It’s been a while since we’ve offered up a list of some of Netflix’s most binge-worthy content. While not ideal, for now, and likely for the near future, much of everyone’s entertainment will be coming via online streaming. If you’re still under stay-at-home orders, you’ve likely spent hours lurking Netflix looking for the perfect content to watch in your free time. We’ve recognized this current predicament and we got you. We’re here to save you the trouble with a new round-up just in time for the weekend.
This particular round-up is an ode to some of the best animated, horror, crime-drama, and documentary-style series the platform has to offer. If you're looking for something classic, check out our binge-watch list for classic TV shows on Netflix here.
Happy watching, and let us know what's on your watch list in the comments.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
- Animated, 3 seasons, Completed
If you didn’t already know, the beloved animated series hit the streaming service in mid-May. You’ve definitely seen the ATLA memes on Twitter, whether it’s people expressing their love for the Fire Nation through fancams of Prince Zuko or clever punchlines using Avatar context you need to watch to understand. The point is, people are geeked to have the show, which came out 15 years ago, available to stream. The series follows 12-year-old protagonist Avatar Aang and his gang as he journeys through the four nations, mastering all the elements to maintain world balance and defeat the Fire Nation. The 61-episode series is a must-watch that will for sure take you down memory lane.
How To Get Away With Murder
- Drama, 6 seasons, Completed
The Shonda Rhimes-produced crime drama recently came to a conclusion with its sixth and final season and you can now finally catch up and say farewell to the series. The critically acclaimed legal drama boasts six 15-episode seasons with a new murder to get away with each one. The series formatting begins each season at the scene of a murder or crime, and each episode contributes to the timeline leading up to the full explanation of the explosive event. The show is a thriller packed with endless twists that’ll for sure keep you hooked, especially in the final season.
Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich
- Limited Series Documentary, 4 parts
When Netflix announced that there was a limited series in development based on the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, it immediately garnered buzz. Filthy Rich, which began production even before Epstein’s death in August 2019, is a true look into Epstein’s wealth and unravels the child sex trafficking ring the multi-millionaire operated from his private island nicknamed ‘Pedophile Island.’ The docuseries even features interviews with several survivors of the ring. A must watch for sure.
Total Drama
- Animated, 5 seasons, Completed
You may remember this animated comedy series airing on Cartoon Network back in ‘08. From the same production company responsible for the animated series 6teen, Total Drama is an ‘animated reality television series’ that parodies adventure reality game shows like Survivor and The Amazing Race. There are even eliminations every week and prize money to be won in each season. The show also happens to be critically acclaimed and even has a cult following. It’s a short watch, with an average length of 22-minute episodes per episode for each of the show’s five seasons. Tune into Total Drama and fall in love with your fave contestants (Leshawna is pretty awesome).
Naruto
- Animated (Anime), 9 seasons, Completed
The Naruto series is iconic. If you’ve never seen the original 220 episode series of Naruto, now is a good time to get hip. The title character of the series Naruto Uzumaki is a super-likable young hero who hopes to become Hokage, the ninja recognized by the rest of the village to be the strongest and leader of them all. If you liked watching Aang and his hero journey, you’ll for sure love Naruto. He has a similar positive, never-give-up attitude Aang does. Plus, there are 220 episodes, perfect for binging.
American Horror Story
- Anthology Horror, 8 seasons, Ongoing
If you’re into horror and the occult, AHS is the perfect anthology series for you. Each season of the show is a self-contained miniseries that follows a different horror story. The show’s most critically acclaimed seasons are the first three, Murder House, Asylum, and Coven, respectively. The show’s eighth season, subtitled Apocalypse, is also a noteworthy crossover between the first and third season of the series. Get into AHS!
Hip Hop Evolution
- Documentary Series, 4 seasons, Completed
As avid fans of hip-hop music and it’s culture, this documentary series is a must-watch. Originally airing on HBO Canada back in 2016, the series profiles the history of hip-hop music through interviews with leading cultural figures in the genre and won the 2017 International Emmy Award for Best Arts Programming. The series documents the development of the genre and features interviews with the pioneers of DJing, rapping, and production including Afrika Bambaataa, Kool Moe Dee, The Sugarhill Gang, Russell Simmons, and Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five. It starts with documenting the first hip-hop party in The Bronx where DJ Kool Herc DJed his sister’s party and in doing so emerged as the godfather of the tradition. The rest is hip-hop history!
