Ten Netflix shows to watch over the next few months

We always have that list of shows on our Netflix watch lists that we mean to watch, that other people have recommended but we never get the time to watch. Now we all have the time in the world and here is a list of 10 great shows currently on Netflix that you will have no excuse not to watch now.

1.) Ozark

Genre - Crime Drama

Created by Bill Dubuque & Mark Williams

Starring - Jason Bateman & Laura Linney

Ozark is the heir apparent to Breaking Bad's crime family crown which in my opinion is part of the reason why the show is not as currently lauded as it should be. Season 3 has just dropped worldwide and for me it is one of the best TV shows on any service right.

It is the story of money launderer Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman) who in the pilot episode finds out his business partner has been skimming profit from their bosses, an extremly unforgiving Mexican cartel. Marty manages to talk his way out of the situation with a plan to make the money back laundering far away in the Ozarks, needless to say his family are not thrilled about the move.

The main threads of season 1 are the time limit that has been placed on Marty to get the cartel their money back and how he misjudges the locals as they prove more resistent to his big city charms and in turn cause him more issues. His marriage to wife Wendy (Laura Linney) is on the rocks and they immediately run into trouble with local crime family's the Langmore's & Snell's while also having the FBI on their trail.

What makes Ozark work is that in a post Breaking Bad world, the story and theme's feel familiar enough that you feel like you know where the show is going until it keeps pulling the rug out from you again and again. At its core it's the story of one man trying to extricate his family from a terrible situation but a major difference in Ozark is that within a few episodes the whole family is in on the plan and (mostly) working together to get themelves out of trouble.

Bateman once again proves himself just as adept behind the camera directing multiple episodes as he is onscreen and his onscreen performance is like watching Michael Bluth from Arrested Development decide to become a criminal. As the show progresses Laura Linney's Wendy Byrde is at first aghast at the situation but as seasons progress quickly becomes Marty's equal in manipulation and deception with Linney regularly giving an awards worthy performance.

Ozark's first (and so far only Emmy Award) went to Julia Garner's amazing portrayal of young Ruth Langmore who at first tries to cheat Marty but soon comes to be his protege in the laundering business. With her caustically written dialogue she constantly confounds expectations and is underestimated by the other characters in the show, do not bet against Ruth Langmore.

With 10 episodes a season, Ozark's 3rd season has just dropped worldwide giving you 30 hours of high quality crime drama.

2.) The Haunting of Hill House

Genre - Horror / Drama

Created by Mike Flanagan

Starring - Michiel Huisman, Carla Gugino, Henry Thomas, Elizabeth Reaser, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Kate Siegel & Victoria Pedretti

Loosely adapted by Mike Flanagan (Oculus, Dr Sleep) from Shirley Jacksons 1959 novel of the same name, The Haunting... is one of the most genuinely unsettling shows from the last few years. Over 10 episodes Flanagan weaves between the present and the past as we find out what happened on a fateful night to the young children of the Crane family and how they've dealt with the events of that night over the years.

For the first half of the season each episode focuses mainly on one memeber of the family and we learn their story each epsiode and how it ties into the larger narrative of the story. Once all the pieces are in place the plot propels forward bringing together all the relevant story threads together.

Ep 5 'The Bent-Neck Lady' is a series highlight with some masterful storytelling and direction. Flanagan is as interested in showing us how haunted the characters are as the places in the show and there is a grim mood of oppression and building dread throughout the show. The show moves at a mourful pace and like the best of the horror genre it knows when to utilise its few jump scares, one in particular comes out of nowhere and absoultely made me jump out of my seat on my initial viewing.

Flanagan has said that the ten episodes complete the story of the Crane family and there would be no sequel...except there is a second series coming. How you might ask? Well, we are going into American Horror Story territtory with 'The Haunting of Bly Manor' based upon the 1898 novella by Henry James 'The Turning of the Screw'.

Going forward 'The Haunting of...' will be an anthology series (obviously dependant on the success of season 2) and that will also mean several actors from the orignal season will be back playing new characters, so far Victoria Pedretti, Henry Thomas, Kate Siegel & Oliver Jackson-Cohen are confirmed to return. Production on season 2 began in September 2019, so hopefully we can still expect 'The Haunting of Bly Manor' at some point this year.

3.) The Witcher

Genre - Fantasy Drama

Created by Andrzej Sapkowski & Lauren Schmidt Hissrich

Starring - Henry Cavill, Anya Chalotra & Freya Allen

Pre-lauded by many as the natural sucessor to HBO's Game Of Thrones, The Witcher has undoubtedly been a massive success for Netflix and despite its fantasy tropes it is a lazy comparions just because they are both epic fantsasy shows.

Arguably most people had heard of The Witcher through the series of well recevied video games with 2015's The Witcher:Wild Hunt being widely regarded as one of the best games of all time, this in turn led people to the series of 8 books by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski.

