The best Netflix TV shows of 2025 (so far)

We’re halfway through 2025, and Netflix has already produced seemingly countless new TV shows, from new seasons of its biggest hits to original shows. But which ones are the cream of the crop?

Luckily for you, we’ve sorted through the myriad of shows Netflix has put out this year and determined the 10 series you absolutely must check out. From quirky new comedies and hair-raising mysteries to devastating miniseries and nightmare-inducing dystopias, here are the 10 best Netflix shows of 2025 so far.

10. Squid Game, Season 3

It’s the end of an era on Netflix, as Hwang Dong-hyuk’s smash hit Squid Game comes to a bloody close. Following the end of Season 2’s unsuccessful player rebellion against the games, Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) is basically a shell of his former self. As he battles through new twisted games and faces down increasingly greedy contestants, will he find any last shreds of hope for his future and humanity? Or has the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) successfully ground down his faith in his fellow players?

Honestly, Squid Game’s grand finale is a bit of a mess, one that loses whatever little subtlety it had left. (Those masked billionaires tank the show whenever they’re on screen!) But even at its most ridiculous, the show remains stomach-churningly captivating. Even after three seasons, it’s tough not to get invested in the games, or to scream at the screen every time disaster strikes. So thank you, Squid Game, for the many heart attacks you’ve given over the years. I think this season’s hide-and-seek game alone took months off my life. — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter

Starring: Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Yim Si-Wan, Kang Ha-neul, Wi Ha-jun, Park Gyu-young, Lee Jin-wook, Park Sung-hoon, Yang Dong-geun, Kang Ae-sim, Lee David, Roh Jae-won, and Jo Yuri

How to watch: Squid Game Season 3 is now streaming on Netflix.

9. Black Mirror, Season 7

Charlie Brooker’s sci-fi anthology series can be patchy, but when the show hits, it really hits. Opening with one of the all-time most devastating episodes (one that may be better not to watch first, in fact), Season 7 is a mixed bag with some very high highs (or lows, if you’re talking from an existential dread perspective) and plenty of its trademark, technology-based terror. Fans of U.S.S. Callister will be happy, as there’s a sequel, as will anyone who likes their futuristic fear with a side of moving nostalgia (hello, Eulogy). — Sam Haysom, Deputy UK Editor

Starring: Will Poulter, Awkwafina, Peter Capaldi, Paul Giamatti, Rashida Jones, Tracee Ellis Ross, Cristin Milioti, Chris O’Dowd, Emma Corrin, Jimmi Simpson, and Issa Rae

How to watch: Black Mirror Season 7 is now streaming on Netflix.

8. Running Point

Cross Ted Lasso with the NBA, and you get Running Point. Created by Mindy Kaling, Elaine Ko, Ike Barinholtz, and David Stassen, this sports comedy centers on the wealthy Gordon family, owners of the Los Angeles Waves. When the family’s sole daughter Isla (Kate Hudson) unexpectedly gets appointed team president, she faces the steep challenge of turning a lifeless team around — all while being underestimated at every turn by her skeptical brothers.

What follows is pure fun: part Ted Lasso fish-out-of-water sports story, part Succession-style examination of a messed-up wealthy family. Leading it all is Hudson, who proves herself as quite the comedic playmaker, alongside a hilarious ensemble including Brenda Song, Drew Tarver, and Scott MacArthur. Whether you love basketball or are on the hunt for a glossy new sitcom, Running Point is a sure bet, one that I praised in my review as „a sharp comedy that skewers both professional basketball and dysfunctional families with glee.“ — B.E.

Starring: Kate Hudson, Brenda Song, Drew Tarver, Scott MacArthur, Fabrizio Guido, Toby Sandeman, Chet Hanks, Max Greenfield, Jay Ellis, and Justin Theroux

How to watch: Running Point is now streaming on Netflix.

7. Forever

Judy Blume’s seminal coming-of-age novel Forever… provided young readers with refreshingly honest depictions of teen romance and sexuality. Now, her classic gets a thoughtful adaptation in Netflix’s Forever, created by Mara Brock Akil (Girlfriends). Brock Akil follows the core storyline of Blume’s work but shifts the setting from 1970s New Jersey to 2018 Los Angeles. She also reimagines the novel’s leads as two Black teens, Keisha (Lovie Simone) and Justin (Michael Cooper Jr.), each of whom is facing big choices about college and the future.

