Netflix‘s catalog of drama TV shows is among the deepest and most impressive in the streaming world, and subscribers need to take full advantage of it. Over the years, the platform has released a number of great original dramas such as Stranger Things, Squid Game, and Bridgerton. These recurring series capture general TV audiences’ attention each time they drop a new season. Even in the realm of limited drama series, Netflix stands out. Titles like The Queen’s Gambit, Godless, and Baby Reindeer have attracted widespread praise. Those on the hunt for their next thrilling binge session have a ton of Netflix drama shows at their disposal.
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The following 10 drama series are the best and most binge-worthy titles on Netflix, and subscribers should definitely add them to their watchlist.
1) Narcos
Netflix’s Narcos takes audiences through a dramatic deep dive into the Colombian drug trade from the 1970s to the 1990s. The show’s three seasons examine the rise and fall of prominent figures like Pablo Escobar (Wagner Moura) while focusing on the American Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) fight to take them down. Moura and Pedro Pascal deliver standout performances in this captivating drama based on true events. Narcos impressively tackles its subject material with nuance, addressing both the successes the failures of law enforcement’s efforts to combat the kingpins. Containing plenty of exhilarating action and tension, Narcos makes for an incredibly easy binge.
2) Vikings
Fans of historical dramas in search of epic battles and compelling character arcs will have a blast binging Vikings on Netflix. The series, which originally aired on History, predominantly fixates on the life of Viking warrior Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel), who led his army to Anglo-Saxon England. Clashes between Scandinavian and Saxon combatants are abundant in Vikings, and the show’s fight sequences are riveting and brutal. Even in its quieter moments, Vikings produces engrossing drama through its array of unique personalities—from Ragnar’s children to English Kings. It’s hard not to fall in love with Vikings while experiencing its glorious narrative.
3) Peaky Blinders
Another top-notch historical drama, Peaky Blinders is widely considered among the best shows on Netflix. The story revolves around Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) and his family, who run a street gang in Birmingham, England in the years following World War I. Peaky Blinders is beautifully crafted with complex character dynamics, palpable suspense, and gruesome violence over the course of its six seasons. Murphy’s Tommy remains an all-time great TV character portrayal, and Peaky Blinders‘ supporting cast is excellent, too. Peaky Blinders‘ gorgeous cinematography and memorable musical score exist as even more reasons to start binging the show, so Netflix subscribers should add it to their watchlist now.
4) The Crown
The British royal family takes center stage in Netflix’s dramatized account of its history. The Crown starts from the beginning of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign in the 1950s and chronicles the royals’ stories until the 1990s. Each of The Crown‘s six seasons is excellent television, as the cast, writing, sets, cinematography, and score harmonize wonderfully and keep viewers engaged. Although The Crown takes many creative liberties in its recreation of true events, the series presents an unrelenting drama that’s impossible to take one’s eyes off of. Thus, even those uninterested in the House of Windsor’s affairs over the decades will find themselves mesmerized by The Crown.
5) Ozark
Highly praised and viewed as one of the greatest crime dramas of the last decade, Ozark is a must-watch on Netflix. In the show, Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman) hastily moves his family to the Missouri Ozarks to settle a money laundering dispute with a powerful Mexican drug lord. There, Marty endures one danger after another involving the cartel and local residents, triggering an enthralling series of events full of interesting characters and action. It’s hard to find a TV show more addicting than Ozark, as the series’ gripping tension and multitude of shocking plot developments make for an amazing and satisfying binge. Comprised of just four seasons, Ozark is a fantastic series about moral corruption and class disparity. No one who starts watching Ozark will regret it.
6) Breaking Bad
Those who enjoyed Ozark are bound to love Breaking Bad even more. Commonly dubbed as the greatest TV show of all time, Breaking Bad centers on Walter White (Bryan Cranston), a chemistry teacher who starts cooking and selling methamphetamine to fund his family’s future after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Working alongside Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul)—a former student of his—Walt seeks to make a fortune while evading the law and bosses who want him dead. Across five seasons, Breaking Bad unearths Walt’s moral depravity as he rises and falls in the drug world. The series’ plot threads develop at a gradual place, but the payoffs are well worth the investment. Astonishing, disturbing, and absorbing all at once, Breaking Bad is the perfect crime show to binge over a week or two.
7) Mr. Robot
The masterful character study at the heart of Mr. Robot deserves much more recognition. A crime drama and psychological thriller, the show fixates on Elliot Alderson (Rami Malek), a mentally unstable cybersecurity engineer who joins the covert hacker group fsociety to orchestrate the mass erasure of consumer debt. At times it’s challenging to fully comprehend Mr. Robot‘s enigmatic story, which includes flashbacks and alternate realities, however the series leans on its extraordinary characters to bring everything together. Rami’s Emmy-winning lead performance is a major highlight of Mr. Robot, while the show’s unbridled intensity and stunning plot twists make it an exhilarating binge.
8) Black Sails
One won’t find many binge-worthy TV shows about pirates in the streaming world, but Black Sails prevails as an outstanding exception. Set in the early 18th century, the series functions as a prequel to Treasure Island and depicts numerous fictional and real-world pirates as they fight to control New Providence Island in the Golden Age of Piracy. From Captain James Flint (Toby Stephens) and “Long” John Silver (Luke Arnold) to Charles Vane (Zach McGowan) and Anne Bonny (Clara Paget), Black Sails‘ band of characters offer plenty of fascinating qualities. Black Sails also features thrilling battles, both on the high seas and on land. Intricate schemes and unpredictable betrayals among the pirates make Black Sails an exciting viewing experience for all lovers of good TV. Netflix subscribers should queue-up Black Sails and start binging it today.
9) Ripley
The newest adaptation of the novel The Talented Mr. Ripley, Netflix’s limited series is spellbinding from start to finish. The tale follows Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott), a skilled con artist who poses as a rich man’s son and commits a succession of crimes across Europe. Scott expertly portrays Tom’s irresistible charisma, underlying deceitfulness, and capacity for sinister acts. Ripley generates an air of mystery and intrigue as it peels back the layers of its main character. The tension mounts as Tom’s list of misdeeds lengthens, paving the way for some breathtaking episodes. Audiences will never know what’s coming next in Ripley, which makes the miniseries a terrific and quick binge.
10) The Fall of the House of Usher
Renowned for blending horror elements with first-rate drama, writer-director Mike Flanagan delivered one of his most intoxicating projects with the Netflix limited series The Fall of the House of Usher. Inspired by the works of Edgar Allen Poe, the show’s eight episodes tell the story of Roderick (Bruce Greenwood/Zach Gilford) and Madeline Usher (Mary McDonnell/Willa Fitzgerald) and their lives of corruption as heads of a pharmaceutical company. The Fall of the House of Usher chronicles the siblings’ rise to power in the past and focuses on the mysterious deaths of Roderick’s children in the present. Nothing can prepare audiences for The Fall of the House of Usher‘s jaw-dropping series of events as the supernatural creeps into a narrative of tragedy and ruthlessness. Elevated by scattered jump scares, horrifying death scenes, and superb acting performances, The Fall of the House of Usher is truly a masterpiece of television.
All of these entries are available to stream on Netflix.
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