Netflix is a bounty of entertaining content. The platform has produced countless original series over the years, but only a select few from the streaming service’s massive library have managed to feel genuinely near-perfect from beginning to end. Whether through consistently gripping pacing, emotionally layered storytelling, breathtaking visuals, or unforgettable characters, those select few are some of Netflix’s most rewarding series that should honestly be consistently shared with others.
Near-perfect icons of the streaming service like sci-fi watch Alice in Borderland, which transforms its survival drama into a tense psychological thriller filled with unpredictable twists and emotional desperation, and Stranger Things, another bout of sci-fi brilliance on Netflix that stands as a global phenomenon, are just two examples of what the platform has produced in recent years. On this list are some of Netflix’s near-perfect watches that are definitely worth spending time watching once or even twice.
8
‘Arcane’ (2021–2024)
Arcane is a fantastic Netflix series that counts as a great success among the best video game adaptations. Set between Piltover and Zaun, the show features technological transformation, class fracture, and family rupture through the eyes of figures like Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and Caitlyn (Katie Leung), as they become entrenched in violent unrest, political conflict, and the increasingly rapid divide between the two cities.
Few animated series in recent years have succeeded in the ways that Arcane has. It’s a meticulously crafted gem that wields every frame, action sequence, and emotional beat to reflect the extraordinary level of artistic precision the fantasy drama has. What makes Arcane a near-perfect watch is the show’s outright clearing of three bars all at once: it is critically bulletproof, visually revolutionary, and emotionally legible to non-gamers, marking it a perfect match for this list of near-perfect Netflix greats that all subscribers should take the time out to watch.
7
‘Stranger Things’ (2016–2025)
Stranger Things is a Netflix sci-fi original series that has truly captured mainstream audiences quite thoroughly. The series follows the mysterious disappearance of the young Will Byers (Noah Schnapp), as his family and friends find themselves desperate in search of him, stumbling across a troubling conspiracy of experiments, alternate dimensions, supernatural predation, and telepathic, waffle-loving little girls.
Stranger Things is its own cultural phenomenon thanks to its genuinely lovable cast, nostalgic atmosphere, and absolutely thrilling supernatural mystery. The series is a hypnotizing blend of Spielberg-inspired adventure with heartfelt coming-of-age storytelling and horror, making this list because it stands as one of the clearest examples of understanding how to create event television. Stranger Things is well-deserving of its status as one of Netflix’s near-perfect works because even with its quieter moments, it remains a deeply entertaining and emotionally engaging series rife with suspenseful storytelling, unforgettable characters, and massive crowd-pleasing spectacles.
6
‘Derry Girls’ (2018–2022)
This underrated good time is one of Netflix’s best-kept secrets. Derry Girls centers on a chaotic friend group, including Erin Quinn (Saoirse-Monica Jackson), Orla McCool (Louisa Harland), Clare Devlin (Nicola Coughlan), Michelle Mallon (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell), and James Maguire (Dylan Llewellyn), as they bumble, panic, posture, and self-mythologize their way through adolescence in 1990s Derry during a rather overall troubling time.
Derry Girls is an extremely charming watch. The Netflix comedy-drama deserves far more attention than it’s ever received. It’s impossibly funny, with outrageous characters that add to the show’s hilarity while still delivering heartfelt, wholesome moments and a surprisingly sincere coming-of-age story buried underneath all the often-frantic madness. Derry Girls is no doubt an outstanding series, with emotional warmth, sharp writing, and endlessly lovable character dynamics that make every chaotic episode feel incredibly memorable, marking it as a watch worth diving into.
5
‘Sex Education’ (2019–2023)
Sex Education is another teen drama that is hilariously adult in the most important ways. The drama focuses on the horribly awkward and anxious teen Otis Milburn (Asa Butterfield), as he uses the knowledge he’s gained from his sex therapist mother, Jean (Gillian Anderson), to start an underground clinic at school, where he advises other teens on all things sex.
