Don’t sleep on these gems.
When it comes to picking out a Netflix show at any given time, most of us tend to fall into one of two camps: those of us who like to watch the buzziest series on the block, and those of us who like to re-watch our comfort shows for the millionth time (guilty).
As a result, many great shows, despite garnering some hype, get overlooked – sometimes for years. So, to shine a light on some series deserving of a second chance and give you a list to pick from next time you’re pondering what to watch, we rounded up some of the most underrated Netflix shows out right now.
Spanning dark dramedies, psychological thrillers, easy-viewing sitcoms and more, keep reading to find your next show.
1. Love
If you’re looking for a show like Nobody Wants This, Love has got you covered. Co-created by Judd Apatow (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up), it’s an offbeat rom-com that takes a “down-to-earth look at dating” in LA through the pot-stirring Mickey and socially oblivious Gus: two untrustworthy, baggage-laden people who decide to attempt a trusting relationship.
2. Crashing
Starring, created and written by Fleabag’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge, this comedic limited series follows the lives and loves of six twenty-somethings who cohabit as property guardians of a condemned hospital in exchange for cheap rent and a strict set of rules. A bonus? The show also features a pre-Bridgerton Jonathan Bailey as an extremely flirty troublemaker.
3. Bodyguard
If political thrillers are your cup of tea, add Bodyguard to your binge list. A standalone six-episode series, it stars Richard Madden (Game of Thrones) as David Budd, a brooding war veteran with PTSD tasked with protecting the controversial Home Secretary Julia Montague, whose politics he loathes. While he takes his role as bodyguard seriously, feelings of conflicting loyalty and resurfacing past traumas make his job increasingly difficult.
4. Maniac
A Black Mirror-esque miniseries starring Emma Stone and Jonah Hill, Maniac is both dystopian and darkly funny. In it, Stone and Hill play two strangers who cross paths during a mind-bending pharmaceutical trial for a drug they’re assured will – with no complications or side effects whatsoever – permanently solve all of their problems. Suffice it to say… things don’t go to plan.
5. Cuckoo
Favour a lengthy watch, say, five seasons or more? Add this British sitcom to your line-up. Perfect for fans of Arrested Development and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, the show centres around Rachel, a pre-med student who returns from a gap year to tell her Very Proper British parents that she’s found her true love in an American hippy who goes by, you guessed it, ‘Cuckoo’. And that’s just their first surprise.
6. Good Girls
A crime dramedy with four seasons to its name, Good Girls is one of those shows that always had some buzz, but still seemed to go relatively under the radar for how good it was. The proof here is in the premise: three suburban American mothers experiencing financial struggles band together to rob a supermarket, only to find themselves entangled with a crime boss and the FBI.
7. The End of the F***ing World
If you loved Euphoria or Skins, this off-kilter coming-of-age show is one for your watch list. A black comedy based on the graphic novel of the same name, it follows James, a 17-year-old who believes he’s a psychopath, and his classmate Alyssa, a rebellious teenager trying to flee a turbulent household. Running away together, they embark on a road trip across England to find Alyssa’s father, during which a series of mishaps ensues.
8. The Letdown
While it only ran for two seasons, this relatable Australian comedy is a great example of quality over quantity TV. The story centres around Audrey, a new mum having a hard time adjusting to motherhood – a task made tougher thanks to her career-focused husband, aloof mother and fancy-free best friend. Hoping to find some help, she joins a support group for new parents, where she makes a quirky set of friends facing challenges of their own.
9. GLOW
Entertaining yet emotionally deep, GLOW is a comedy-drama that deserves far more attention. Set in ‘80s Los Angeles, Alison Brie (Mad Men, Community) plays Ruth Wilder, a struggling actress who finds an unexpected shot at stardom when she auditions for the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (GLOW). Joining alongside several other women, the show spans their personal and professional lives in the grit and glitter-filled world of women’s wrestling.
