Shows to Watch on Netflix
By: Cedric Bell
Netflix has over 10,000 titles to stream and being stuck inside because of a global pandemic and harsh cold weather presents the perfect opportunity to watch them. That being said, not all of them are worth giving your time, and sifting through that many tv shows to find a few good ones is a daunting task. In order to make that easier for you, I have put together a list of the 10 most engaging shows that I’ve found on Netflix to either binge through or watch at your own pace.
1. Bojack Horseman
Easily my favorite show on this list, “Bojack Horseman” is a comedy/drama that plays both genres off of each other perfectly. It manages to be an outrageous and witty animated comedy as well as an insightful commentary on mental illness. The characters are engaging and complex, it’s extremely well written, and it has a very unique blend of heart and humour. Despite the rough first season, this is one of the funniest and most heartbreaking series I’ve ever seen.
2. The Umbrella Academy
Another Netflix original, “The Umbrella Academy” is a comedy series that follows a dysfunctional super powered family as each member struggles with personal issues. It’s very funny and easy to burn through, with interesting presentation. It’s nothing hugely original or unique, but it’s simple, fun and highly entertaining.
3. Community
This comedy series centers around a community college, is extremely sharp, with quick, snappy dialogue and a great cast of characters. It’s very experimental, often parodying other genres and ideas in clever ways. It’s one of the few shows that can make me laugh out loud often, and despite some missteps in the later seasons, it’s well worth watching.
4. The Queen’s Gambit
How you make a show about chess interesting and engaging is something I’m still struggling to understand, but somehow this show manages to pull it off. It’s a thoughtful, slow burn, centered around the intriguing premise of an addict struggling to separate her habits and her chess career.
5. Love, Death & Robots
This anthology series takes on different animation styles and premises each episode. Although some are better than others, each is interesting because of its subject matter, visual presentation, or both. And because of the way the show is structured, it’s easy to pick and choose episodes based on what sounds or looks interesting to you.
6. American Vandal
This mockumentary series uses the same style as other Netflix originals such as, “Making a Murderer”, by following a central mystery that deepens with every episode. Although it’s a parody, it manages to be just as engaging as the others in its genre without taking itself too seriously.
7. The Haunting of Hill House
“The Haunting of Hill House” takes the old haunted mansion premise and turns it into something entirely its own, focusing more so on the characters and their individual struggles than the actual horrors of the house. When it wants to be scary it certainly is, but the highlight of the show is how well it handles the family drama.
8. Santa Clarita Diet
This dark comedy follows a suburban family after the mother starts developing the same habits as a zombie, including a taste for human flesh. It’s outrageous and gross, but extremely funny, and the way it juxtaposes the close family unit and their new dietary problem is consistently clever. It was cancelled before it’s time, but what is already there is gold.
9. Breaking Bad
Those that haven’t already seen it are probably sick of hearing about how good it is, but there’s a reason for that; it is good. Really good. It’s smart, dark, sometimes funny and sometimes tense, but always keeps you wanting more. It has one of the best performances and series long character arcs on tv, and if you haven’t seen it, it might be time to finally watch it.
10. Jessica Jones
“Jessica Jones” manages to outshine the other Marvel Netflix shows by being more interesting. It’s got a noir detective style that it uses to explore PTSD and trauma in a really grounded way. It’s also got some one of the most compelling villains on tv, and the way one episode flows into the next makes it hard to stop watching once started.