As we move into December, there’s something especially cozy about settling in for a proper binge-watch. But with Netflix dropping fresh releases every week (and every other streaming service piling on new shows too) it can get overwhelming fast. Add in all the returning seasons, like the fifth and final run of “Stranger Things,” and it’s no wonder choosing your next watch turns into endless scrolling.
A quick peek at Netflix’s top 10 can help, but what’s trending isn’t always what’s actually worth your time. And now that we’ve hit a new month, the chart is likely to shift a lot in the coming days. That’s why each week, we dig through Netflix’s top 10 and pick out just three titles that genuinely earn a spot on your watchlist.
Best shows in the Netflix top 10
‘Stranger Things’
Not many shows have made an impact on Netflix quite like “Stranger Things,” and the long-awaited final season is here. I’ve already watched the first four episodes of season 5 part 1, but honestly, there’s nothing wrong with binging them again because it’s absolutely worth the double watch. If you haven’t started yet, this week is the perfect time to jump in before spoilers start flying. And with Netflix releasing season 5 in three instalments, keeping everything fresh in your mind will definitely help once volume 2 lands on Christmas Day.
“Stranger Things” season 5 kicks off in fall 1987 with the quiet town of Hawkins, Indiana still scarred by last season’s “Rifts.” The mission is simple — find and kill Vecna — but nothing is simple. The town is under military quarantine, and the government is hunting down Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), forcing her into hiding. At the same time, the rest of the gang has been making repeated and increasingly desperate dives into the alternate dimension known as the Upside Down, hoping to track Vecna’s whereabouts.
Stream "Stranger Things" on Netflix
‘A Man on the Inside’
“A Man on the Inside” season 2 dropped almost two weeks ago, and it’s still going strong in the top 10. Ted Danson proves once again that retirement isn’t slowing his character one bit. The show keeps its signature cozy-mystery style, full of gentle humor, little twists, and the easygoing charm that made the first season so enjoyable. If you loved the slightly chaotic energy before, you’ll find plenty more of it in this new season.
Season 2 follows retired sleuth Charles Nieuwendyk (Danson) as he goes undercover as a professor at Wheeler College. The school is expecting a huge donation from a billionaire alumnus, but when the president’s laptop is stolen, the donation and the college’s reputation are put at risk. Charles finds himself caught in a maze of trickery, blackmail, and suspicious campus staff, including music professor Mona Margadoff (Mary Steenburgen).
Stream "A Man on the Inside" on Netflix
‘Absentia’
Netflix thrillers are pretty much always a hit, so it’s hardly surprising that the psychological thriller “Absentia” has made it into the top 10 and stayed there. The series first premiered on Prime Video back in 2018 and ran for three seasons before it was canceled. Now that its Prime Video rights have expired, Netflix is the place to catch the tense story for anyone ready to dive in. Plus, you’ve got 30 episodes to binge-watch right now.
“Absentia” follows FBI agent Emily Byrne (Stana Katic), who mysteriously disappears while hunting one of Boston’s most notorious serial killers and is declared dead in absentia. Six years later, she’s found alive but with no memory of what happened during her disappearance, returning to a life that has moved on without her — her husband has remarried, and her son believes his stepmother is his real mom. As Emily struggles to piece together her lost memories, she becomes the prime suspect in a new string of murders.
Stream "Absentia" on Netflix
Full Netflix top 10
1. "Stranger Things" (2016)
2. "Kevin Hart: Acting My Age" (2025)
3. "Missing: Dead or Alive" (2023)
4. "The Beast in Me" (2025)
5. "Is It Cake? Holiday" (2024)
6. "A Man on the Inside" (2024)
7. "Mark Rober's CrunchLabs" (2025)
8. "Absentia" (2017)
9. "The Rats: A Witcher Tale" (2025)
10. "The Great British Baking Show: Holidays" (2018)
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