Whenever I’m struggling to find a new Netflix show to watch, the streaming service’s top 10 most-watched list is my first port of call to help find something worth binge-watching.
Of course, a high rank in the ever-rotating list isn’t a cast-iron guarantee of quality; plenty of lacklustre series have managed to claim a spot, many have even taken the No. 1. But it’s a great starting point, and gives you a snapshot look at the shows drawing the most attention.
So, to help you pick out the gems and avoid the duds, I’ve combed through the current Netflix top 10 (as of Wednesday, July 2) and picked out the three shows I feel are most deserving of your watchlist.
My current picks include the grand finale of one of the biggest Netflix original shows of the 2020s, a seriously soapy but undeniably enjoyable crime drama, and a mystery thriller series with an episode count in the triple digits. These are the best shows in the Netflix top 10 now.
Best shows in the Netflix top 10 right now
‘Squid Game’
It’s not exactly a shock to see ‘Squid Game’ season 3 pretty much instantly reach the No. 1 spot in the Netflix top 10.
The survival thriller show became a global phenomenon when it debuted in 2021, and the third (and final) chapter in this blood-soaked story has been eagerly anticipated. When the response has been a little divided (season 3 holds a lukewarm 50% score from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes), it’s pretty much unmissable.
Picking up where the dramatic season 2 finale left off, the return of ‘Squid Game’ sees Gi-hun (Lee Jung-Jae) thrown back into the world of deadly playground game but he hasn’t abandoned his mission of bringing down the Front Man (Lee Byung-Hun) and putting an end to the games for good.
If you haven’t started yet, or are just watching at a slower pace to savour each episode, be sure to avoid Netflix’s social media channels, as the streaming service has taken the bizarre decision to publicly spoil “Squid Game's" finale.
Watch "Squid Game" on Netflix now
‘The Waterfront’
Kevin Williamson, the creator of “Dawson’s Creek” and “Vampire Diaries,” brings a new soapy crime drama to Netflix in the form of “The Waterfront.”
To be transparent, it’s not prestige TV that is going to be taking home a clutch of gold trophies come award season. But it is still a highly bingeable series with plenty of twists, turns and frothy melodrama. If you’re looking for a show you can breeze through in less than a week, “The Waterfront” is perfect.
Set in the fictional beachside town of Havenport, North Carolina, “The Waterfront” introduces us to the Buckleys. This dysfunctional family rules over Havenport, with a tight grip on everything from the local fishing industry to the restaurant scene.
But when patriarch Harlan (Holt McCallany) steps back from the business following a heart attack, his reckless son Cane (Jake Weary) puts them on the road to ruin.
Watch out for a scene-stealing turn from Melissa Benoist as Bree Buckley, Cane’s sister, who is struggling with addiction and battling for custody of her son. And Maria Bello is also great as Belle Buckley, the family's matriarch.
Watch "The Waterfront" on Netflix now
‘Blindspot’
If you’re searching for a Netflix show that will last you a little longer than a couple of evenings or a lazy weekend, look no further than “Blindspot.”
This NBC show debuted in 2015 and ran for five seasons, with 100 episodes total. That should keep you busy for a while. Yes, the show isn’t new, but it’s got all the hallmarks of bingeable 2010s TV. Each episode adds to the overarching mystery, and there are plenty of cliffhangers to keep you clicking that “play next episode” button long past when you intended to stop watching.
“Blindspot” offers intrigue right from the start as it opens with a heavily tattooed woman found stuffed into a duffel bag in New York City’s Times Square. Dubbed Jane Doe (Jaimie Alexander), due to her inability to remember anything about her past, one of her freshly inked tattoos points to FBI agent Kurt Weller (Sullivan Stapleton), and the two must team up to both stop various crimes around the city but also unlock the mysterious of Jane’s past.
Watch "Blindspot" on Netflix now
Full Netflix top 10 right now
- "Squid Game"
- "WWE Raw"
- "The Waterfront"
- "Ginny & Georgia"
- "The Ultimatum: Queer Love"
- "American Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders"
- "Animal Kingdom"
- "Blindspot"
- "Sirens"
- "Tires"
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