22 Netflix originals everyone should watch in their lifetime, according to critics

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Kirstie RenaeJul 14, 2020, 00:35 IST
22 Netflix originals everyone should watch in their lifetime, according to critics

Many of Netflix's original series and films have received praise from critics.Netflix

  • Netflix has many original series and films that critics can't get enough of.
  • Some of the highest-rated Netflix original series include "When They See Us," "Orange Is the New Black," and "Mindhunter."
  • Must-see Netflix original films include "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" (2018), "Beasts of No Nation" (2015), and "Marriage Story" (2019).

According to critics, Netflix has many original movies and TV shows that shouldn't be missed.

Here are some Netflix originals that everyone should watch in their lifetime, based on critic scores from Rotten Tomatoes.

Note: All scores were current on the date of publication and are subject to change. Some films had a small limited theatrical release prior to being released on Netflix, but were distributed by Netflix, so we're including them here.

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"Orange Is the New Black" is a fan-favorite Netflix original.

"Orange Is the New Black" is a fan-favorite Netflix original.
"Orange Is the New Black" ran for seven seasons. Netflix

Critic score: 90%

Based on the book of the same name, "Orange Is the New Black" is based on the true story of Piper Chapman, a public-relations executive who is sent to a minimum-security prison for her past crimes.

The show follows Piper as she adjusts to life in prison and encounters a number of eccentric characters, including her ex-girlfriend who helped get Piper involved in a life of crime.

The series aired in 2013 and ran for seven seasons.

"Gerald's Game" (2017) is a horror film that has been praised for its haunting thrills.

"Gerald's Game" (2017) is a horror film that has been praised for its haunting thrills.
Carla Gugino in "Gerald's Game." Intrepid Pictures

Critic score: 91%

Adapted from Stephen King's novel of the same name, "Gerald's Game" is a horror-thriller film that will have fans questioning what is real and what isn't.

In it, a woman (Carla Gugino) and her husband hope to have a sexy night together by playing with handcuffs, but disaster strikes when the husband suddenly dies.

Stuck handcuffed to the bed with no way to escape, the wife begins to see and hear terrifying things.

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"El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie" (2019) is beloved by fans and critics who enjoyed "Breaking Bad."

"El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie" (2019) is beloved by fans and critics who enjoyed "Breaking Bad."
Aaron Paul in "El Camino." Netflix/AMC

Critic score: 91%

An epilogue to the popular AMC crime drama, "Breaking Bad," "El Camino" is Vince Gilligan's final ode to fan-favorite Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), and it picks up where the original series left off.

"Glow" is a comedy-drama that caught the attention of critics.

"Glow" is a comedy-drama that caught the attention of critics.
Some characters are based on real-life women. Netflix

Critic score: 92%

"Glow" follows the journey of Ruth Wilder (Alison Brie), an unemployed actress in 1980s Los Angeles who seeks to profit and become a star by joining the ostentatious world of women's wrestling.

The comedy series aired in 2017 and has three seasons so far.

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"Beasts of No Nation" (2015) is a drama that impressed viewers.

"Beasts of No Nation" (2015) is a drama that impressed viewers.
"Beasts of No Nation" is a war drama. Netflix

Critic score: 92%

Writer-director Cary Fukunaga's "Beasts of No Nation" is a gripping drama that follows a young orphan (Abraham Attah) as he is trained by a warlord (Idris Elba) to become a part of a group of soldiers who are fighting during an African civil war.

"Stranger Things" is a horrifying sci-fi series that is a hit with viewers of many ages.

"Stranger Things" is a horrifying sci-fi series that is a hit with viewers of many ages.
"Stranger Things" is on its fourth season. Netflix

Critic score: 93%

Set in the 1980s, "Stranger Things" is a sci-fi series that begins with the sudden and mysterious disappearance of Will Byers (Noah Schnapp).

With the help of a new friend with supernatural powers, a group of kids tries to track down Will and they soon find that their hometown Hawkins, Indiana, is not as simple nor as boring as it seems.

The show was an immediate hit when it debuted in 2016. It currently has three seasons, with a fourth set to air soon.

