Best dramas on Netflix

In 1980s New York, Vincent Anderson (Benedict Cumberbatch) is the co-creator of popular children’s show Good Day Sunshine. But when it comes to his own nine-year-old son, he’s not the most attentive parent. One day, young Edgar walks to school — but doesn’t come home. To try to reach him, Vincent decides he’s going to create the puppet that Edgar has been drawing — a big, blue furry monster called Eric (also voiced by Cumberbatch) — and get it on TV.

The Split’s Abi Morgan has penned a script with deft character arcs, brought to life superbly by a fine supporting cast. Challenging our perceptions of “good” and “bad”, it’s an unpredictable ride that meaningfully navigates themes from homophobia to homelessness and institutional racism. Original and touching. LAURA RUTKOWSKI

Richard Gadd may not be a name lots of people are familiar with, but in Baby Reindeer, the comedian, actor and writer takes centre stage as Donny to tell us the very real story of his own stalking experience. Without giving too much away, the series does of course delve into the stalking, but it's so much more than that – instead, the show takes us on a journey through Gadd's burgeoning comedy career, the paths he took to get to where he is and the abuse he endured at the start of it.

Far from an easy watch, this dark series doesn't shy away from pivotal self-reflection as we get a window into Gadd's trauma, his sexuality and dating life. Jessica Gunning is especially captivating (and equally quite terrifying) as Donny's stalker, Martha, who isn't your archetypal villain. MORGAN CORMACK

“The Asunta Case” is what this real-life crime saga is known as in Spain. There, it was a notorious news story in 2013: the adopted daughter of a lawyer and a journalist went missing, then was found dead a few miles from her home. This dramatisation shows how the police (including María León as investigator Cristina Cruces) were slightly suspicious of the parents from the off, becoming more and more so as a tangle of errant behaviour came to light. But did that mean this odd couple were child-killers? As the media swarm, the tension steadily builds. JACK SEALE

Country estates, chicken suits and cannabis combine in this latest Guy Ritchie venture, which returns to the TV roots that Ritchie had set out for the project ahead of its release as a film back in 2020. In this new eight-part series, we follow Eddie Horniman (Theo James), who is given quite the shock when he inherits his father's sprawling country manor only to find that it's actually home to a staggering cannabis empire.

But things get a lot more complicated when a bunch of dangerous characters want a piece of the operation, leading Eddie to slip further into the criminal underworld that he initially doesn't seem all that cut out for. Featuring well-known faces like Vinnie Jones and Ray Winstone, as well as Max Beesley and Joely Richardson, this a series that is all too easy to tear through. MORGAN CORMACK

Netflix’s hit period drama doesn’t need gimmicks to keep its fanbase interested, but nevertheless it has a way of refreshing itself whenever it returns, with each new season focussing on a different Bridgerton family sibling. In the third run it’s Colin (Luke Newton), whose vaguely lycanthropic good looks surely don’t make him a match for thoughtful wallflower Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan). But as the two friends embark together on her quest to find a husband, perhaps her romantic destiny is staring her in the face...

As always, the cheeky dialogue and sharp styling feel like they’re turning an age-old storyline into something fresh. JACK SEALE

For many people, the Hindi-language section of Netflix is an undiscovered gem. If you're unfamiliar with standout series like Delhi Crime or Jamtara - Sabka Number Ayega, take this as your sign to add them to your watchlist. Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar takes elements of those darker thrillers and interweaves them into a fictional story about the regal home of Lahore's courtesans. Really, though, with the backdrop of India's fight for independence underpinning the series, Heeramandi is a tale of a group of women trying their hardest to be listened to and taken seriously in the world of politics, business and love. Throughout the episodes, there are some stunning Bollywood-style performances as well as love stories, death and tragedy, making this a series you certainly won't get bored of while watching. MORGAN CORMACK

Is a series like One Day going to divide viewers? Most definitely. But if you're in the mood to watch something romantic, poetic and sure to pull at your heartstrings then the new drama is one you'll not only want to tuck into, but will quickly be lapped up in. 14 episodes may seem like a long stretch of time to dedicate to a series but it's necessary in a show that spans two decades and two separate lives in the form of Emma (Ambika Mod) and Dexter (Leo Woodall).

While their onscreen chemistry may wane at times, One Day pulls you in with that old chestnut of the 'right person, wrong time' trope. From meeting at their graduation ball to being the most important person in each other's lives, you'll want to keep a tissue on hand for the final episodes and Woodall's impressive (and very emotional) performance. MORGAN CORMACK

This comedy-drama series comes from film producing powerhouse A24, whose reputation speaks for itself, meaning you know you're in a safe hands. It stars Steven Yeun and Ali Wong and focuses on the aftermath of a road rage incident as two people, Danny and Amy, enter a feud which threatens to destroy their entire lives. The series balances its tones perfectly, with whip-sharp comic dialogue punctuating the darkness of the story. It is at its heart a deeply existential thought-piece about why we need to open up more and talk about our feelings, rather than letting them consume us – and with two terrific central performances, it sells every aspect of that message. In case you don't believe us, Beef emerged from victorious from the recent Golden Globes 2024 ceremony, with Yeun and Wong winning awards for their performance as the show was named best limited series. JAMES HIBBS

Andrew Scott is a vessel of distilled venom and rage in this handsome new dramatisation of Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr Ripley. The feeling that the anti-hero, Tom Ripley, is a rootless demon with nothing to lose comes through strongly when we meet him, trying and failing to earn a living as a mail fraudster in a 1960s Manhattan made to look lonely, quiet and cold.

When he is unexpectedly hired to track down a rich man’s errant son (Johnny Flynn) in coastal Italy, a new life begins for Tom as a murderous conman. Scott is superb but the star is writer/director Steven Zaillian (The Night Of), who shoots in black and white and keeps finding unexpected camera angles to ensure that we never feel safe. JACK SEALE