9 most underrated Netflix shows of 2025

There's no doubt 2025 was an amazing year for Netflix, and it's not quite over yet with four more episodes, including the series finale, of Stranger Things. Along with the biggest Netflix release ever, we've already seen new seasons of Squid Game, Ginny and Georgia, Wednesday, and more this year.

We've all heard of those big Netflix shows, but there are some other Netflix shows released in 2025 that just aren't quite as popular and definitely underrated.

To make sure you didn't miss one of these great Netflix shows, I picked the nine most underrated Netflix shows of the year.

North of North

North of North is easily one of the most underrated and forgotten Netflix shows of the year. And, that's such a shame because this series is excellent. You just don't see many Netflix shows that are funny, heartfelt, and a little soapy like this one.

The Netflix original comedy series is set in small community in Nunavut and tells the story of Siaja (Anna Lambe), who is an Inuk woman just trying to get by in the small town.

After months of waiting and wondering if North of North was going to get the axe, we finally learned that North of North season 2 is officially in the works. We should see the new season sometime in 2026. We just don't know when yet.

• Release date: Jan. 7, 2025
• Created by Stacey Aglok MacDonald and Alethea Arnaquq-Baril
• Cast: Anna Lambe, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Tanya Tagaq, Keira Cooper, Kelly William, Zorga Qaunaq, Nutaaq Simmonds, Maika Harper, Braeden Clarke, Jay Ryan, and Bailey Poching

The Night Agent season 2

The Night Agent season 2 premiered on Netflix at the end of January, so it's been a long time. Even though it's been a while, The Night Agent's sophomore season is still quite underrated. The first season was a massive success, and the second season simply didn't reach those highs. Overall, though, I think season 2 features a better story with more even pacing, better performances, and a more conflicted protagonist.

In the new season, Peter (Gabriel Basso) is officially a Night Agent, but after a mission goes bad, Peter goes into hiding to try to get to the bottom of a new mystery. Meanwhile, there's another group who is planning a major attack in the United States.

The Night Agent season 3 is coming to Netflix very soon! Netflix just revealed the new season premieres on Feb. 19, 2026. There are 10 new episodes in the season, as well.

• Release date: Jan. 23, 2025
• Created by Shawn Ryan
• Cast: Gabriel Basso, Luciane Buchanan, Fola Evans-Akingbola, Arienne Mandi, Louis Herthum, Berto Colon, Keon Alexander, Michael Malarkey, and Amanda Warren

The Four Seasons

The Four Seasons is easily one of the most underrated Netflix shows of 2025, and maybe of all time. It's such an excellent series, and I'm bummed more people didn't tune in.

The new Netflix comedy series is based on the movie of the same name from 1981. Tina Fey co-created the series and also stars alongside an incredible cast. You just don't see comedy legends and performers like Fey, Will Forte, Steve Carell, and Colman Domingo in the shows like this very often.

The series follows a group of friends, who are now in very romantic relationships, going through the ups and downs of life over the course of one year. Well, now, it's going to be two years because Netflix quickly picked up The Four Seasons for season 2, and it should be released in 2026.

• Release date: May 1, 2025
• Created by Tina Fey, Lang Fisher, and Tracey Wigfield
• Cast: Tina Fey, Will Forte, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Marco Calvani, Erika Henningsen, Colman Domingo, and Steve Carell

Dept. Q

Dept. Q premiered on Netflix this spring, and it's easily the most underrated Netflix mystery of the year. The series is based on the book of the same name by Jussi Adler-Olsen.

Set in Scotland, Dept. Q tells the story of a detective, Carl Morck (Matthew Goode) who is shot and nearly killed while working a case. After he recovers, Morck is assigned to a new investigative department, Dept. Q, to solve cold cases.

The good(e) news is that Dept. Q has already been renewed for season 2! It could arrive sometime next year, but Netflix might stash it for 2027.

• Release date: May 29, 2025
• Created by Scott Frank and Chandni Lakhani
• Cast: Matthew Goode, Kelly Macdonald, Chloe Pirrie, Alexej Manvelov, Mark Bonnar, Jamie Sives, Shirley Henderson, Leah Byrne, Steven Miller, and Kate Dickie

The Survivors

The Survivors is right up there with Dept. Q on the list of underrated mysteries. It's definitely more dramatic at times, but it's a terrific Australian series you should definitely watch before the end of the year.

