SuppliedNetflix has gone from a DVD delivery service to a production company powerhouse over the course of the last decade. Some of the best dramatic and comedic series of our generation fall under the “Netflix Original Series” banner. Here’s a look at some of the most worthwhile series to come from Netflix.
1. Narcos
Following the contentious and often gruesome life of cartel king Pablo Escobar, Narcos is a visually stunning and dramatically excellent series that takes the viewer deep into the heart of Colombian narcotic culture. Featuring an incredible cast and an unbeatable script, Narcos manages to make morally despicable characters seem like your best friends, while the agents of moral good come across as people trying to ruin all the fun. Overall, Narcos is a fantastic series that will take you on an emotional roller-coaster.
2. Marvel’s Daredevil
Daredevil is the gritty comic book series that we will never get to see on the big screen. Taking place in the same universe as “Avengers”, Marvel’s Daredevil brings to the small screen what we could never see on the big screen: blood, gore, morally nihilistic characters, and the resounding feeling that every hero has a dark side. Marvel’s Daredevil shows a bright future for Netflix-produced, comic book-inspired series.
3. Bojack Horseman
Bojack Horseman is, without a doubt, the best cartoon ever made about depression. Taking a dysfunctional approach to such topics as drug addiction, reckless sex, and the notoriety of self-destruction, Bojack Horseman consistently hits its mark by forcing viewers to look at their own lives critically when confronted with the insanity of the life portrayed on the show. Managing to be constantly hilarious while still exhibiting a deeper meaning is a skill that the creators of Bojack have perfected, with every episode hinting at a deeper meaning behind the cheap laughs and pop-culture references.
4. House of Cards
House of Cards showcases a heavyweight cast of Hollywood veterans as the tortured and brutal players in the crazy game known as American politics. Kevin Spacey steals the show as Francis Underwood, a US senator with big dreams and an even bigger habit of destroying anyone who gets in his way. Kevin Spacey constantly breaks the fourth wall, dragging the viewer into the world of the show, oftentimes against their will. The viewer will often get the sense that they’re disgusted by the lack of humanity splayed out before them, but they can’t let themselves look away in fear that they might miss a single second.
5. Orange is the New Black
Perhaps the most well known Netflix Original Series, Orange is the New Black stands as one of the most interesting dramatic series in recent memory. Following the suddenly disrupted life of Piper Chapman as she is sent to a minimum-security women’s prison for a decade-old drug trafficking offense. Orange is the New Black succeeds as an incredibly well-written drama that write women as actual people instead of just sex objects for plot progression; a feature that, unfortunately, is hard to come by in our modern age of television. Social commentary aside, Orange is the New Black is an incredibly well-written and well-acted series that will keep you interested with its combination of comedy and drama.
