The 10 Best-Reviewed Shows on Netflix in 2019

Netflix had another impressive year in terms of its original content, earning 27 Emmy wins (second behind HBO’s 34 wins) and releasing critically-acclaimed new series like the genre-bending Russian Doll starring Natasha Lyonne and the epic fantasy tale The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Netflix also scored high in IGN’s State of Streaming series for its diverse lineup of shows and easy-to-use UI.Below, we compiled a list of Netflix’s best-reviewed shows in 2019, using Metacritic as our barometer. According to Metacritic, which grades on a scale of 0 to 100, “we carefully curate a large group of the world’s most respected critics, assign scores to their reviews, and apply a weighted average to summarize the range of their opinions. The result is a single number that captures the essence of critical opinion in one Metascore. Each movie, game, television show and album featured on Metacritic gets a Metascore when we’ve collected at least four critics’ reviews.”

Click through the slideshow below or read on to see the 10 best-reviewed shows on Netflix in 2019. You can also check out the best-reviewed non-Netflix TV shows of 2019.

Best-Reviewed Shows on Netflix in 2019

Sex Education: Season 1 – Metascore 81

Netflix_1

Photo courtesy of Netflix.

This teen dramedy centers on Otis Thompson (played by Asa Butterfield), an awkward high school virgin who lives with his overbearing mother, Jean (Gillian Anderson). Judy Burman from Time Magazine says, “Populated by multidimensional characters with sympathetic problems, the show embodies–and espouses–some of TV’s most progressive views on sex.” Collider’s Allison Keene says, “Sex Education is just as much about the triumphs, the times things do go right, and the consequences of emotional vulnerability that ultimately make it a happy and satisfying watch.”

Orange Is the New Black: Season 7 – Metascore 82

Netflix_2

Photo courtesy of Netflix.

The ladies in orange returned in 2019 for the final season of OITNB with plenty of new and familiar faces to bolster its impressive ensemble. OITNB is the last of Netflix’s start-up originals so it feels bittersweet to say goodbye to such an iconic franchise for the streamer. IGN’s Matt Fowler says, “Sometimes hilarious, often devastating, and always ready to shine a light on humanity’s grand societal failings, Orange Is the New Black leaves us with a last ride full of closure and chaos.” The Hollywood Reporter’s Dan Fienberg says, “This closing run of 13 episodes is the most focused season in years, a steady reminder of how smartly political, energetically funny and devastatingly dramatic this show could be.”

Unbelievable: Season 1 – Metascore 82

Netflix_3

Photo courtesy of Netflix.

In this gritty crime drama, teenager Marie Adler’s (Kaitlyn Dever) sexual assault claim comes into question when the people closest to her begin to doubt her story. The Daily Beast’s Kevin Fallon says, “It’s a thrilling, searing, and most of all rage-inducing telling of negligence, institutional misogyny, and victim injustice.” Paste’s Allison Shoemaker says, “The performances from Colette, Wever, and Dever are uniformly excellent, with Dever equally parts devastating and subtle. Frankly, the entire cast, and MacDonald, in particular, does terrific work, but the series belongs to those three.”

Mindhunter: Season 2 – Metascore 83

Netflix_4

Photo courtesy of Netflix.

Prolific filmmaker David Fincher returns with a memorable second season of Mindhunter, featuring another round of stories centered on the FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit, as they encounter some of history’s most infamous serial killers. IGN’s Jesse Schedeen says, “This new season effectively dramatizes an infamous series of killings, even as it lends fascinating insight into the minds of infamous serial killers and the men and women who hunt them for a living.” IndieWire’s Ben Travers says, “While fully utilizing David Fincher’s icy aesthetic and featuring just enough creepy prison visits to satiate expectations, Mindhunter makes a lot of savvy changes in Season 2.”