The first book 'The Last Wish' was a collection of short stories that followed the quests of reknowned monster Geralt of Rivia, and the first season of the show blends elements of those short stories while also balancing the world building these type of shows need.

As an avid fan of the games and somewhat of the first few books, the team behind the show do a great job in visualising the many facets of the game/book world on screen and despite some sniffy reviews Cavill gives a career best performance as Geralt the emotionless yet sarcastic Witcher.

The one key issue which can be a positive or negative depending on your view is that the show runners fully embrace the magic and fantasy aspects of the matieral and they ambitiously weave the stories of our three main characters Geralt, Ciri & Yennifer throughout different time periods. More than a few people mentioned that they had trouble following the timelines of the show and that it wasn't immiedately apparent the different storylines were taking place in different timelines.

Honestly it is slightly confusing in places and that is from someone familiar with the source material, so I can see how it could turn off some casual viewers. Game of Thrones kept the magical elements of the story to the edges while setting up the key story and it was pitched more on the policitcal intrigue and drama until viewers were hooked and then could bring in the more fantastic elements.

The Witcher does not do this, right from EP 1 it sets out its stall as a show for fans of the fantasy genre and makes no apologies for it. It was smart storytelling to not rush to the main plot of Geralts story (which is explored in depth in The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt video game) and season 1 seems to almost a palate cleasner for the world of the Witcher before we delve into the main storyline for the next season.

4.) Ragnorak

Genre - Fantasy Drama

Created by Adam Price

Starring - David Stakson, Jonas Strand Gravli, Theresa Frostad Eggesbo & Emma Bones

My first non English language show in the list is Norwegian drama Ragnorak, which transposes some of the classical norse myths and retells them in a present day small modern town. Part of the fun for me immediately was trying to spot the which characters were supposed to be what Norse gods, its not much of a spoiler to guess the identity of our main character Magne by the end of the first episode.

Placing our main characters in high school setting in the town of does give way to some cliche's but at only 6 episodes the show does not out stay its welcome and although the show does have some YA tropes the change of location and seeing a represtentation of high school on film that isn't American makes for a refreshing change. Season 2 has been comissioned.

5.) Mindhunter

Genre - Crime

Created by Joe Penhall

Starring - Jonathon Groff, Holt McCallany & Anna Torv

Based upon the book Mindhunter:Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit written by John E Douglas & Mark Olshaker, Mindhunter details the beginning of the FBI's behavioural sciences unit and how interviewing famous serial killers game them a unqiue insight into catching current killers.

With David Fincher onboard as an exec producer and director for several epsidoes Mindhunter is exactly what you would expect from a Fincher TV show, its dark, violent and brutal. In the opening episodes we meet agents Holden Ford (Jonathon Groff) and Bill Tench ( Holt McCallany) despite their initial issues, they begin to collesque as a unit and and realise the worth of their work. Later Dr Wendy Carr (Anna Torv) a social sciences professor joins the team as their success grows and we learn more about their personal lives.

Essentially it is a show of people talking, the agents discussing their cases in a basement, inerviewing prisoners and many long plane ride talks as they cris-cross the country and yet the show is nothing if not riveting, each episode slowly fillls in more backstory to our core characters. There is a great late 70s soundtrack with some amazining sound editing, always picking just the right music for the scene.

The cinematography and scope of the show never feels like 'TV', Mindhunter is a 20 hour Fincher inspired movie, just broken up into hour chunks. The standout guest serial killer in season 1 is Cameron Brittons chilling performance as Ed Kemper who at times seems completely reasonable and almost seems normal before we get a sharp reminder of what he is capable of.

Season 2 also gave us many pre-credits sequences setting up the eventual introduction of the 'BTK Killer' Dennis Rader, which looked to be a key storyline of an eventual third season. Unfortunately even before the current world production issues Season 3 of Mindhunter was always going to be horribly delayed due to Fincher working on his own film for Netflix. In Janaury 2020 it was announced that Fincher fully intends to still make a 3rd season of Mindhunter once his film is finished however a potential dealy of over 2 years between seasons meant that all the key cast and crew had to be released from their contracts so despite Finchers best intentions it still seems unlikely that we will ever get a third series of Mindhunter. Currently all 19 episdoes of season 1 + 2 are available.

6.) Black Mirror

Genre - Sci Fi / Drama

Created by Charlie Brooker & Annabel Jones

Starring - Different cast every episode

If you haven't caught up with Charlie Brookers dsytopian sci-fi anthology series now is the time, the show originally aired on Channel 4 in the UK for two 3 episode seasons and the Christmas Special 'White Christmas' before a two year gap and thr move to Netflix. Since the move to Netflix the show has garnered much more international acclaim winning 8 emmy awards.

