The 15 Best Netflix Original Drama Series of All Time

One of Netflix's earliest shows is still one of its most acclaimed. Creator Jenji Kohan's dramedy about the inhabitants and employees of a women's prison features a large ensemble led by Taylor Schilling as Piper Chapman, a well-off woman from New York City who unexpectedly finds herself sentenced to prison time. The series also features breakout performances from Uzo Aduba, Danielle Brooks, and Natasha Lyonne, among many others.

The show earned praise for its ambitious writing, its detailed characters, and its commitment to making sure every member of the ensemble mattered. It competed in both comedy and drama categories at the Emmys throughout its run, with Aduba winning twice for her performance. 

"It's very funny and occasionally quite moving, with a crackerjack cast and provocative insights into the way that race and power and magical chickens function in the penal system." —Melissa Maerz, Entertainment Weekly

David Fincher's historical crime drama is so beloved by a small but devoted audience that there are still hopeful if very unlikely rumors about a third season. The series is set in the late '70s and early '80s and tells the story of the founding of the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit and the development of criminal profiling.

Critics shouted from the rooftops about Mindhunter's meticulous craftsmanship, intelligent writing, and finely tuned performances from Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, and Anna Torv as the FBI agents and psychologist working to legitimize criminal profiling as a discipline, as well as the guest stars playing notorious real-life serial killers the agents interview. 

"This isn't your typical good vs. evil, cops vs. robbers procedural. If anything, it's trying to eliminate those conceptions. Sometimes it's funny. Often it's chilling. But however you take it, at least Mindhunter is working a fresh angle." —Ben Travers, IndieWire

Heartstopper is a romantic teen dramedy based on a graphic novel about two boys—Nick (Kit Connor) and Charlie (Joe Locke)—who fall in love and learn about themselves and each other. It also follows several of their friends and classmates, who have their own journeys of self-discovery. 

The heartwarming series earned critical plaudits for its wholesomeness and positivity as a rare show about LGBT characters that leads with joy instead of pain and trauma. Critics also enjoyed the dreamlike animation that appears onscreen throughout the show as a nod to its comic roots. 

Canceled after three seasons, the series will wrap up its remaining storylines with a feature film, Heartstopper Forever, streaming July 17 on Netflix.

"Heartstopper is for teens (and those who still recall what those days felt like). Let it be for them. Blissful and euphoric, Heartstopper is a reminder that life is about living for yourself." —Aramide Tinubu, Variety

This limited series is based on a novel by Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale) and originally aired on the Canadian network CBC. Entirely written by Sarah Polley (Women Talking) and directed by Mary Herron (American Psycho), the historically-derived feminist psychological drama tells the story of Grace Marks (Sarah Gadon), a maid on trial for murdering her employer, a rich man, and his mistress, her boss, in 1843 Ontario.

Gadon's performance was particularly praised by critics; even writers who had problems with the show thought she was wonderful as the enigmatic suspect. Herron's direction was also praised, and the final episode was singled out as excellent. 

"Is she innocent, guilty, crazy? Alias Grace is less about finding the definitive truth than watching Grace feel her way to the answer that could save her. Alias Grace is a story about storytelling — one character compares Grace with Scheherazade — which makes Ms. Gadon essential to its success. She is mesmerizing. She plays Grace convincingly as a timid child and a toughened inmate, and she brings both of them to Grace's wary testimony." —James Poniewozik, The New York Times

Margaret Qualley stars in this hit limited series as Alex Russell, a young mother who takes her two-year-old daughter and leaves her abusive boyfriend. She works as a maid, and tries to navigate living a dignified life on the wrong side of the poverty line while dreaming of becoming a writer. The series is based on a memoir by Stephanie Land. 

Critics approved of the authenticity of the writing and the performances. They especially enjoyed the complex dynamic between Alex and her mentally ill mother Paula, played by Qualley's own mother, Andie MacDowell. 