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance: Season 1 – Metascore 85

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is a prequel to Jim Henson and Frank Oz’s 1982 fantasy epic that centers on three Gelflings who discover the horrifying secret behind the Skeksis’ power. IGN’s Matt Fowler says, “Though it’s so layered and ambitious that it risks dwarfing the original film, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is a towering passion project that features an all-star voice cast and a phenomenal procession of puppetry.” Vulture’s Matt Zoller Seitz says, “Age of Resistance is like an immense, ten-hour magic show, engrossing down to the very last wondrous detail. This is an altogether staggering artistic achievement and a joyful continuation of the Henson tradition.”

The Crown: Season 3 – Metascore 85

Netflix_5

Photo courtesy of Netflix.

The royal family returns to Netflix for a third season of The Crown, featuring an excellent new cast led by Olivia Coleman as Queen Elizabeth II. IGN’s David Griffin (that’s me!) says, “The Crown Season 3 may have some new faces, but showrunner Peter Morgan’s compelling narrative about the ups and downs of House Windsor remains strong.” The Los Angeles Times’ Lorraine Ali says, “Sweeping historical significance aside, it’s the intimate, internal battles make this season just as riveting as — if not stronger than — the last two.”

When They See Us – Metascore 87

Netflix_6

Photo courtesy of Netflix.

Based on the real-life case of five black teenagers, who became known as the Central Park Five, When They See Us tells the harrowing story of these young men who were convicted of a rape they did not commit. The New York Post’s Robert Rorke says, “When They See Us is a tough watch, but viewers will be moved and sickened at the prevalence of racism even in our so-called sophisticated cities.” TV Guide’s Matt Roush says, “The emotional roller coaster never lets up, careening from rage and sorrow to horror in director-cowriter Ava DuVernay’s shattering four-part dramatization of the infamous Central Park Five case.”

Our Planet: Season 1 – Metascore 88

Joining forces with the people behind the award-winning Planet Earth series, Our Planet is a visually captivating and informative look at nature hosted by Sir David Attenborough. Vanity Fair’s Sonia Saraiya says, “…a painfully beautiful eight-hour experience, bewitching in its loveliness and diversity even as it agitates, relentlessly, for human action against climate change.” Collider’s Allison Keene says, “Do absolutely watch this brilliant and educational series on the biggest TV you can, but do not lose sight of the fact that this isn’t just about entertainment. It is not historical documentation, and hopefully never will be. It is a vital, living reminder of the extraordinary beauty of our world as well as a desperate call to action.”

Russian Doll: Season 1 – Metascore 88

In Russian Doll, Natasha Lyonne’s Nadia is doomed to repeat the same night over and over again. The Boston Globe’s Matthew Gilbert says, “The elements in “Russian Doll” may sound somewhat familiar, particularly the ‘Groundhog Day’ repetitions; but they are all recombined to form something that is both fresh and revelatory.” IGN’s Alicia Lutes says, “Russian Doll is Netflix at its best. With eight tight, well-crafted episodes, each clocking in at less than 30 minutes, the series is a heady, addictive binge that avoids the bloat of other streaming shows and delights with its many subversions of tropes and expectations.”

BoJack Horseman: Season 3 – Metascore 92

Netflix_7

Photo courtesy of Netflix.

As the series comes to an end with its final season, Will Arnett returns to voice BoJack, the failed legendary ’90s sitcom star. The AV Club’s Danette Chavez says, “As it enters the final leg, BoJack Horseman takes stock of the good and the bad, and prepares to hand down judgment, proving that it’s braver and funnier than just about anything else on TV.” Vulture’s Jen Cheney says, “BoJack Horseman, six seasons in, is more clever, intelligent, and multilayered than 95 percent of comedies on television or any other platform. Its protagonist and other principal characters may still be in need of self-improvement, but the show in which they appear remains about as good as it gets.”
David Griffin still watches DuckTales in his pajamas with a cereal bowl in hand. He’s also the TV Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.

source: ign.com