48 best Netflix shows to watch (and 19 shows you should skip)

The Fall of the House of Usher. Bruce Greenwood as Roderick Usher in episode 106 of The Fall of the House of Usher. Cr. Eike Schroter/Netflix © 2023

Best Netflix shows to watch and skip

It’s officially almost the end of the year, and we can’t believe it! This year has flown by, but luckily, there have been so many good Netflix shows released this year. What should you watch first?

Netflix is cranking out so many shows, and it’s easy to feel like you’re falling behind. Our team of TV experts at Netflix Life put together a list of the best Netflix shows to watch right now, and we also included a handful of Netflix shows you can skip.

If you’re looking for what to watch on Netflix tonight, this is the list for you. We update this list as new Netflix original shows are released. If it’s a hit show, we’re sharing recommendations to watch. If the show is bad, well, it’s going to be a skip recommendation from us!

Let’s get the list started with one of the biggest current hits on Netflix, The Fall of the House of Usher.

The Fall of the House of Usher

Seasons: 1

Created by: Mike Flanagan

Starring: Carla Gugino, Bruce Greenwood, Mary McDonnell, Henry Thomas, Kate Siegel, Rahul Kohli, Samantha Sloyan, T’Nia Miller, Zach Gilford, and Willa Fitzgerald

Horror lovers and Mike Flanagan fans should consider The Fall of the House of Usher an absolute must-watch. Flanagan has produced multiple masterpieces for Netflix and this one marks the last of the Flanagan/Netflix collaborations as Flanagan will be moving to Netflix. His latest series is a delightfully twisted and oftentimes gruesome family drama based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe.

Many “Flanagan verse” regulars return here, including Carla Gugino, Kate Siegel, Rahul Kohli, T’Nia Miller, and more. The cast is at their absolute best, delivering the top-notch dialogue and bouncing off each other with aplomb. The series centers on the powerful Usher dynasty, led by patriarch Roderick Usher (Bruce Greenwood) and his twin sister Madeline (Mary McDonnell).

For decades, the Ushers have built their empire off of their designer drug Ligodone (an in-universe stand-in for Oxycontin), produced by their company Fortunato Pharmaceuticals. Attorney Auguste Dupin (Carl Lumbly) has been trying to charge Fortunato for their alleged criminal business dealings for years, but nothing ever sticks.

During the latest criminal trial, he claims there is an informant in the family. And after that, Roderick’s six children begin dying off one by one. Is it all related? Or is there something more sinister—maybe even supernatural—afoot?

Verdict: WATCH