Sex Education may be a teen drama, but its balance of coming-of-age storytelling and mature discussions about relationships and emotional honesty makes it the perfect watch for most adults. The show may be incredibly bawdy, yes, but it’s also extremely sex-positive, humane, and strangely attentive to things like shame, religion, disabilities, identity, friendship, and emotional education. Sex Education is a British drama that deserves far more attention than it’s ever received simply because it’s honestly one of the best shows Netflix has ever produced.
4
‘The Last Kingdom’ (2015–2022)
This thrilling historical drama is genuinely consistent in its high quality across its multiple seasons. The Last Kingdom follows Uhtred (Alexander Dreymon), a Saxon-born man who was once raised by Danes, and is constantly forced to keep choosing between blood, belief, and ambition in a Britain being violently remade.
The Last Kingdom is for anyone who desires a gripping historical drama rife with political betrayal, brutal warfare, emotional character arcs, and deeply satisfying long-form storytelling. Even beyond its absolutely thrilling action and historical spectacle, The Last Kingdom delivers a strong emotional core, memorable characters, and consistently engaging pacing. It’s one of those rare watches that feels insanely rewarding with each season. The Last Kingdom is entertainment brilliance that succeeds as a Netflix epic for viewers addicted to layered conflicts, large-scale historical storytelling, and emotionally driven warrior journeys.
3
‘Alice in Borderland’ (2020–Present)
Alice in Borderland is a constantly overlooked gem, whose near-perfection isn’t acknowledged nearly enough. The series centers on the drifting gamer with no clear place in ordinary life, Arisu (Kento Yamazaki), as he and his two friends wake up in an emptied-out Tokyo where survival depends on deadly games that expose intellect, fear, selfishness, and despair.
Alice in Borderland is quality sci-fi television. Viewers who have seen the series have lauded it as an underrated bout of perfection that offers thrills, fright, and emotional sincerity. The Netflix series is impeccably bingeable, a hard-hitting action with a crisp survival design and enough emotional seriousness to keep it from becoming just another empty spectacle. Alice in Borderland may have its flaws in its much later seasons, but the series is a quality watch that creates a viewing experience that feels constantly suspenseful.
2
‘Black Mirror’ (2011–Present)
This compellingly brilliant sci-fi spectacle is one of the finest, most unpredictable anthology series ever created. Black Mirror centers around episodic, standalone stories. Black Mirror stands as an incredibly compelling and rather unsettling examination of humanity’s relationship with technology — it’s amazingly ambitious in its concepts and haunting social commentary.
It’s a watch that very few shows even come close to matching in creativity and quality. Netflix subscribers who haven’t seen the show should definitely dive into the series, as it offers episode after episode of new worlds, moral dilemmas, and emotional nightmares, constantly exploring how things like social media, innovation, surveillance, and outright digital obsession can reshape human behavior in deeply disturbing ways. Black Mirror is no doubt extremely bleak, but it also stands as one of Netflix’s bright spots that has had a hand in setting the standard for quality sci-fi series.
1
‘Sense8’ (2015–2018)
Sense8 is an underrated sci-fi masterpiece that tells an emotionally expansive story. The incredible series follows eight perfect strangers around the world who become inexplicably linked and must survive being hunted by malicious forces that see them as a threat.
Sense8 is a bout of brilliance that everyone should indulge in. It’s an extremely underrated Netflix beauty that never truly found its way into mainstream conversations. Sense8 actually stands as one of the streaming platform’s most bold and most emotionally ambitious originals, delivering a quality series that at its core explores connection. It’s a masterful sci-fi watch that is genuinely unforgettable. Most who have seen the series have praised it for its groundbreaking representation and creative storytelling. Sense8 may have never succeeded in gaining an overwhelming audience, but it’s a near-perfect Netflix gem that is definitely worth taking the chance on.
