The Best Shows Every Streaming Service Has To Offer

Whether you subscribe to Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Disney+, or others, there are plenty of great shows to binge. Here is a map to finding some of them based on your interests. I only watch foreign films with subtitles, so I can’t speak to the voice-over quality of dubbed versions.

Netflix

• 1899: For fans of Dark and LOST, there are plenty of mysterious characters and happenings to keep your mind busy trying to figure things out. Cancelled after one season, but still worth a watch [mystery, thriller]
• Alice in Borderland: For fans of Squid Game (but set in Japan), where people have to compete in life-or-death games. It took two seasons to wrap up the mystery, which mirrors the arc in the graphic novel [survival thriller]
• Archive 81: For fans of dark mysteries that may or may not involve the occult and revolve around found footage, a missing person, and an old hotel with odd tenants. Cancelled after one season, but still worth a watch [horror]
• Atypical: For fans of autism-driven dramedies with a lot of humor and heart [comedy]
• Barbarians: For fans of Roman versus barbarian action with plenty of scheming on behalf of the oppressed. Imagine if they made a movie of the opening fight sequence in Gladiator, but you were cheering for the Germans instead [action]
• Black Butterflies: For fans of shows where dark secrets are constantly revealed during conversations while flashbacks involving grisly deaths and sexual assault drive the story along [psychological thriller]
• Black Mirror: Bandersnatch: For fans of the Twilight Zone, but with a modern choose-your-own-adventure twist thanks to an interactive component [sci-fi]
• Black Summer: For fans who wanted Fear the Walking Dead to be better and have faster-moving undead. Season 2 is stronger than Season 1, and you don’t even need to see the first season to appreciate it [horror]
• Borderliner: A Norwegian crime drama for fans of True Detective and suspicious deaths that take a season to solve. Only one season [mystery]
• Brand New Cherry Flavor: For fans of disturbing supernatural dramas (both in terms of violence and sex), but with a storyline that will keep you engaged [horror/drama]
• The Break: A French-language Belgian crime drama for fans of True Detective and suspicious deaths that take a season to solve. Ran for two seasons [mystery]
• Bridgerton: For fans of Downton Abby and revisionist period pieces with a diverse cast [dramedy]
• Cobra Kai: For fans of Karate Kid, but with a more comedic take on the continuing saga, including Johnny Lawrence having an entirely different perspective on his high school rivalry with Daniel. The 2nd and 3rd seasons feel a lot like High School Musical without the singing, but it’s a fun kind of cheese [action comedy]
• Cunk on Earth: For fans of watching a woman who knows nothing about the world asking world experts inane questions in a travel show format [comedy]
• Curon: For fans of dark foreign towns that are seemingly cursed with a supernatural element [Italian horror]
• Dark: For fans of complex, time-bending mysteries, ideally viewed with German subtitles. The ending of the series does a good job tying up loose ends [supernatural]
• The Diplomat: For fans of political intrigue with smartly written dialogue and memorable characters [political thriller]
• Equinox: For fans of Midsommar with a touch of the mystery from The Leftovers and the Upside Down world from Stranger Things [supernatural]
• Extraordinary Attorney Woo: For fans of light-hearted (for the most part) K-dramas and legal shows. The hook is Attorney Woo is autistic with a photographic memory of criminal law. If you enjoyed Atypical, then this is for you [dramedy]
• Feria: For fans of supernatural mystery set in a small Spanish village that has a similar vibe to the equally compelling 30 Coins [supernatural]
• The Girl in the Mirror: For fans of supernatural mysteries set in Spain. This is the perfect companion piece to other international shows like 30 Coins, Feria, Curon, and Katla, where some dark presence has been awakened [supernatural]
• Glitch: For fans of complex, time-bending mysteries and Australian accents. It ran for three short seasons with a good conclusion [supernatural]
• Glow: For fans of dramedies set in the 80’s and women wrestlers [dramedy]