Death Note
- Animated (Anime), 37 episodes, Completed
Death Note is a 37-episode anime series based on a manga series of the same name revolving around Light Yagami, a high school student who decides to rid the world of evil spirits with assistance from a supernatural notebook called a Death Note. The book has the ability to kill anyone whose name is written in it, and Light runs into trouble once people become suspicious of the deaths. The series is an incredibly creative concept and a classic for many anime lovers. What are you waiting for, tap in!
How To Fix A Drug Scandal
- Limited Series Documentary, 4 seasons, Completed
How To Fix A Drug Scandal is a true-crime documentary developed by Erin Lee Carr that follows the effects of Massachusetts crime drug lab chemists Annie Dookhan and Sonja Farak and their tampering with evidence. Dookhan forged reports and samples to produce desired results, while Farak was accused of using the evidence to get high herself. The actions of the two women alone resulted in tens of thousands of drug counts being dismissed, the largest mass dismissal in U.S. history. Interested? Check it out on Netflix!
Money Heist
- Crime Drama, 4 parts, Ongoing
There’s something about Money Heist that’s addicting. The premise of the 2017 Spanish heist crime drama traces two long-prepared bank heists led by the Professor. The story of the series is told in a real-time-like fashion and relies on flashbacks, time-jumps, hidden character motivations, and an unreliable narrator for intricacy. The result is an Award-winning sophisticated and engaging plot. The series is in Spanish, but if you’re not afraid to do some subtitle reading, you’ll fall in love with Money Heist.
Space Force
- Comedy, 1 season, Ongoing
The Office stans, this one is for you. Space Force is a comedy series created by Greg Daniels and Steve Carell, the same creative minds responsible for the hit sitcom The Office. The show stars Carell as General Mark R. Naird as he is tasked with establishing the sixth branch of the US Armed Forces, the United States Space Force. The series is a parody of the real US Space Force officially established by Trump and is for sure worth a watch.
Who Killed Malcolm X?
- True Crime Documentary Series, 6 parts, Completed
This six-part true-crime docu-series directed by Rachel Dretzin and Phil Bertelsen follows the work of Abdur-Rahman Muhammed, who has spent more than 30 years investigating the assassination of Malcolm X in 1965. The doc even includes information from the convicted Nation of Islam assassin himself Talmadge Hayer on who his co-conspirators were. If you’re into historical docs, especially ones covering huge-era defining moments, tune in.
Arrow
- Superhero Drama, 8 seasons, Completed
Tap into the Arrowverse with Arrow. The show, which just wrapped up in January, is based on the DC Comics character Green Arrow, a costumed secret vigilante who fights crime and corruption using a bow and arrow. Arrow follows Oliver Queen, who is a billionaire playboy at the beginning of the series but he eventually finds redemption through the show's 8 seasons. If you finish Arrow, you can watch any of the four spin-offs from the series, including The Flash and Supergirl, which are both set in the Arrowverse and available on Netflix too.
Bates Motel
- Psychological Horror Drama, 5 seasons, Completed
Admittedly, this series is a little spooky--but would you expect anything less from a genre of television called ‘psychological horror drama.’ Bates Motel was conceptualized as a contemporary prequel to the 1960 film psychological horror film Psycho, which is based on a 1959 novel of the same name. If you’re familiar with Psycho, you’re familiar with the relationship between Norman and Norma Bates. The series follows Norman and his life prior to the events of the film, including his increasingly dangerous mental health. Get into it.
Attack on Titan
- Animated (Anime), 25 episodes, Ongoing
Another iconic series, Attack on Titan is a must-watch for anyone who calls themselves an anime fan. Referred to as “a masterpiece of death and destruction,” the series follows Eren Yeager and his pals as they battle skyscraper-sized titans within their walled city. The series is thrilling, with tons of unexpected twists and turns. Unfortunately only the first season is available on Netflix, but you can find the other two seasons on Hulu.