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"The Haunting of Hill House" is a supernatural anthology series that's left viewers terrified.

"The Haunting of Hill House" is a supernatural anthology series that's left viewers terrified.
"The Haunting of Hill House" is based on a book. Netflix

Critic score: 93%

Based on the book of the same name, "The Haunting of Hill House" is a horror anthology series filled with familial tension, hidden secrets, and terrifying moments.

The series, which premiered in 2018, follows the Crane family as they attempt to mend relationships and better understand one another. The journey takes them through haunting memories of their childhood home and forces them to face the figurative and literal ghosts of their past.

The show currently only has one season on Netflix, and season two is set to debut soon.

"BoJack Horseman" has a few seasons that earned perfect scores from critics.

"BoJack Horseman" has a few seasons that earned perfect scores from critics.
It ran for six seasons. Netflix

Critic Score: 93%

The animated series follows BoJack (voiced by Will Arnett), a horse who is also a failed sitcom star, as he tries to overcome his many issues in order to make a comeback.

"BoJack Horseman" aired in 2014 and ran for six highly rated seasons.

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"Klaus" (2019) is a holiday film that critics say could become a classic.

"Klaus" (2019) is a holiday film that critics say could become a classic.
"Klaus" impressed critics with its visuals. Netflix

Critic score: 94%

A unique origin story about Santa Claus, "Klaus" follows a down-on-his-luck postal-academy student named Jesper (voiced by Jason Schwartzman) who is sent to the Arctic Circle to man the post office of a feuding town.

After meeting Klaus (voiced by J.K. Simmons), a quiet carpenter who has a ton of handmade wooden toys, Jesper hatches a plan to deliver toys in exchange for letters, and the traditions of Christmas are created out of an unlikely friendship.

"Roma" (2018) is an intense drama that earned rave reviews.

"Roma" (2018) is an intense drama that earned rave reviews.
The film is set in the 1970s. Netflix

Critic score: 95%

"Roma" tells the story of a young woman named Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio) who works as a maid for a middle-class family in Mexico City. The film documents the reality of social hierarchy, domestic hardship, and political strife in the 1970s.

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"Marriage Story" (2019) is an Oscar-nominated drama that most critics believe is worthy of The Academy's praise.

"Marriage Story" (2019) is an Oscar-nominated drama that most critics believe is worthy of The Academy's praise.
Adam Driver in "Marriage Story." Netflix

Critic score: 95%

In "Marriage Story," a theater director (Adam Driver) and his actress wife (Scarlett Johansson) find themselves caught in a devastating divorce.

The film follows their journey from a seemingly happily married couple to two single people trying to navigate living bi-coastal while going through ugly divorce proceedings and a spiteful custody battle.

"Dear White People" is a comedy series that critics love.

"Dear White People" is a comedy series that critics love.
The show "Dear White People" is based on a 2014 film. Netflix

Critic score: 95%

Based on the acclaimed 2014 film of the same name, "Dear White People" is a comedy series that takes a satirical approach to the story of a group of Winchester University students of color as they attend a predominantly white school and mature in a world filled with social, cultural, and political issues.

The series debuted in 2017 and currently has three seasons.

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"A Series of Unfortunate Events" is a drama series that's based on popular books.

"A Series of Unfortunate Events" is a drama series that's based on popular books.
Neil Patrick Harris on "A Series of Unfortunate Events." Netflix

Critic score: 96%

Based on the acclaimed book series of the same name, "A Series of Unfortunate Events" follows three orphans who are given to an evil guardian named Count Olaf (Neil Patrick Harris).

Olaf is out to get the kids' inheritance and, as a result, the children must foil his various plans and try to discover the secret behind their parents' mysterious deaths.

The series premiered in 2017 and ran for three seasons.

"Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" is a comedy series that ran for three seasons.

"Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" is a comedy series that ran for three seasons.
The show aired in 2015. Eric Liebowitz / Netflix

Critic score: 96%

This comedy series stars Ellie Kemper as Kimmy Schmidt, an upbeat woman who starts a new life in New York City after being rescued from an underground cult.

The show aired in 2015 and lasted for three seasons.

