention a new love interest, played by Danson’s real-life wife Mary Steenburgen. It’s here that A Man on the Inside really shines, building dynamic communities and families and lovingly examining the ties that bind them together. If you’re looking for the most comforting watch of the year, this is up there. — B.E.

Starring: Ted Danson, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Lilah Richcreek Estrada, and Stephanie Beatriz

How to watch: A Man on the Inside, Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.

7. Wayward

Canadian comedian Mae Martin delivered a compelling drama mini-series with Wayward, led by the one and only Toni Collette as an enigmatic cult leader. Serene and intimidating, Evelyn Wade (Collette) runs Tall Pines Academy, a reform school for teenagers with some peculiar practices. Some rebellious teens are desperate to get out, and a new-to-town cop (Martin) may be their best chance for rescue.

In my review for Mashable, I cautioned: “All this makes for a show that’s very easy to binge-watch. So now a warning: Don’t hit play on Wayward unless you’re ready to surrender yourself to eight hours of this sensational series. Like the town at its center, it’s hard to walk away from.”* — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor

Starring: Mae Martin, Brandon Jay McLaren, Sarah Gadon, Patrick J. Adams, Alyvia Alyn Lind, Patrick Gallagher, Sydney Topliffe, Joshua Close, and Toni Collette

How to watch: Wayward is now streaming on Netflix.

6. Haunted Hotel

My personal favorite new Netflix show is Haunted Hotel, an animated series Mashable TV critic Belen Edwards rightly summarized in her review as “The Shining meets Bob’s Burgers.”

Following a single mom, her two trouble-seeking kids, and her ghost brother and his demon ward (who is in the body of a little boy from centuries before), this wild cartoon from Rick and Morty writer Matt Roller balances the sweet, family-focused plotlines of a sitcom with a slew of horror movie references that give the show a darkly comic edge. The collision of macabre humor and a charming family makes the first watch through a breeze. But the iconic horror Easter eggs, the hilariously cheery Will Forte as a ghost uncle, and Jimmi Simpson‘s addictively chaotic take on demon boy Abaddon will have you coming back for rewatches again and again. It’s an unlikely comfort show, but a solid one. — K.P.

Starring: Eliza Coupe, Will Forte, Skyler Gisondo, Natalie Palamides, and Jimmi Simpson

How to watch: Haunted Hotel is now streaming on Netflix.

5. North of North

The small-town comedy genre gets a lovely new entry in Netflix’s North of North, which transports viewers to the Arctic town of Ice Cove. There, young Inuk woman Siaja (Anna Lambe) decides to leave her stale marriage to local legend Ting (Kelly William) and start over. That’s easier said than done in an isolated town of 2,200 people, but Siaja is determined to succeed — although things get complicated when her estranged father (Jay Ryan) returns to town.

Don’t let the frigid setting fool you: North of North is as heartwarming as TV shows come. Siaja’s journey to independence is equal parts inspiring and amusing, as it takes several ridiculous mishaps for her to learn what she wants. Also touching is her troubled relationship with her mother, Neevee (Maika Harper), whose rocky past has led her to put up a tough exterior. These two flawed, lovable women head up a charming ensemble, with Ice Cove and its townspeople coming to life through detailed character work and specific town traditions like elders’ night and walrus dick baseball. You read that right: walrus dick baseball. To watch how that plays out, and to fall in love with Lambe’s wonderful turn as Siaja, be sure to journey North of North.* — B.E.

Starring: Anna Lambe, Maika Harper, Braeden Clarke, Jay Ryan, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Zorga Qaunaq, Bailey Poching, and Kelly William

How to watch: North of North is now streaming on Netflix.

4. Death by Lightning

Imagine Deadwood meets Veep, and you’ll have a good idea of what Death by Lightning brings to the table as it unfurls the stranger-than-fiction story of how President James A. Garfield was assassinated by the rogue Charles J. Guiteau.

