12 Netflix Originals So Brilliant They Deserve a Perfect 10/10 Rating

12 Netflix Originals So Brilliant They Deserve a Perfect 10/10 Rating

Netflix has transformed from a DVD rental service to a powerhouse creating some of the most incredible original content around. Their best shows blend unforgettable characters, innovative storytelling, and production values that rival Hollywood blockbusters. From spine-tingling horror to heartwarming comedies, these 12 Netflix originals stand above the rest as perfect examples of what streaming television can achieve at its absolute best.

1. Midnight Mass (2021)

Mike Flanagan’s masterpiece weaves existential dread through a tiny island community with religious fervor at its core. The seven-episode limited series transforms from character study to supernatural nightmare with such careful precision that viewers barely notice the ground shifting beneath them.

What elevates this show is its willingness to tackle profound questions about mortality, faith, and redemption while delivering genuine scares. The monologues alone deserve awards – particularly Hamish Linklater’s mesmerizing performance as the mysterious priest.

The show’s patient pacing rewards attentive viewers with one of the most thought-provoking horror experiences ever created for television.

2. Bridgerton (2020– )

Lady Whistledown’s scandal sheets have nothing on the actual scandals of this sumptuous period drama. Bridgerton reimagines 19th-century London as a candy-colored playground where diverse aristocrats dance, scheme, and pursue passionate romances that would make Jane Austen blush.

The show’s brilliant costume design and orchestral pop covers create an immersive world that feels both authentic and fantastical. Each season follows a different Bridgerton sibling finding love against impossible odds.

Beyond the swoon-worthy romance, the series tackles issues of class, gender expectations, and family loyalty with surprising depth beneath its gorgeous, glittering surface.

3. BoJack Horseman (2014–2020)

Beneath its cartoon exterior lies television’s most honest portrayal of depression, addiction, and the search for meaning. BoJack Horseman stars a washed-up sitcom actor (who happens to be a horse) navigating Hollywood’s shallow waters while battling his own demons.

The show’s genius comes from its balance of absurdist animal puns and devastating emotional truths. One minute you’re laughing at a visual gag; the next, you’re confronting profound existential questions about trauma and healing.

Over six perfect seasons, BoJack delivered episodes that experimented with form (like the silent underwater episode) while maintaining character development that rivals the best live-action dramas ever made.

4. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015–2019)

Released from an underground bunker after 15 years of captivity, Kimmy Schmidt tackles New York City with infectious optimism that transforms everyone she meets. Ellie Kemper’s performance radiates sunshine through even the darkest storylines.

The show’s rapid-fire jokes (courtesy of Tina Fey and Robert Carlock) pack more laughs per minute than almost any sitcom in history. Supporting characters like Titus Andromedon (Tituss Burgess) deliver quotable lines that have become cultural touchstones.

Beneath the candy-colored humor, the series explores trauma recovery with surprising nuance, showing how Kimmy’s resilience becomes her superpower rather than defining her as a victim.

5. The Queen’s Gambit (2020)

Beth Harmon’s journey from orphaned girl to chess prodigy captivated viewers worldwide, making the cerebral game suddenly sexy. Anya Taylor-Joy’s magnetic performance conveys volumes with just a glance across the chessboard.

The limited series transforms competitive chess into visual poetry through stylish cinematography and period-perfect 1960s design. Each match feels like a thriller, even for viewers who don’t know a pawn from a bishop.

What makes this show exceptional is how it handles Beth’s struggles with addiction and abandonment without ever falling into cliché. Her genius is neither romanticized nor demonized – just portrayed with rare authenticity and respect.

6. The Haunting of Hill House (2018)

The Crain family’s trauma haunts them long after they’ve escaped the malevolent house that claimed their mother. Director Mike Flanagan crafts a horror story that’s equally about grief, addiction, and the bonds that both heal and harm families.

Technically brilliant episodes (including the famous one-shot funeral sequence) showcase filmmaking rarely attempted on television. The hidden ghosts scattered throughout each episode reward repeat viewings with new chills.