"Maid is careful in how it details each step of Alex's attempt to escape poverty, so that little things that would be forgettable elsewhere — a small job going well, a friend opening her door without judgment — land with thunderbolt force. Have tissues handy as much for the happy parts as the sad. This is a great one." —Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone

An epic fantasy series constructed entirely out of puppets, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is a sequel to the classic Jim Henson movie from 1982. The series follows three Gelflings—Rian (voiced by Taron Egerton), Brea (Anya Taylor-Joy), and Deet (Nathalie Emmanuel)—who fight back against the Skeksis—the rulers of their planet, Thra—when they find out their sinister overlords are involved in the Darkening that is turning lush Thra uninhabitable. 

Though it only ran for one season, the series was critically adored for its impossibly lifelike puppetry. Reviewers marveled at the extraordinary level of craft that went into the design, construction, and operation of the puppets and sets. They weren't quite as wowed by the writing, but they still mostly liked it. 

"One of the most ambitious and immersive TV events of the year. ... The level of detail in the puppets and their surroundings is, to be blunt, astonishing. Still, Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance would've been nothing more than a technical feat without a story and characters to match, so it's to the writers' credit (not to mention the voice actors' and impressive puppeteers') that the interwoven stories are equally compelling." —Caroline Framke, Variety

This list has three shows—released less than 18 months apart—that were scripted by prolific British screenwriter Jack Thorne. The lowest-ranked (but still very high) of the three is this limited series about a scandal that took place in the British town of Corby, where toxic waste from a disused steel mill caused severe health problems for residents and greedy political leaders knew and did nothing. Jodie Whitaker stars as the mother of a child born with birth defects who leads the fight for justice. 

Thorne's deft hand with real-life material impressed critics, who praised the show's respect for its subjects. Their hard-won victory is deeply felt. 

"The result here is unexpectedly uplifting. Toxic Town's winning, underdog spirit brightens a universal tale, a final salvo in the fight to be heard." —Nick Hilton, The Independent

In this limited series based on a Pultizer Prize-winning article, Kaitlyn Dever plays a young woman named Marie, who is charged with criminally filing a false report for telling the police she was raped, even though she was. Enter Toni Collette and Merritt Wever as detectives in neighboring Colorado towns who realize that there's a serial rapist on the loose in the Denver suburbs—the same man who assaulted Marie in Washington.

The Emmy-nominated series was applauded by critics for its strong writing, the performances of Collette, Wever, and Dever, and the compelling argument it makes for believing women who report assaults. 

"This series has things it wants to say: That it says them plainly is a virtue, and allows us to see the story more clearly. As a document of trauma, overcome both through justice and through a hard-won fight to find self-worth, Unbelievable soars." —Daniel D'Addario, Variety

Jack Thorne (there's that name again) adapts William Golding's enduring 1954 novel about a group of British schoolboys stranded on a desert island with no adults after a plane crash. Their provisional society quickly devolves into warring factions, with tragic results. 

The limited series received plaudits across the board for its cinematography, the performances of its young cast of mostly first-time actors, and the way it finds a resonant and timely political allegory in a familiar, 70+-year-old story.

"Led by an astoundingly talented cast of young actors and brought to life with painterly brushstrokes of vivid color and horrifying imagery, Flies is four episodes of captivating, edge-of-your-seat horror. .... It is an absolute must-watch, as hard as that watching experience may be." —Kelly Lawler, USA Today

Forever is a loose contemporary adaptation of Judy Blume's landmark 1975 teen novel of the same name. It follows student athletes Keisha (Lovie Simone) and Justin (Michael Cooper Jr.) as they fall in love for the first time while the world conspires to keep them apart in the form of parents who want them to focus on securing athletic scholarships to college. 

The series hails from iconic creator Mara Brock Akil (Girlfriends, The Game), and critics raved about the texture of her writing and the thoughtful updates she made to Blume's source material, as well as what she kept. Simone and Cooper's performances were also highlighted. 

"As a whole, Brock Akil skillfully translates Blume's novel for the present-day by tackling the effects of social media on present-day youth, while maintaining the essence of the source material through an evocative depiction of Justin and Keisha's on-and-off romance." —Isabella Soares, Collider

This German limited series follows Esty Shapiro (Shira Haas), a 19-year-old woman who was raised in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn. She is in an arranged marriage to a man she does not love, and she is pregnant. Despairing for her future, she escapes to Berlin, home of her estranged mother who also left the community. There, she experiences secular life for the first time. 