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"When They See Us" is a gripping drama based on a true story.

"When They See Us" is a gripping drama based on a true story.
"When They See Us" is a limited series. Netflix

Critic score: 96%

"When They See Us" is a powerful dramatic limited series by Ava DuVernay which documents the true story of the Exonerated Five (formerly called the Central Park Five), a group of five men who were arrested, charged, and imprisoned for a crime they didn't commit.

The limited series was released in 2019 and it details a range of events, from the night the teenagers were questioned to their settlement with the city of New York in 2014.

"The Irishman" (2019) is an epic drama film that critics approved of.

"The Irishman" (2019) is an epic drama film that critics approved of.
Al Pacino in "The Irishman." Netflix

Critic score: 96%

Based on Charles Brandt's 2004 nonfiction book "I Heard You Paint Houses," "The Irishman" is an American crime epic that's directed by Martin Scorsese.

Starring Robert De Niro, the film tells the story of Frank Sheeran, a truck driver who gets involved with a powerful Pennsylvania crime family and soon becomes one of the mob's top hitmen.

The film spans many decades as an older Frank recalls his mob-related experiences.

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"Mindhunter" is a crime drama that's impressed critics.

"Mindhunter" is a crime drama that's impressed critics.
"Mindhunter" is inspired by some real-life criminals. Patrick Harbron/Netflix

Critic score: 97%

"Mindhunter" is a crime drama set in the late 1970s and early 1980s that follows FBI agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) as they interview and psychologically profile serial killers.

The series premiered in 2017 and currently has two seasons.

"Mudbound" (2017) is a drama movie that blew critics away.

"Mudbound" (2017) is a drama movie that blew critics away.
It's a period drama. Netflix

Critic score: 97%

"Mudbound" is set in the rural American South during World War II. In the film, two families are pitted against each other due to an unjust societal hierarchy — but they must rely on one another due to their shared farmland.

When loved ones from both families return from war and form an unlikely friendship, the families must face the brutal, prejudiced reality of the time and place in which they live.

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"Russian Doll" has one season so far, and critics already love it.

"Russian Doll" has one season so far, and critics already love it.
Natasha Lyonne on "Russian Doll." Netflix

Critic score: 97%

The comedy-drama follows a New York woman named Nadia (Natasha Lyonne) to a party at which she is the guest of honor. Mysteriously, Nadia finds herself caught in an inescapable loop that results in her reliving the party over and over again and dying at the end of each night.

"Russian Doll" is premiered in 2019 and currently has one season.

"To All the Boys I've Loved Before" (2018) is a romantic comedy that critics and fans loved.

"To All the Boys I've Loved Before" (2018) is a romantic comedy that critics and fans loved.
Lana Condor as Lara Jean. Netflix

Critic score: 97%

For years, teenager Lara Jean Song Covey (Lana Condor) has been writing romantic letters to every boy she's ever loved. One day, the letters are mysteriously mailed to each of the boys and Lara Jean is faced with a love life that has suddenly spiraled out of control.

The comedy is based on a teen romance book of the same name, and it has one sequel so far.

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"Homecoming: A Film By Beyoncé" (2019) is a concert film that fans and critics loved.

"Homecoming: A Film By Beyoncé" (2019) is a concert film that fans and critics loved.
Beyoncé performing at Coachella in 2018. Netflix

Critic score: 98%

Written, directed, and executive-produced by Beyoncé herself, "Homecoming" is an intimate look at the musician's legendary 2018 Coachella performance, which was heralded for its representation of historically black colleges and universities.

The film features never-before-seen footage and personal interviews detailing the meaningful journey Beyoncé took to turn her powerful concept into a significant cultural moment.

"The Baby-Sitters Club" earned a perfect score.

"The Baby-Sitters Club" earned a perfect score.
"The Baby-Sitters Club" debuted in 2020. Netflix

Critic score: 100%

Based on a beloved series of novels from Ann M. Martin, "The Baby-Sitters Club" is a Netflix show about a group of girls who start their own babysitting club and business.

The series has been praised for being joyful and informative, featuring a stellar cast of characters with no weak links.

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