• Godless: For fans of westerns, but with a town run by badass women [gritty western]
• Hip-Hop Evolution: For fans of rap music who want to know how it all started [documentary]
• The Innocent: For fans of Spanish-language murder mysteries where every episode ends on a cliffhanger that compels you to binge it. It is only eight episodes and highly recommended [mystery]
• The Innocents: For fans of Guy Pearce and mysteries that involve individuals that might have special powers [supernatural]
• Into The Night: For fans of 24 in terms of non-stop racing against the clock, but takes place on a plane before disaster strikes. Another studio in a different country did the series Yakamoz S-245, which takes place in the same universe but is set in a submarine. Hopefully, the casts meet in the next season [action/thriller]
• Kingdom: For fans of period piece zombie dramas set in Korea [action/horror]
• Kleo: For fans of assassin-driven conspiracy and revenge thrillers set in Berlin during the German reunification [action/thriller]
• Maid: For fans of drama involving a young mom with no job and crazy parents who leaves her abusive husband to start fresh working as a maid [drama]
• Marcella: For fans of UK crime dramas involving tracking down a killer. The lead actress and the multiple suspects make it a clever whodunit [thriller/mystery]
• Marginal: For fans of prison dramas like HBO’s Oz, but set in Argentina [action/drama]
• Midnight Mass: For fans of spiritual-driven supernatural thrillers set on an isolated island like The Third Day [supernatural]
• Mindhunter: For fans of Mad Men, but set a decade later with FBI agents dealing with serial killers instead of salespeople and their clients [drama]
• Money Heist: For fans of bank robber films involving a seemingly never-ending number of cat-and-mouse games as the criminals evade the authorities with new twists every episode. There is also a Korean version similar to the original [action/thriller]
• Norsemen: For fans of Monty Python and The Office if it were set in Viking times. It only lasted three seasons, and there is no shortage of crude and gore-heavy humor [comedy]
• Ozark: For fans of Breaking Bad and shows where a family gets in over their heads with the wrong people, leading to a lot of backstabbing and violence. Because Jason Bateman is the star, he brings a comedic charm to the series [drama]
• Pieces of Her: For fans of people living a double life with each suspenseful episode revealing a new twist [thriller]
• The Queen’s Gambit: For fans of female chess prodigies in a male-dominated sport [drama]
• Ragnarok: For fans of Thor and superhero origin stories if set in a Norwegian high school [supernatural]
• The Rain: For fans of post-apocalypse drama involving a quest to find a cure for a virus while on the run from Big Brother [supernatural]
• Russian Doll: For fans of Groundhog Day, but with more sex talk. The second season has a different novel twist to it [supernatural comedy]
• The Sinner: For fans of True Detective and bizarre mysteries that take a season to solve. Season 2 is better than Season 1, and it does not require you to have watched the first season since it focuses on an all-new mystery. Season 3 was okay [mystery]
• Squid Game: For fans of Hunger Games and the Japanese film Battle Royale but set in Korea [survival thriller]
• The Stranger: UK show for fans of True Detective and bizarre mysteries that take a season to solve [mystery]
• Stranger Things: For fans of 80’s teen horror/sci-fi films like Poltergeist, The Goonies, Stand By Me, E.T., etc., with intentional homages to dozen of films from that era [supernatural comedy]
• Toon: For fans of an introvert who become a viral music success by accident. It is a Dutch show that moves a little slow at first but gets in a compelling groove [comedy]
• Unbelievable: For fans of True Detective and bizarre mysteries that take a season to solve. The two lead female detectives should do their own regular series [mystery]
• Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: For fans of 30 Rock and Parks & Rec [comedy]
• You: For fans of American Psycho and Silence of the Lambs if you are cheering for the killers. Season 2 could be stronger. I haven’t watched season 3 or 4 yet, but I heard four is good [horror]

