Next time you find yourself in a show hole, let one of these incredible series throw you a rope.
The jungles of Netflix are vast. So rather than bravely face the perilous cliffs of indecision in search of that elusive great series, you simply click on the brightest and shiniest binge, starring Hollywood’s most familiar faces. We get it. We do it, too. But you deserve better. So we’ve done the legwork for you.
Chopping through the glossy dramas, the buzzy thrillers, and the watercooler fodder, we’re unearthing the very best hidden gems on Netflix. Ahead, 10 series that range from horror fare ideal for the season to comedy therapy you’ll wish you’d tapped sooner; there’s a show to suit every mood. And there’s enough here to ensure you never get lost in the wilds of Netflix again without a compass of quality content.
Dark
The best mind-bending missing-person thriller you’re not streaming is this German gem from series creator duo Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese. But don’t worry; we’ll spoil nothing here. Just know that the hunt for a missing child unearths one town’s darkest secrets. It’s three seasons of piecing together a generation-jumping puzzle that all culminates to reveal one brilliant masterpiece.
The OA
Speaking of hidden gems, Brit Marling is one of the most enigmatic actors working today, but she’s yet to become a household name. A champion of independent storytelling, she stars in this series, which she also helped write, produce, and create. As for the nuanced plot, the story begins when a blind girl who went missing seven years prior returns—with her sight, and with a mysterious mission.
Feel Good
In the mood for love? Queue up this deadpan rom-com series from co-creator Mae Martin, who also stars. Based on Martin’s own journey to self-discovery, Feel Good juggles the complexities of modern relationships and the ever-shifting landscape of personal identity, with the hiccups of sobriety and the challenges of stand-up comedy, while making the audience laugh and cry along the way.
Derry Girls
Yes, this is the hidden gem on Netflix your neighbor keeps telling you about but you have yet to watch. So, do that now. Set in Northern Ireland in the 1990s, this coming-of-age comedy sees 16-year-old Erin Quinn and her spirited friends trudge through the tumultuous landscape of adolescence amid the Troubles. With biting wit and a rebel spirit, these ladies will leave you in stitches.
Cunk on Earth
You don’t have to be a history buff to enjoy Cunk on Earth, a satirical take on the origins of civilization and humankind. Structured as a mockumentary, it stars Diane Morgan as Philomena Cunk, a brilliantly stupid (don’t worry, it’s a compliment!) reporter not afraid to ask hard-hitting questions. Think: Borat meets Drunk History.
Related: ‘Secret’ Netflix Codes to Help You Search for Kids’ Movies
Sweet Tooth
Fantasy, adventure, and the DC universe collide in this genre-blender from Robert Downey Jr. and his wife, Susan. The story unfolds through a little boy/deer hybrid (his kind, the result of being born during the outbreak of the deadly H5G9 virus) on a mission to find his mother in a postapocalyptic, overgrown North America. You wouldn’t be far off thinking of it like The Last Us with a bit of Bambi.
Kim’s Convenience
The corner store in this Toronto-set series is a hotbed of hilarity. It’s run by the Kim family, Korean immigrants who raised their children in a culture outside their own. Now all grown up, the kids frequent their parents’ biz, adding to the misadventures that keep the laughs coming. The show ran for five seasons, so there’s plenty of fodder to pair with the leftover snacks from your last gas station haul.
Alice in Borderland
If you loved Squid Game and The Hunger Games, hit start on Alice in Borderland. A mix of fun times and gruesome nightmares, this series is a gamer’s fever dream. When Ryohei Arisu finds himself in a deserted, parallel-universe Tokyo, he and his friends are forced to tango with high-stakes games of chance; read: Play and win, or die by sky lasers. Simple as a game of hopscotch on a minefield.
The End of the F***ing World
Beyond the eye-popping title, this hidden gem on Netflix will surprise you. A British black comedy about two 17-year-old outsiders who hit the road to discovery, it’s more than your run-of-the-mill teenage comedy/coming-of-age bore; rather, it’s based on a graphic novel of the same name and doesn’t shy away from the dark corners of adolescence and bristly cusps of adulthood.
A Series of Unfortunate Events
A visual feast of misfortune, mayhem, and moist coconut cake, this Netflix Original series stretches over three seasons, each one unraveling the mysteries and dark secrets of the Baudelaire family. After their parents die in a fire, three orphaned children are dropped into a delightfully dreadful world where nothing is as it seems. Oh, and NPH fans, the HIMYM vet is *chef’s kiss* as Count Olaf.