Critics highly rated Unorthodox for its emotional intensity and, especially, Haas' highly expressive performance that starts vulnerable and becomes triumphant. The series was nominated for eight Emmys, including Outstanding Limited Series and Outstanding Lead Actress. Maria Schrader won for directing, the first-ever Emmy win for a German production.

"Unorthodox is an achievement of searing power and grace, attuned to big, sweeping emotions and small, observational moments in equal measure. ... This is one of the major achievements in the history of Netflix original productions. You cannot miss it." —Robert Levin, Newsday

Ava Duvernay created, co-wrote, and directed every episode of this acclaimed limited series. It tells the story of the Exonerated Five—then known as the Central Park Five—a group of Black and Latino teenagers from Harlem who were wrongfully convicted of a 1989 rape. It's a powerful story about a racially motivated miscarriage of justice, and, ultimately, about restoration and hope.

Critics admired the series for DuVernay's clarity of vision, its righteous anger, and the performances of the actors playing the Five. Jharrel Jerome won an Emmy for his performance as Korey Wise, the only one of the Five to serve all of his time in adult prisons, from the time he was 16. 

"This is a work that wants viewers to see these people, and the fullness of their humanity, above everything else. What this means is a miniseries that's both profoundly rich and extraordinarily hard to watch. ... What makes it vital, though, is Jerome's performance as a kid growing up in front of our eyes, under the most outrageous circumstances." —Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic

Richard Gadd's shocking semi-autobiographical drama follows Donny Dunn (a lightly fictionalized version of Gadd played by Gadd himself), a bartender and aspiring comedian, as he deals with a stalker, Martha (Jessica Gunning), who is ruining his life. As he tries to escape Martha's torment, he is forced to confront his own complex sexuality and come to terms with a how a past sexual assault affected him. 

Critics were blown away by Gadd's fearless honesty and dark humor, and the complexity with which he portrayed Donny and Martha — the latter is simultaneously annoying, terrifying, and heartbreakingly sad. The series came out of nowhere to become a cultural sensation and win six Emmys, including Outstanding Limited Series, Outstanding Supporting Actress for Gunning, and acting and writing awards for Gadd. 

"Baby Reindeer is rewardingly complex, challenging our perceptions of what a victim looks like, and asking urgent questions about the support available to both mentally ill people and victims of stalking. It dwells in pockets of moral ambiguity and cuts even deeper into Gadd's own shame and psyche than the stage original." —Rachael Healy, i

Limited series Asura is a remake of a classic Japanese TV series from 1979, directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, one of Japan's most acclaimed living filmmakers. It follows four sisters and how they react to finding out their father has been having a yearslong extramarital affair.

Reviews praised the show for its exceptionally vivid characters and the empathy it has for all of them. The show was released in January 2025, and more than one critic said at the time that it may end up being the show of the year. Close, but it ended up being outranked by the next show on this list. …

"Asura doesn't depict this family's secrets as melodrama or a bustling mystery to be unraveled, it slowly and methodically lets us get to know these well-drawn characters. The family is not dysfunctional in an unrelatable way, like the Roys on Succession or Yellowstone's duplicitous Duttons, what's so engaging is the fact that their problems, and the emotions that spill out as a result, are entirely possible and could happen to any of us." —Liz Kocan, Decider

The most unusual megahit in Netflix's history, this limited series from creators Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham (who stars as well as writes) and director Philip Barantini tells the story of what happens when a 13-year-old boy is charged with murdering his female classmate. Each of the four episodes covers a different moment in time and is shot in a single one-hour take. 

Pretty much every piece of Adolescence amazed critics: the remarkable technical achievement of its filmmaking, its timely theme of youth corrupted by malign social media influences, and, especially, its astonishing performances. Adolescence dominated the 2025 Emmys, winning nine of its 13 nominations, including Outstanding Limited Series. Owen Cooper became the youngest-ever Emmy winner for his performance as the suspect, Jamie Miller, in his screen debut. 

"Far more grown-up than its name might suggest, Adolescence is a triumph of creative and technical artistry where the 'gimmick' at hand elevates it to one of the year's finest." —David Opie, Empire