Billed as a modern Twilight Zone the show explores dark technological fears in an alternative present and has been ahead of the curve in ways it has presented the use of technology in the real world.

Many new actors first showcased their skills in Black Mirror such as Daniel Kaluuya, Toby Kebbell, Hayley Atwell & Domhnall Gleeson during its initial run, after the move to Netflix we got Bryce Dalllas Howard, Mckenzie Davis & Wyatt Russell amongst others.

With the standalone format you don't have to watch in any specific order although there are easter eggs dropped throughout the seasons for the avid viewer. Season 1's highlight is 'Fifteen Million Merits' set in a future where people literally power the country by cycling and earn credits called 'merits' to spend on pointless entertainment, imagine a world where you can't escape from pop up ads even when you try to sleep!

Probably the two most lauded episodes from the Netflix seasons are 'San Junipero' & 'Bandersnatch'. The former is a sci-fi love story between Yorkie (Mackenzie Davis) & Kelly (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) that broke with the atypical unhappy endings that Black Mirror was known for to actually give its characters an uplifting ending.

'Bandersnatch' dropped over Christmas 2018 and quickly became a phenomenon, it was the shows first full length TV movie, but it's masterstroke was making the show an interactive chose your own game. You got to choose how the story developed by selecting different options on your remote control. The basic plot revolved around a young programmer Stefan Butler (Fionn Whitehead) developing a video game in 1980's England, from that jumping off point there was a myriad of options that you as the viewer could choose. Offically according to Netflix there are five different endings you can pick but even then there are sub variations on that. The running time for the show can last between 90 mins and 150 mins depending on what options you choose.

Season 5 consisted of 3 episodes that dropped in June 2019, Season 6 has all but been offcially confirmed and it will certainly be interesting to see how Brooker & Jones confound our expectations once again.

7.) Fargo

Genre - Crime / Black Comedy

Created by Noah Hawley / The Coen Brothers

Starring - Different cast every season

When this project was first announced many people myself included thought this would be a terrible idea, Fargo was an oscar winning masterpiece by the Coen Brothers and although they gave the virtually unknown Noah Hawley their blessing for the project there was not much fanfare initally.

Then season 1 dropped and we saw the genius of Hawley, as he adapted the tone of the movie perfectly for TV. Fargo was about small town people getting involved with organsied crime and getting deeper and deeper into trouble in a snowy setting.

Season 1 gave us the story of Lorne Malvo (Billy Bob Thornton) in the small town of Bemidji, Minnesota and how his influence wrecks the lives of the towns inhabitants, mostly notably Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman in career best form) With the show a success FX (the original network) wanted a 2nd season, again I thought why? Season 1 was against all odds one of the best shows of the year, what could Hawley do to continue the story?

Season 2 jumped back in time to 1979 and dealt with Peggy & Ed Blumquist (Kirsten Dunst & Jesse Plemons) and their misunderstandings with the Gerhardt crime family. Trying to keep up with all the crime was state trooper Lou Solverson (Patrick Wilson) and his father in-law Sheriff Hank Larsson (Ted Danson) and the older version of Wilsons character was portrayed in Season 1 by Keith Carradine intrinsically linking the two seasons. Also of note was the amazing 70's soundtrack, with a motel car park shoot out set to Black Sabbaths 'War Pigs' a season highlight.

Season 3 starred Ewan McGregor playing twins Emmit & Ray Stussy and Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Nikki Swango, Ray's fianace who plans to rob Emmit. We have a police officer Gloria Bugle (the always excellent Carrie Coon) trying to solve her stepfathers murder and the shadowy figure of David Thewlis's V.M Varga pullling the strings from the shadows.

Season 4 has largely been completed and will star Chris Rock playing the head of a crime syndicate in 1950's, Kansas City, Missouri. The cast has been rounded out by Jessie Buckley, Jack Huston, Jason Schwartzman & Timothy Olyphant. The show was due to premiere April 2020 but has currently been delayed.

All 3 previous seasons are curently available.

8.) Hannibal

Genre - Thriller / Horror

Created by Bryan Fuller

Starring - Hugh Dancy, Mads Mikkelsen & Lawrence Fishburne

Despite the acclaim given to Anthony Hopkins portayal on the big screen of Hannibal Lecter arguably Mikkelsen can now be seen as the definitive on-screen Lecter. The show begins with FBI agent Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) working to take down a serial killer in Minnesota and initally seeking Lecters help as a world renowned forensic psychiatrist, before the Lecter we know from the movies begins to emerge.

The show plays like a twisted love story between the two leads with both of them increasingly obsessed by the other, Hannibal in mentally manipulating Graham and he in turn trying to unravel the engima that is Lecter.

