3 drama-filled Netflix shows to watch after Heartbreak High season 3

If you’ve just finished Heartbreak High season 3 on Netflix, chances are you’re still thinking about the chaos, the heartbreak, and the emotional rollercoaster that came with it. As the final season brings the students of Hartley High to the end of their journey, it leaves behind that all-too-familiar feeling. What exactly do you watch next?

Luckily, Netflix has no shortage of drama-filled series that tap into the same messy relationships, intense friendships, and chaotic drama. If you’re looking to fill that Heartbreak High-shaped void, the three top Netflix shows we've provided below should definitely be at the top of your watchlist!

Sex Education (2019-2023)

Sex Education is a British comedy-drama that goes far beyond typical teen fare. The series follows Otis Milburn, a socially awkward high school student whose mother, Jean Milburn, is a confident and outspoken sex therapist.

Despite his own inexperience, Otis discovers he has a natural talent for helping his classmates with personal and sexual problems. With the help of classmate Maeve Wiley, he opens an informal sex clinic at school, which quickly becomes the center of teenage drama.

What makes Sex Education so compelling for fans of Heartbreak High is its authentic exploration of adolescent struggles. The show doesn’t shy away from complicated relationships, first loves, friendship betrayals, and the pressures of identity and self-expression. Every character, from Otis to Eric, Maeve, and the rest of the ensemble, faces challenges that feel real and relatable.

For anyone who loved the messy relationships, emotional highs and lows, and personal growth of Heartbreak High, Sex Education is hands down an absolute must-watch!

Elite (2018-2024)

While Sex Education could be on the more comedic side at times, Elite takes a darker, more intense approach to the high school experience. Set in the prestigious Spanish school Las Encinas, the teen series explores the collision between privilege and ambition when three working-class scholarship students join the elite student body.

Their arrival disrupts the carefully constructed social hierarchy at Las Encinas, setting off a chain of rivalries, romances, and long-buried secrets.

Elite mixes teen drama with suspense, often including mystery elements, romantic entanglements, and personal conflicts that keep the story moving. Early seasons focus on a central murder mystery that slowly unfolds alongside the day-to-day pressures and challenges of teenage life.

At the same time, the show takes the time to explore the emotional journeys of its characters. We watch as the characters navigate first loves and friendship struggles, to confronting family pressures and personal insecurities.

Everything Now (2023)

Everything Now is much different from Sex Education and Elite. While those shows lean on humor or suspense, Everything Now takes a quieter, more introspective approach to the teenage experience. The series follows Mia Polanco, a 16-year-old returning to school after months in the hospital recovering from anorexia nervosa.

She quickly realizes that life hasn’t paused while she was away. Friends have moved on, parties have been thrown, and milestones she hoped to experience have already passed. Determined to reclaim the time she feels she lost, Mia creates a bucket list of experiences she aims to accomplish. We're talking about tackling everything from friendships and first loves to social events and personal goals.

What's so great about Everything Now is how it captures the emotional reality of reintegrating into life after a difficult period. It does a good job of portraying both the excitement and anxiety that come with trying to “catch up” in the social world. The series also handles themes like mental health, identity, self-discovery, and belonging with sensitivity, giving it a grounded, heartfelt tone that sets it apart from more comedic or suspense-driven teen dramas.

Overall, Everything Now is a series that resonates because it’s honest, relatable, and unafraid to explore the complexities of teenage life. Truthfully, it makes for a thoughtful and compelling next binge after the drama of Heartbreak High season 3!

Head on over to Netflix to stream these three great teen shows!