MAX

• Barry: For fans of Dexter, if it were a dark comedy. Bill Hader of SNL-fame is a hitman who also gets into acting with Henry Winkler at his very best [comedy]
• Chernobyl: For fans of history with great acting and insights around the most famous nuclear power plant incident [historical drama]
• Doom Patrol: For fans of gritty superhero series like The Boys, but mixed with Deadpool’s brand of humor [action/comedy/superheroes]
• Euphoria: For fans of teenagers, drugs, and soft porn with an engaging narrative. I still need to watch season 2 [drama]
• The Head: For fans of artic thrillers like The Thing [horror/thriller]
• Mr. Show: For fans of edgy sketch comedy. Like all sketch comedies, episodes are hit and miss, but start with Season 3 (episodes 2, 6, 9) and Season 4 (episodes 3, 4) [sketch comedy]
• The Last of Us: For fans of post-apocalyptic thrillers and The Last of Us videogame series. The show visually and thematically follows the game closely, including the dialogue and certain shots, which makes it a love letter to those who played it [thriller/horror]
• Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: For fans of Stephen Colbert, but with a deeper dive into new topics each week [comedy]
• The Leftovers: For fans of Damon Lindelof shows (LOST, The Watchmen) with a lot of compelling mysteries to unravel and awesome music [supernatural]
• Miracle Workers: For fans of comedies that aren’t afraid to get edgy for a laugh. The ensemble cast features Steve Buscemi and Daniel Radcliffe and takes on new themes and roles every season (the first as God and his staff, then medieval times, the Oregon Trail, and the post-apocalypse). Buscemi makes every scene watchable on this TBS show [comedy]
• Nathan for You: For fans of hilarious but cringe-heavy reality TV where the tone-deaf host helps struggling businesses with clever-meets-borderline illegal stunts [comedy]
• Our Flag Means Death: For fans of LGBTQ-friendly pirate comedies with a lot of heart and occasionally disturbing gore. Taika Waititi can do no wrong. [comedy]
• Peacemaker: For fans of Doom Patrol and The Boys. An edgy and dark action comedy for fans of more adult-oriented superhero series [action/comedy/superheroes]
• Raised By Wolves: For fans of sci-fi involving the future and discovering a new planet. It gets even better with season 2 [sci-fi]
• The Rehearsal: For fans of hilarious but cringe-heavy reality TV where the tone-deaf host Nathan helps people confront others by having them rehearse the situation. Nathan previously created Nathan For You, which has a similar energy [comedy]
• Station Eleven: For fans of post-apocalypse zombie-free dramas that deal more with relationships and how lives intersect than the usual violent dirtbags and over-zealous soldier scenarios [sci-fi]
• Succession: For fans of wealthy conservative backstabbing family members all vying to be the CEO of the family business [drama]
• The Outsider: For fans of Stephen King mysteries when they are done right [horror]
• The Third Day: For fans of Midsommar and The Wickerman, where a depressing town seems a little odd [supernatural]
• 30 Coins: For fans of the cult and creatures in Lovecraft Country mixed with the Exorcist and set in Spain [supernatural]
• Watchmen: For fans of dark superhero films set a little bit in the future while mixed with the racial strife that tracks back to the Tulsa Race Riot [drama/superheroes]
• We Own This City: For fans of the Wire and crooked cop shows with stellar acting [drama]
• White Lotus: For fans of family drama tied to colonialism with a dark and sometimes comical undercurrent, all of which takes place at a Hawaiian resort. The opening credits music is also excellent. Season 2 is set in Italy and focuses on complex relationships and fidelity issues. The writing is incredible in both seasons [drama]