The Survivors is based on the book of the same name by Jane Harper. Charlie Vickers stars as Kieran, the survivor of an accident that killed his several people, including his brother, years earlier. When Kieran returns to his small beach hometown for the anniversary of their deaths, another person turns up dead. Old wounds are reopened.

The Survivors also features a great performance from Vickers and Yerin Ha, who co-stars in the series. You definitely want to get to know Ha. She's about to star in Bridgerton season 4 in early 2026 on Netflix.

• Release date: June 6, 2025
• Created by Tony Ayres
• Cast: Charlie Vickers, Yerin Ha, Robyn Malcolm, Thom Green, George Mason, Don Hany, Jessica De Gouw, Damien Garvey, Martin Sacks, and Catherine McClements

The Hunting Wives

The Hunting Wives is the biggest surprise hit of the year for Netflix. Even with all the popularity since its premiere in July, I still feel like this show is quite underrated. Netflix fans love spicy, messy mysteries like this one, and I can only imagine just how big The Hunting Wives season 2 is going to be when it hits Netflix next year.

The first season is based on May Cobb's book of the same name, It tells the story of Sophie (Brittany Snow), who moves to Texas and begins an affair with Margo (Malin Akerman), the wife of a Texas politician. When a young girl from town turns up dead, everyone tries to get to the bottom of the crime.

Production on The Hunting Wives season 2 just started this fall, so we should see the new season sometime in the summer or fall of 2026.

• Release date: July 21, 2025
• Created by Rebecca Cutter
• Cast: Brittany Snow, Malin Akerman, Dermot Mulroney, Evan Jonigkeit, Katie Lowes, George Ferrier, Jaime Ray Newman, Hunter Emry, Karen Rodriguez, and Chrissy Metz

The Diplomat season 3

The Diplomat is still, somehow, after all this time, still underrated. As far as political dramas go, The Diplomat is one of the best on TV right now. It's an excellent, entertaining series, and I think more people should be watching. Every year, Keri Russell is turning in performance after performance every season, and she deserves more recognition, too.

The Diplomat season 3 picks up immediately after the season 2 cliffhanger, and now, Kate and Hal Wyler (Russell and Rufus Sewell) find themselves in the middle of one of the biggest political stories of the century. It won't be so easy to keep that power, though.

The Diplomat season 4 is already in the works on Netflix, too, and it should arrive sometime next year.

• Release date: Oct. 16, 2025
• Created by Debora Cahn
• Cast: Keri Russell, Rufus Sewell, David Gyasi, Allison Janney, Rory Kinnear, Ali Ahn, Ato Essandoh, Bradley Whitford, Nana Mensah, and more

Boots

Boots hit Netflix in early October, and while it's not getting a ton of buzz, this show is so good.

Boots is based on the book, The Pink Marine by Greg Cope White. It tells the story of Cameron (Miles Heizer), who follows his best friend into the US Marine Corp in the early 90s. Cameron is a gay man, which he must keep a secret due to the US military's abhorrent policies.

Boots could definitely continue for season 2 on Netflix. The story is there, but it's just a matter of if Netflix will actually renew the series for another season. I'm holding my breath a little bit on the renewal, but it's only been about a month since the series premiere.

• Release date: Oct. 9, 2025
• Created by Andy Parker
• Cast: Miles Heizer, Blake Burt, Vera Farmiga, Ana Ayora, Cedrick Cooper, Dominic Goodman, Nicholas Logan, Liam Oh, Rico Paris, Kieron Moore, Angus O'Brien, and Max Parker

Last Samurai Standing

Last Samurai Standing is the most recent Netflix release on this list, and there's no doubt it's underrated. In fact, it might be the most underrated new Netflix show of the year so far. It's that good!

Last Samurai Standing might not be the most enticing name for curious viewers, but the story is rock-solid. The Netflix series tells the story of an epic tournament for a prize. A former Samurai, short on cash and in a bad spot in his personal life, Shujiro (Junichi Okada) joins the competition to win.

We haven't heard if there are future seasons of Last Samurai Standing in the works. It's definitely possible that we could see Netflix continue this story in some capacity, but everything is coming up Stranger Things right now, so it's hard to say if we're getting an accurate look at how many people would watch this great series. It's not enough so far!

• Release date: Nov. 13, 2025
• Created by Kento Yamaguchi and Michihito Fujii
• Cast: Junichi Okada, Hiroshi Abe, Yumia Fujisaki, Kaya Kiyohara, Masahiro Higashide, Hideaki Itō, and Gaku Hamada