Hannibal was always a challenging watch which demanded the viewers full attention and it really pushed the limits of depictions of onscreen violence at times with some shocking images. Aside from the two leads awards worthy performances there was great supporting turns from Gillian Anderson as Bedelia du Maurier as Lecters own psychotherapist, Laurence Fishburne as FBI chief Will Graham anda star making turn from Kacey Rohl as Abigail Hobbs a daughter of a serial killer.

In later seasons creator Bryan Fuller was able to weave in storylines from some of Thomas Harris other novels such as Red Dragon, Hannibal & Hannibal Rising giving us small screen versions of classic characters such as Mason Verger & Frances Dolarhyde 'The Tooth Fairy', and there was always speculation that the show would end with the opening scene of 'The Silence of the Lambs' with a young Clarice Starling arriving to meet Lecter mirroring the classic film.

Critics rightly lauded the show, however in its entire run it was only ever nominated for one Emmy and that was for special effects, also although it had a loyal audience it never had enough, which meant the show battled for survival each season.

At its best Hannibal was one of the best shows on TV that no one was watching, their was amazing character work, intrically plotted storylines, shocking violence and stunning cinematography and direction, in my opinion though sometimes the show became too focused on style over substance.

The show was finally cancelled after 39 episodes and 3 seasons in 2015 with quite the cliffhanger, but creator Fuller has talked about a revival and possbily acquiring the rights to 'The Silence of the Lambs' with the intention of re-teaming with Mikkelsen & Dancy be it in a limited series format or a new movie adaptation.

9. Altered Carbon

Genre - Sci Fi

Created by Laeta Kalogridis & Richard K Morgan

Starring - Joel Kinnaman, Anthony Mackie, Renee Elise Goldsberry & Chris Conner

Based upon Richad K Morgans series of novels, for many 'Altered Carbon' is 'Blade Runner' the TV show but with a bit more action! In the future world of the show the rich can transfer there consciousnesses into new bodys called 'sleeves' with their consciousnesses stored in the devices inside the body called 'stacks' however if your stack is destroyed then you are fully dead.

We follow the story of mercenary Takeshi Kovacs whose stack is in the middle of a 300 year prison sentence and is pulled back into action to solve a murder. Joel Kinnaman portrays Kovacs in Season 1 of the show before Anthony Mackie takes over the role of Kovacs in Season 2.

The show defintely tackles some dark subject matters in the first season and critics complained about the level of nudity and sexual violence especially in regards to its representation of the women in the show, thankfully many of those objections seem to have been addressed in the 2nd season.

With the idea that any actor can play an established character within the world of the show, opens up a myriad of possbilities, as even during the first season it was mentioned that Kinnaman would not be returning to the role of Kovacs for season 2, this allows the showrunners to continually refresh the cast on if the show continues for mulitple further seasons.

10. Breaking Bad

Genre - Crime Drama

Created by Vince Gilligan

Starring - Bryan Cranston & Aaron Paul

This is a given right? I'm fairly certain that most people in the world fall into two catergories - those who have seen and love Breaking Bad and those who do not realise they will love it yet.

If by some miracle you have not seen what is reguarly regarded as one of the best TV shows ever made, let me catch you up with the basics.

Bryan Cranston is Walter White, a high school science teacher who finds out he has poetentially fatal cancer and decides to team up with former student and drug dealer Jesse Pinkman played by Aaron Paul to cook enough crystal meth to provide for his family once he is gone.

What the show balances beautifully is Whites slow descent into villany from being a bumbling amateur at the drug trade to a truly terrfiying screen presence. Through the shows 5 seasons and 62 episodes we go from feeling sorry for White to being terrified of him, the original excuse that all of this is for his family rings hollow the more succcfesul he becomes.

Despite a lot of season 1 being quite heavy on the drama aspects and family life of White it was needed to get our symapthies for him and his family to set up the events of later seasons. Anna Gunn plays the almost universally hated Skylar, Walters wife and Dean Norris as DEA agent Hank Schrader, the agent tasked with solving the meth crisis in later seasons.

We had some amazing characters throughout the show such as slimebag lawyer Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) who made such an impression his spin off prequel show 'Better Call Saul' is now in its 5th season. Jonathon Banks regualry stole the show as private investigator and fixer Mike Ehrmantraut and Giancarlo Espositio as White nemesis, the terrifying Gus Fring.

The show began on AMC and gained an instantly positive critical acclaim, however it took a few years for the shows mainstream audience to go and Netflix was credited for increasing the shows viewership and scope when it aired seasons 4 & 5. In the UK it began in a late night slot on channel 5 and later seasons were not even legally available when the show orginally aired.

The show had great awards success winning 16 Emmy's over the course of its run and in October 2019, Netflix released a sequel movie starring Aaron Paul's Jesse Pinkman character to tie up the loose ends from the shows original finale and give resolution to his character.

Breaking Bad is and shoud be widely regarded as one of the best (if not the best) TV shows of all time therefore if you haven't seen it yet why are you still reading this?