This four-part mini-series is adapted from Candice Millard’s sensational non-fictional book Destiny of the Republic (seriously, give it a read), and it boasts some incredible performers and some very beard-forward acting. Michael Shannon stars as Garfield, reigning in his volatile energy to become a portrait of quiet nobleness, while “Matthew Macfadyen brings Tom Wambsgans energy to Charles Guiteau,” as Belen noted in her review. There are also dynamic turns from Nick Offerman, Bradley Whitford, and Shea Whigham. A lot of power-grubbing, machismo, and madness come into play, and watching how some things just don’t change is alternatively amusing and troubling. And truly, the wildest parts really happened. — K.P.

Starring: Michael Shannon, Matthew Macfadyen, Nick Offerman, Betty Gilpin, Bradley Whitford, and Shea Whigham

How to watch: Death by Lightning is now streaming on Netflix.

3. Long Story Short

Long Story Short is exactly what you’d expect from BoJack Horseman creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg: witty as hell one moment, downright devastating the next. The series invites viewers into the lives of the Schwooper siblings (voiced by Ben Feldman, Abbi Jacobson, and Max Greenfield), spanning decades from their chaotic childhoods to their equally chaotic adulthoods. From disastrous bar mitzvahs to awkward interventions, you’ve got a seat at the family table for it all.

Long Story Short cleverly collapses time in each episode, demonstrating how small incidents in our youth can snowball into major hangups in our later years. That nonlinear chronology turns the series into a thought-provoking examination of trauma and ever-shifting family ties. And what a family the Schwooper clan is, bursting with clashing personalities, inside jokes, and grievances that feel equal parts grounded and absurd. Spend just a few minutes with them, and you’ll feel like you’ve known them your whole life, a quality that led me to call them “an instant classic TV family” in my review.* — B.E.

Starring: Ben Feldman, Abbi Jacobson, Max Greenfield, Lisa Edelstein, and Paul Reiser

How to watch: Long Story Short is now streaming on Netflix.

2. Mo, Season 2

Not only is Mo one of the best TV shows of 2025 — it’s also essential viewing. Co-created by Mo Amer and Ramy Youssef, this semi-autobiographical series centers on Palestinian refugee Mo (Amer) and his family’s lives in Houston. Season 2 opens with Mo struggling to get back to the U.S. from Mexico. Detention centers and perilous border crossings await, all sobering reflections of the real-life journeys of immigrants trying to make it across the U.S.-Mexico border.

As UK Editor Shannon Connellan wrote in her review, “Mo‘s second season comes at a volatile time for Palestinians and undocumented immigrants alike, with those in power enforcing heartless, brutal decisions from disengaged, lofty offices that impact real people. Somehow, beyond all belief, amid a sense of transience and fear, of stacked odds and starting from scratch, Mo finds levity, surrealism, and personal solidarity in the dark, while being a genuinely funny and moving show.”* — B.E.

Starring: Mo Amer, Farah Bsieso, Teresa Ruiz, Tobe Nwigwe, and Omar Elba

How to watch: Mo, Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.

1. Adolescence

Likely to be the most harrowing viewing experience you’ll have this year, Adolescence traps you in a nightmare over the course of its four episodes, each filmed in one take. Co-created by Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne, and directed by Boiling Point‘s Philip Barantini, Netflix’s much buzzed-about mini-series examines the aftermath of a chilling murder committed by 13-year-old Jamie (newcomer Owen Cooper). Each episode focuses on a different perspective around the case, from a detective (Ashley Walters) investigating Jamie’s school to Jamie’s family reckoning with his actions.

These vignettes, coupled with Barantini’s one-take technique, create an unflinching portrait of a crime that feels all too rooted in reality. As UK Deputy Editor Sam Haysom wrote in his review, “Adolescence‘s story isn’t a crime mystery so much as a psychological study — it’s an exploration of the manosphere culture that’s having a real world affect on teenagers, and the societal and familial triggers that might lead to a seemingly ordinary 13-year-old doing something unthinkable. On this level, and on almost all others, the show is chillingly effective.”* — B.E.

Starring: Stephen Graham, Ashley Walters, Erin Doherty, Owen Cooper, Faye Marsay, Christine Tremarco, and Amelie Pease

How to watch: Adolescence is now streaming on Netflix.

(*) denotes a blurb has come from a prior list.