10. The House of Flowers
Have a soft spot for Spanish language dramas? Devour Jane the Virgin? If you answered yes to either – The House of Flowers will have you hooked. The Mexican black comedy tells the story of the affluent de la Mora family, known for their prestigious flower shop, La Casa de las Flores (The House of Flowers). However, unbeknownst to the tight-laced matriarch, her husband – who’s being trotted off to jail accused of fraud – has been running a bawdy cabaret of the same name for years. Cue: three seasons of resurfacing family secrets, over-the-top scandals and so much more.
11. Derry Girls
One for fans of British comedy and Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan, Derry Girls delivers deadpan humour via well-defined characters with lots of heart. Revolving around the raucous misadventures of a group of teenagers at a Northern Ireland Catholic school in the early ‘90s, it’s an easy, laugh-out-loud watch for your next night in.
12. Kim’s Convenience
A family sitcom with a feel-good factor, Kim’s Convenience has five seasons to mosey through at your leisure. Centring around the Korean-Canadian Kim family that runs a convenience store in Toronto, the characters are lovable, the plot lines are a little screwball and the nods to the immigrant experience are heartfelt without feeling heavy.
13. Imposters
A dark slapstick comedy about a scammer? Sign us up. Imposters follows charismatic con artist Maddie, who, over many years, has delved into relationships with men and women before disappearing with all their money, leaving a trail of broken-hearted victims in her wake. Her latest assignment threatens to be derailed, however, when he appears to be a potential love interest – and three former marks team up to track her down.
14. She’s Gotta Have It
Created by film luminary Spike Lee and based on his 1986 film of the same name, She’s Gotta Have It follows free-spirited Brooklyn artist Nola Darling as she struggles to balance her life, career and very different lovers – all three of them – while staying true to herself. If you love shows like Insecure, this one deserves a look.
15. Feel Good
Semi-autobiographical in nature, Feel Good stars British comedian Mae Martin as a fictionalised version of themself as they begin a new relationship while recovering from drug addiction. While it sounds heavy and certainly doesn’t skirt around themes like trauma, it’s also surprisingly tender, hopeful and utterly hilarious.
16. Kevin Can F**K Himself
Starring Annie Murphy of Schitt’s Creek fame, this dramedy explores the life of Allison McRoberts, a woman struggling to redefine her life amid an unhappy marriage to a narcissistic man-child. Switching between a multi-camera sitcom and a single-camera drama, the show cleverly draws on both genres to unpack the trope of grin-and-bear-it ‘sitcom wife’. Imagine Everybody Loves Raymond from Debra’s point of view – but make it darker.
17. Blood & Water
Perfect for fans of Elite, Riverdale and Gossip Girl, Blood & Water has four seasons of teen drama, wealth and mystery for you to curl up with. Set in Cape Town, the intelligent yet impulsive 16-year-old Puleng transfers to the illustrious Parkhurst High when she suspects the school’s swimming star is her older sister, who was kidnapped as a baby.
18. Alice in Borderland
Thriller-seekers who have yet to watch Alice in Borderland: add this sci-fi series to your queue, stat. Adapted from the Japanese manga of the same name, the show follows Arisu, a young man, who, along with two of his friends, suddenly finds himself trapped in a perilous parallel universe where they must compete in increasingly lethal games to survive and escape. Ideal if you liked Squid Game or The Hunger Games, the show is still going with a third season on the way.
19. Mindhunter
Heavily inspired by the 1985 true crime book of the same name, Mindhunter draws on the real-life experiences of author John Douglas, a former FBI Special Agent who altered the face of criminal science by changing how serial killers are profiled. In the series, we see a team of two fictional FBI agents attempt to catch murderers by studying their psyches, all the while becoming uneasily close to real-life monsters.
20. Lovesick
If you took Sex Education and aged it up a bit, you would get Lovesick. A British sitcom about a group of university friends living in Glasgow, it all kicks off when Dylan finds out he has chlamydia and attempts to contact all of his past sexual partners to inform them of his diagnosis. It might sound like a strange premise for what is a surprisingly sweet and funny series, but it’s an easy three-season binge that packs plenty of laughs.