Brock Akil’s big adaptation changes pay off, allowing her to examine issues of race and class, as well as how modern-day technology impacts intimacy. Plus, she deepens our understanding of both Keisha and Justin’s home lives. The pair are already extra compelling together thanks to Simone and Cooper Jr.’s immaculate chemistry, but Forever makes you just as interested in their individual goals as in their relationship. Still, their romance remains one of the sweetest TV love stories of the year. As I wrote in my review, „[Forever] is a sweet, heart-wrenching account of young love, one that significantly diverges from Blume’s original novel but is still very much a companion piece to it.“ — B.E.

Starring: Lovie Simone, Michael Cooper Jr., Xosha Roquemore, Marvin Lawrence Winans III, Wood Harris, Barry Shabaka Henley, Niles Fitch, Paigion Walker, and E’myri Crutchfield

How to watch: Forever is now streaming on Netflix.

6. Toxic Town

The first of two limited series from writer Jack Thorne on this list, Toxic Town tells a fictionalised version of a real-life story. Following a group of mothers who’ve given birth to children with limb differences, Thorne’s drama follows their legal battle against the local council as they attempt to get to the bottom of whether or not they were poisoned due to negligence and corruption at the nearby steelworks. It’s an emotional and frustrating story that’s brought to life by a strong script and incredible performances across the board, especially from Jodie Whittaker (Doctor Who) and Aimee Lou Wood (The White Lotus), who star as two of the real-life mothers leading the fight. — S.H.

Starring: Jodie Whittaker, Aimee Lou Wood, Rory Kinnear, Brendan Coyle, Robert Carlyle, Joe Dempsie, Claudia Jessie, Ben Batt, Stephen McMillan, Lauren Lyle, Michael Socha, Karla Crome, and Matthew Durkan

How to watch: Toxic Town is now streaming on Netflix.

5. Dept. Q

The Queen’s Gambit creator Scott Frank and Chandni Lakhani strike mystery gold in Dept. Q, adapted from Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen’s series of the same name. The show centers on Detective Carl Morck (Matthew Goode), an English cop in Scotland who’s disliked by practically everyone he comes into contact with. As Carl recovers from a traumatic gunshot wound, he’s put in charge of a new department, one tasked with solving cold cases. It’s a publicity stunt dressed up as a public service, but with the help of some unlikely assistants, Carl may just be able to turn this department into a powerhouse. Their first case? The disappearance of prosecutor Merritt Lingard (Chloe Pirrie), whose current plight is nothing short of a claustrophobic nightmare.

Dept. Q toggles between taut mystery and intriguing character study, delving deep into Carl’s growth towards someone who’s maybe slightly pleasant, as well as the journeys of Carl’s fellow detectives Akram (Alexej Manvelov), Rose (Leah Byrne), and Hardy (Jamie Sives). Together, they create a lovable squad with the potential for a long run of case-cracking on Netflix. The streaming gods demand it! — B.E.

Starring: Matthew Goode, Kelly Macdonald, Chloe Pirrie, Kate Dickie, Alexej Manvelov, Jamie Sives, and Leah Byrne

How to watch: Dept. Q is now streaming on Netflix.

4. The Four Seasons

Tina Fey reinvents Alan Alda’s 1981 comedy The Four Seasons in this charming series from Netflix. Fey and an all-star cast including Colman Domingo, Steve Carell, and Will Forte, play three couples who go on vacation together every season. Despite the picturesque locations, tensions inevitably rise within the friend group when Nick (Carell) leaves his wife Anne (Kerri Kenney-Silver) and begins dating a younger woman (Erika Henningsen).