Prime Video

• The Boys: For fans of superhero films where every hero has flaws, some much darker than others [action/superheroes]
• Catastrophe: For fans of married couple comedies where bad choices continued to be made [comedy]
• The Consultant: For fans of dark office-place drama involving a mysterious new boss with a twisted management style. While the series leaves you with more questions than answers, Christoph Waltz makes the journey worthwhile...anyone else would make this less compelling [thriller, mystery]
• Counterpart: For fans of dystopian sci-fi with plenty of government intrigue, a compelling premise, and the awesome J. K. Simmons [sci-fi]
• The Devil’s Hour: For fans of dark psychological thrillers where everything is not like it seems [psychological thriller]
• The Expanse: For fans of complex sci-fi mysteries that span Earth, Mars, and the beltway in-between. It is initially hard to follow as it covers events and people across all three areas with a large ensemble cast, but after an episode or two, it gets into a good groove [sci-fi]
• Fleabag: For fans of edgy single life comedies as seen through the eyes of a woman unlucky in life [comedy]
• Gen V: For fans of The Boys since it’s the same universe with just different characters. Plenty of gore and graphic nude scenes involving dicks, so be careful of who you watch it with [action/superheroes]
• Hanna: For fans of an ass-kicking heroine being chased by an evil corporation as she tries to uncover her past. If you like Bourne movies, you can appreciate this show [action]
• Homecoming: For fans of a facility that helps soldiers transition to civilian life where everything is not as it seems [thriller]
• Night Sky: For fans of slow-burn supernatural-meets-sci-fi mysteries, that is much like Outer Range. Shit, they canceled this engaging show after one season [sci-fi/supernatural thriller]
• Outer Range: For fans of slow-burn supernatural-meets-sci-fi mysteries set in Wyoming [sci-fi/supernatural thriller]
• Patriot: For fans of slow-burn comedies in which the pacing is very slow and the humor is less about punchlines and more about the situations that arise [comedy]
• Reacher: For fans of the Jack Reacher novels, which involve a former military badass with both fighting and investigative skills while nailing the character, unlike the movie with Tom Cruise [action]
• The Returned (French version): For fans of complex, time-bending mysteries [supernatural]
• The Rig: For fans of oil rig workers facing mysterious happenings in the sea around them. If you liked the paranoia in The Thing, you would like this [thriller]
• Zero Zero Zero: For fans of The Godfather, the Wire, and Babel all rolled into one. It follows a drug trafficking operation spanning Mexico, the US, and Italy with all the unsavory types of people you would expect to be involved [action/drama]

HULU

• 11.22.63: For fans of traveling back in time films [sci-fi]
• Atlanta: For fans of dark comedies set on the streets of Atlanta where the leads are trying to find success hustling and making music while shining a light on what it is like to be Black. As the show evolves, it gets more surreal and fantastical, bordering close at times to the film Sorry to Bother You (which also features LaKeith Stanfield) [dark comedy]
• Broad City: For fans of raunchy female comedy that is also very relatable [comedy]
• Deutschland 83, Deutschland 86, Deutschland 89: For fans of espionage involving East and West German in the ’80s [drama]
• Devs: For fans of dark dramas involving a big tech company, the top secret project they are working on, and murder [sci-fi]
• The Great: For fans of period piece comedies with an out-of-place young queen dealing with a chauvinist aristocracy and no shortage of sexual debauchery [comedy]
• The Last Man on Earth: For fans of raunchy, underrated post-apocalyptic comedies that also have heart [comedy]
• Mr Inbetween: For fans of a hitman who is constantly being messed with by people who don’t know better. Each episode in this Australian series that originally aired on FX is 30 minutes or so, so it’s easy to watch in bite-sized pieces [action, drama]
• A Murder at the End of the World: For fans of murder mysteries set inside a hi-tech hotel where anyone could be the killer [thriller]
• The Patient: For fans of tense conversations between a serial killer and his therapist reminiscent of scenes from Manhunter and Misery. While it is far from a comedy, Steve Carell is just as captivating as he is in his other shows [drama]
• Ramy: For fans of Master of None, but with an Egyptian family instead of one from India. It’s a comedy where the laughs come from the uncomfortable situations Ramy gets himself into as opposed to jokes [comedy]
• Reservation Dogs: For fans of native American troublemaking teens with a touch of comedic surrealism (Taika Waititi is one of the creators, so some of the whimsical parts of Jojo Rabbit are evident) [dramedy]
• The Bear: For fans of Hell’s Kitchen, except if it was not a reality show and took place in a small Chicago sandwich shop. With a lot of loud personalities that constantly butt heads, it can be stressful to watch, but it has some good payoffs, especially as the secondary cast gets more screentime as it goes along [dramedy]
• What We Do In The Shadows: For fans of mockumentaries shot like The Office and is just as funny [comedy]

