Summary
There is a lot of excellent programming on Netflix. In most cases, the most popular series on Netflix are the ones that dominate the conversation about popular culture, receiving great reviews from both reviewers and fans alike. Some of them even make it all the way to the Emmys, where they are nominated for the award, with some of them even winning the top honor.
The seven programs on Netflix that have received the highest ratings
However, not every program coming from the streaming service is a smashing success. Even those that have received widespread praise are susceptible to being exaggerated to an extreme degree. The quality of these series has been grossly inflated by both reviewers and audiences, and although they continue to be excellent and amusing additions to the ever-expanding library of the streaming service, it is possible that they are not the masterpieces that some people think them to be.
1. Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022)
One thing has to be made quite clear: The film Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, directed by Ryan Murphy, features Evan Peters, who is excellent in the role of Jeffrey Dahmer. He delivers a career-best performance, which is excellently complemented by Niecy Nash-Betts and Richard Jenkins. He catches the essence of the notorious serial murderer with spooky precision, and he does it with accuracy.
All that can be said about the beneficial outcomes that result from this exploitative endeavor is that. Peters’ engaging portrayal is mainly responsible for the production’s success in humanizing Dahmer, which is something that the show goes out of its way to do. However, it does not have the complexity to truly accomplish so, and instead relies on cheap thrills and clichés that are similar to those that have been done before, which do nothing to improve the quality of the film. Despite this, Dahmer accomplished a great deal of success because to the fact that people like reading about genuine crimes and serial killers, regardless of how repugnant the material may be. The fact of the matter is that Dahmer does not deserve any respect from viewers, not just because it is exploitative but also because it is not above average.
There is a streaming version of Dahmer named Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story that may be seen on Netflix.
2. Wednesday (2022-present)
Jenna Ortega will play the renowned character of Wednesday Addams in the dark fantasy comedy Wednesday, which will be released in 2022. As the story progresses, she finds herself attending a boarding school for otherworldly adolescents, where she gets engaged in a string of enigmatic and terrible deaths — or at least as nasty as the PG-13 classification allows.
Wednesday, for some inexplicable reason, is the second most popular English-language series that Netflix has ever produced. The series is entertaining, Ortega gives a portrayal that is brilliantly eccentric, and the supporting cast is just as game, particularly Christina Ricci, who steals the show in every episode. On the other hand, that is about it. Wednesday is not something out of the usual or even notable, and there is surely nothing that can explain such tremendous popularity. Despite the fact that it is fun, it is not always memorable or even replayable. In light of the fact that we now have the advantage of hindsight, the term “overrated” is the phrase that best describes it.
There is a streaming version of Wednesday accessible on Netflix.
3. The Night Agent (2023-present)
There is one thing that Netflix excels at, and that is transforming seemingly insignificant series into hits that have never been seen before. Take, for example, the thriller The Night Agent, which stars Gabriel Basso, who is known for his role in Hillbilly Elegy. When Peter Sutherland, an FBI agent, is thrust into a hazardous scheme involving a mole in the White House, the story revolves on him as the protagonist.
There is nothing wrong with The Night Agent; it is a tight and well-crafted action thriller that does not redefine the genre, but gives just enough excitement to justify its presence. As was noted, there is nothing wrong with The Night Agent. On the other hand, simply said, it is decent. It’s nothing out of the usual, particularly when compared to the myriad other thrillers that are accessible on Netflix. At best, it is perplexing that it has achieved such a remarkable level of popularity, particularly considering that The Night Agent provides nothing that viewers have not seen previously in films that are both larger and more successful. It is a wonderful thing when a program emerges out of nowhere and becomes popular, but it is still a mystery how this specific show managed to achieve such success when it is so unimpressive in almost every manner that constitutes a significant factor.
There is a streaming version of The Night Agent accessible on Netflix.
4. Money Heist (2017-2021)
One of the first foreign programs that Netflix was able to successfully produce was the enormously popular Spanish drama Money Heist. The program is told from the point of view of a teenage thief named Tokyo, and it follows two big thefts that are organized by a guy who goes by the name The Professor. In order to boost the ante and create a ride that is adequately exhilarating, the program makes use of various cliches that are typical of the criminal genre.
If Money Heist had been canceled after its first season, which was almost flawless, the discourse that is now taking place about it would be quite different. Nevertheless, the program decided to continue, and with each new season, it became less entertaining than the previous one. The problem arises from the fact that the show continues to attempt to maintain such a complex and ambitious storyline over the course of numerous seasons, which ultimately results in a trip that becomes progressively confused and concludes on a note that is extremely unsatisfactory. Money Heist is an excellent program, just like many other series that are available on Netflix; but, its characteristics are also highly overstated, and its legacy is still being debated even after it has been finished for just two and a half years.
There is a streaming version of Money Heist accessible on Netflix.
5. Squid Game (2021-present)
Unbelievably, Squid Game has achieved such a phenomenal level of success. The South Korean television program follows a group of persons who are in a terrible situation and agree to take part in a series of children’s games that have a fatal twist in order to have the opportunity to win a reward that is equal to 35 million dollars.
In addition to having a brutal attitude and a fascinating idea, Squid Game was a dazzling enough film to become the most popular show on Netflix this week. Nevertheless, its remarkable victory over each and every other program shown on the streaming service is not only astounding but also a little bit perplexing. Despite the fact that it gave rise to a reality show that further tainted Netflix’s already questionable image, Squid Game continues to be the original content that has received the most viewers in the history of the streaming service. Squid Game is a wonderful example of an unexpected smash that Netflix did not know how to capitalize on; the streaming service has just tarnished its reputation by trying to make it into a franchise.
There is a streaming version of Squid Game accessible on Netflix.
6. The Queen’s Gambit (2020)
Anya Taylor-Joy, who plays Beth Harmon in the chess prodigy role in the Netflix period drama The Queen’s Gambit, rose to prominence during the epidemic. This was due to the fact that she played the role of Beth Harmon. Beth’s burgeoning fame is chronicled on the program, which also depicts her fight with drug misuse at the same time.
More than anything else, the Queen’s Gambit serves as a showcase for Taylor-Joy. It is clear that the actress is more than deserving of the many honors and nominations she has garnered for her performance in the major role. On the other hand, the show’s enormous success may be attributed, in no little part, to the fact that reviewers and fans have generally inflated its accomplishments, which has led to an overheated response from both groups. There is an unnecessary lengthening of the tale throughout seven episodes, despite the fact that the production levels are rather high. The Queen’s Gambit is not at all horrible, but it is very overrated and is not even close to being one of the greatest original series that Netflix has to offer.
There is a streaming version of The Queen’s Gambit accessible on Netflix.
7. Stranger Things (2016-present)
In some ways, Stranger Things is the program that brought Netflix to prominence. The science fiction coming-of-age series focuses on a number of individuals who are living in the imaginary town of Hawkins, Indiana. In this community, they find themselves in the path of supernatural forces that originate from an alternative dimension known as the Upside Down.
Stranger Things began as an original production that was both enjoyable and invigorating. It was drenched in nostalgia for the 1980s and had a fantastic ensemble of fresh young talent. On the other hand, it has never been more obvious that this program is not worth the hoopla than it is now, eight years after it was first released. The most recent seasons of Stranger Things have been overly complicated and often lifeless, losing the dynamic appeal that first made it famous. Despite this, the show continues to be a sensation. The ideal illustration of anything getting too huge for its own good, losing its distinctive personality along the way, and becoming simply another entry in Netflix’s never-ending conveyer belt of material is illustrated by this program.
There is a streaming version of Stranger Things accessible on Netflix.