While The Four Seasons boasts its fair share of dry wit, cringe comedy, and the occasional slapstick, it’s the group’s interpersonal tensions that truly make this show stand out. Fey and co-creators Lang Fisher and Tracey Wigfield deftly examine the pitfalls of adult friendships and long-lasting marriages, creating a comedy that doubles as an aching reflection on the work that goes into even the most long-lasting of friendships and romances. As I wrote in my review, „It’s the substance that sneaks up on you that really makes The Four Seasons a winner, even if it’s a slower burn from the jump.“ — B.E.

Starring: Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Colman Domingo, Marco Calvani, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Will Forte, and Erika Henningsen

How to watch: The Four Seasons is now streaming on Netflix.

3. North of North

The small-town comedy genre gets a lovely new entry in Netflix’s North of North, which transports viewers to the Arctic town of Ice Cove. There, young Inuk woman Siaja (Anna Lambe) decides to leave her stale marriage to local legend Ting (Kelly William) and start over. That’s easier said than done in an isolated town of 2,200 people, but Siaja is determined to succeed — although things get complicated when her estranged father (Jay Ryan) returns to town.

Don’t let the frigid setting fool you: North of North is as heartwarming as TV shows come. Siaja’s journey to independence is equal parts inspiring and amusing, as it takes several ridiculous mishaps for her to learn what she wants. Also touching is her troubled relationship with her mother Neevee (Maika Harper), whose rocky past has led her to put up a tough exterior. These two flawed, lovable women head up a charming ensemble, with Ice Cove and its townspeople coming to life through detailed character work and specific town traditions like elders‘ night and walrus dick baseball. You read that right: walrus dick baseball. To watch how that plays out, and to fall in love with Lambe’s wonderful turn as Siaja, be sure to journey North of North.(*) — B.E.

Starring: Anna Lambe, Maika Harper, Braeden Clarke, Jay Ryan, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Zorga Qaunaq, Bailey Poching, and Kelly William

How to watch: North of North is now streaming on Netflix.

2. Mo, Season 2

Not only is Mo one of the best TV shows of 2025 — it’s also essential viewing. Co-created by Mo Amer and Ramy Youssef, this semi-autobiographical series centers on Palestinian refugee Mo (Amer) and his family’s lives in Houston. Season 2 opens with Mo struggling to get back to the U.S. from Mexico. Detention centers and perilous border crossings await, all sobering reflections of the real-life journeys of immigrants trying to make it across the U.S.-Mexico border.

As UK Editor Shannon Connellan wrote in her review, „Mo’s second season comes at a volatile time for Palestinians and undocumented immigrants alike, with those in power enforcing heartless, brutal decisions from disengaged, lofty offices that impact real people. Somehow, beyond all belief, amid a sense of transience and fear, of stacked odds and starting from scratch, Mo finds levity, surrealism, and personal solidarity in the dark, while being a genuinely funny and moving show.“(*) — B.E.

Starring: Mo Amer, Farah Bsieso, Teresa Ruiz, Tobe Nwigwe, and Omar Elba

How to watch: Mo Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.

1. Adolescence

Likely to be the most harrowing viewing experience you’ll have this year, Adolescence traps you in a nightmare over the course of its four episodes, each filmed in one take. Co-created by Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne, and directed by Boiling Point’s Philip Barantini, Netflix’s much buzzed-about miniseries examines the aftermath of a chilling murder committed by 13-year-old Jamie (newcomer Owen Cooper). Each episode focuses on a different perspective around the case, from a detective (Ashley Walters) investigating Jamie’s school to Jamie’s family reckoning with his actions.

These vignettes, coupled with Barantini’s one-take technique, create an unflinching portrait of a crime that feels all too rooted in reality. As UK Deputy Editor Sam Haysom wrote in his review, „Adolescence’s story isn’t a crime mystery so much as a psychological study — it’s an exploration of the manosphere culture that’s having a real world affect on teenagers, and the societal and familial triggers that might lead to a seemingly ordinary 13-year-old doing something unthinkable. On this level, and on almost all others, the show is chillingly effective.“(*) — B.E.

Starring: Stephen Graham, Ashley Walters, Erin Doherty, Owen Cooper, Faye Marsay, Christine Tremarco, and Amelie Pease

How to watch: Adolescence is now streaming on Netflix.

(*) denotes a blurb has come from a prior list.