The best Netflix original series right now

A group of London teenagers battle with both supernatural threats and competing ghost-hunter agencies run by adults in this series from Attack the Block filmmaker Joe Cornish. The series is adapted from a popular series of novels, with Ruby Stokes, Cameron Chapman, and Ali Hadji-Heshmati leading its young cast.

Earning Julia Garner an Emmy nomination for her performance as the real-life con-woman Anna Sorokin (a second for Garner alongside her nomination for Ozark as well), Inventing Anna was also nominated for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. It’s a story that seems almost too fantastical to be true. Garner sets out to re-create the life and rise of Sorokin, a Russian woman who assumed the fake identity of socialite Anna Delvey. She fooled some of the biggest companies and wealthiest individuals into giving her cash, goods, and services. Based on the New York article How Anna Delvey Tricked New York’s Party People, there’s a ton of creative license taken, as clearly noted in a title card at the beginning of each episode. But mega-hitmaker Shonda Rhimes adds to her award-winning roster with this miniseries that’s a must-watch.

Fans might recognize the name from the 2005 Michael Connelly novel as well as the 2011 legal thriller starring Matthew McConaughey. This iteration transfers the story from the sequel novel, The Brass Verdict, a legal drama delivered in episodic form. But the premise remains the same: Mickey Haller (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) is a talented defense attorney who prefers to work on the go, dealing with his high-profile (and smaller) Los Angeles cases from his Lincoln Navigator. With a second season in the works and top viewing numbers for season 1, the show is filled with quirky storylines and tense moments as Haller’s latest case puts his life in danger. David E. Kelley, the man behind huge hit shows like Ally McBeal, Boston Legal, and Goliath, is no stranger to the genre, so it’s no surprise The Lincoln Lawyer fits right in among his best.

This terrifying series from Mike Flanagan, the writer and director of criminally underappreciated horror films Oculus and Ouija: Origin of Evil, offers a new spin on Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel of the same name. It follows a family who moves into an old house intending to renovate it, only to experience one scary paranormal event after another before a mysterious tragedy forces them out of the haunted manor. The story unfolds through a mix of timeline-hopping explorations of each family member’s experiences at Hill House and how the trauma of those encounters shapes their lives and eventually brings them back to where it all started. Beautifully shot, expertly paced, and filled with the sort of subtle callbacks that encourage multiple viewings, The Haunting of Hill House is one of the best horror tales to debut on any screen — big or small — in recent years. Oh, and if you don’t believe us, just consider that Stephen King himself described the series as “close to a work of genius.”

This dramedy was once the crown jewel of Netflix’s original program list — judging by critical reception, at least. Orange Is the New Black received dozens of nominations and awards for its portrayal of an all-female prison. It follows Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling), who goes to prison 10 years after smuggling drug money for her girlfriend. The show has been praised for its thoughtful representations of a diverse group of prison inmates, and for exploring issues relating to race, sexuality, and emotion within a controlled, female-dominant environment. Few programs are willing to dedicate so much time to women, and few combine humor with sincerity as flawlessly. The seventh and final season of the series was released in July 2019.

A sci-fi drama from some of the genre’s greatest storytellers might seem like an easy win, but there was nothing typical about this groundbreaking show from Lana and Lilly Wachowski and J. Michael Straczynski. The series follows a group of eight individuals from around the world who suddenly find themselves connected mentally and emotionally. They can experience each other’s lives and draw upon the knowledge and talents they each possess. On the run from a mysterious government agency rounding up these “Sensates,” they must find a way to protect themselves and continue to live their lives, both as individuals and collectively. While the premise might seem straightforward, Sense8 stands out for its diverse international cast and globe-spanning locations that allow them to experience the world through each other’s eyes. As beautiful as the series is visually, it reaches even greater heights with its willingness to explore the world and the human experience through its characters’ hearts, and show the myriad ways we can love and be loved by those around us. The series was abruptly canceled after its second season due to the high cost of its international filming, but a fan campaign prompted Netflix to greenlight a two-hour series finale that tied up the story’s loose ends.