The series finds its greatest scares not in jump-scares but in confronting how childhood wounds shape us as adults. Each Crain sibling represents a different stage of grief, creating a psychological horror masterpiece that transcends genre limitations.

7. The Crown (2016–2023)

Elizabeth II’s unprecedented reign provides the backbone for this sumptuous historical drama spanning decades of British history. The rotating cast (including Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, and Imelda Staunton as the Queen) brings fresh energy to each era.

Creator Peter Morgan crafts episodes that function as self-contained stories while building a larger narrative about power, duty, and sacrifice. The production values are simply staggering – from perfect recreations of royal residences to costume design that captures changing decades.

What makes The Crown exceptional is how it humanizes figures often seen as symbols, revealing the personal costs behind the public personas of the world’s most famous family.

8. Mindhunter (2016–2023)

Two FBI agents revolutionize criminal profiling by interviewing imprisoned serial killers in this meticulous David Fincher production. Set in the late 1970s before the term “serial killer” existed, the series explores the birth of behavioral science in law enforcement.

Cameron Britton’s portrayal of Ed Kemper remains one of television’s most chilling performances – cordial and articulate while describing unthinkable acts. The show’s clinical approach makes these interviews all the more disturbing.

Fincher’s trademark precision extends to every frame – from period-perfect set design to the sickly green color palette that subtly enhances the psychological unease. Few shows have captured institutional resistance to change as effectively.

9. Ozark (2017–2022)

Financial advisor Marty Byrde relocates his family to the Ozarks after a money laundering scheme goes wrong, only to become further entangled with criminals and corruption. The blue-tinted visual palette perfectly matches the show’s chilling moral landscape.

Jason Bateman and Laura Linney deliver career-defining performances as a couple whose marriage evolves alongside their criminal enterprise. Julia Garner’s Ruth Langmore emerged as the show’s breakout character – fierce, vulnerable, and unforgettable.

What sets Ozark apart is how it explores the corrosive effects of criminality on family dynamics. Each season raises the stakes while maintaining psychological realism about how ordinary people rationalize increasingly terrible choices.

10. Squid Game (2021–2025)

456 desperate contestants risk their lives playing children’s games for a life-changing cash prize in this South Korean phenomenon. The contrast between innocent playground activities and brutal consequences creates unforgettable tension.

Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk uses candy-colored sets and striking visuals (like the now-iconic staircase) to create a nightmarish wonderland. Lead actor Lee Jung-jae’s performance as Player 456 grounds the surreal premise in emotional reality.

Beyond its edge-of-your-seat thrills, Squid Game offers sharp commentary on economic inequality and how capitalism pits struggling people against each other. Few shows have captured global attention so completely or sparked such widespread cultural conversation.

11. Stranger Things (2016– )

When Will Byers vanishes in small-town Hawkins, his friends discover supernatural forces, government conspiracies, and a mysterious girl with telekinetic powers. The Duffer Brothers crafted a love letter to 80s pop culture that somehow feels both familiar and fresh.

The young ensemble cast delivers performances of remarkable depth, growing alongside their characters through increasingly dangerous adventures. Millie Bobby Brown’s Eleven and David Harbour’s Jim Hopper form the emotional center of an expanding story about found family.

What makes Stranger Things special is how it balances monster-movie thrills with genuine emotional stakes. The friendships feel authentic, the dangers frightening, and the 80s nostalgia serves the story rather than replacing it.

12. Narcos (2015–2017)

Wagner Moura’s transformative performance as Pablo Escobar anchors this gritty examination of Colombia’s drug wars. The series brilliantly interweaves real historical footage with dramatized scenes, creating a documentary-like authenticity.

Narcos never simplifies its complex narrative of how the cocaine trade corrupted institutions across multiple countries. The cat-and-mouse game between cartel leaders and DEA agents Boyd Holbrook and Pedro Pascal unfolds with genuine suspense despite the known historical outcome.

The show’s unflinching portrayal of violence never feels exploitative – instead serving as stark reminder of the human cost of America’s drug policies. Few crime dramas have captured the systemic nature of corruption with such clarity.