APPLE TV

• The Changeling: For fans of twisty dramas with a supernatural element driven by the always compelling LaKeith Stanfield of Atlanta/Sorry to Bother You fame. If you liked Lovecraft Country, then this is for you [supernatural thriller]
• Invasion: For fans of aliens invading Earth dramas. It does a great job building suspense around the aliens and has some cool innovations in terms of their style [drama/sci-fi]
• The Morning Show: For fans of newsroom dramas with a plotline around co-worker dynamics and the #metoo movement. While it has notable comedic talent, it is not a comedy, but definitely entertaining. I haven’t watched season 3 yet [drama]
• Mosquito Coast: For fans of fugitive-on-the-run series, but with a whole family[drama]
• Mythic Quest: For fans of comedies set at a video game development studio. Gamers will love a lot of the industry references to popular games, publications, and gameplay tropes [comedy]
• Physical: For fans of retro-era shows like GLOW, but with less laughs and more bulimia [drama]
• Severance: For fans of dystopian office thrillers, which are also darkly comical, kind of like the world in the movie Brazil [dramedy/mystery]
• Silo: For fans of dystopian mysteries set inside a vast silo where a dictator-like organization governs with strict yet seemingly nonsensical guidelines they have to follow. [drama/mystery]
• Schmigadoon!: For fans of comedies where the lead characters enter a mysterious town where the locals break out into song. I haven’t watched season 2 yet [comedy/musical]
• Ted Lasso: For fans of underdog sports dramas starring one of the most unique characters on TV. It lives up to the hype by being funny while incorporating a lot of emotional depth. Each season got progressively weaker, but a weak Lasso season is better than a strong season from weaker shows [comedy]

Disney+

• Andor: For fans of Disney’s other Star Wars shows, which once again mines the vibe of the original trilogy and continues to flesh out the SW universe [sci-fi]
• The Book of Boba Fett: For fans of Star Wars and The Mandalorian spin-off. Like The Mandalorian, it has a classic Episode IV: A New Hope vibe, which is bolstered by taking place on Tatooine and not going overboard on special effects [sci-fi]
• The Imagineering Story: For fans of Disney theme parks. This docu-series takes you through an in-depth history of the various parks and rides [documentary]
• Loki: For fans of the MCU. Loki is great since the character has always been very clever in terms of his actions and words, all of which make this a fun ride. I haven’t watched season 2 yet [superhero]
• The Mandalorian: For fans of Star Wars. It captures a lot of the vibe of the original trilogy with a lot of Easter Eggs throughout. There is a cheesy aspect to some of the plot and dialogue, but if miss the aesthetic of the original films, this delivers [sci-fi]
• WandaVision: For fans of the MCU. This show adds a comical element to the Marvel Universe by incorporating various decades throughout the season in a creative way that will have older viewers smiling [superhero]

Peacock

• Resident Alien: For fans of dark comedies involving an alien who is out to destroy Earth but starts forming attachments, primarily to food [comedy]

Paramount+

• Ghosts UK: For fans of British comedy and ghosts. There is also a US remake, but stick with the original based on the initial response to the clone [comedy]

MGM

• From: For fans of LOST, if it were more monster and less Dharma Initiative focused [drama/horror]
• Rogue Heroes: For fans of World War II adventures where an elite group of soldiers with distinct personalities don’t play by the rules as they set off to cleverly undermine German forces [drama/war]

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