13 Netflix shows you might have missed this year but should definitely watch
Palmer Haasch
- Netflix put out dozens of original television series in 2023.
- There are some excellent shows that may have flown under your radar.
It's been a big television year for Netflix, amid blockbuster series like "The Night Agent" and critical darlings like "Beef."
As a viewer, it's hard to keep track of everything that's coming to Netflix, particularly amid an entertainment landscape flush with television programming. And while you probably hit some of the most-watched Netflix titles of this year like the Arnold Schwarzenegger-fronted "FUBAR," there are some other series you may have scrolled past.
We've compiled 13 of those, ranging from British imports like "Red Rose" to K-dramas like "The Glory" to genre titles like "One Piece." If you're looking for a last minute binge in 2023, consider one of these.
1. "Physical: 100"
Release date: January 24, 2023
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Netflix synopsis: "One hundred contestants in top physical shape compete to claim the honor of the ultimate physique in this intense survival reality series."
Why you should watch it: "Physical: 100" is impeccably casted, bringing together South Korea's athletic elite. But what makes the show so compelling isn't the athletic feats, impressive as they are. It's the way that the series is edited to craft storylines for the show's losers that stand just as tall as its winning competitor.
2. "Lockwood & Co."
Release date: January 27, 2023
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%
Netflix synopsis: "In a world plagued by ghosts, where giant corporations employ psychic teens to battle the supernatural, only one company operates without adult supervision, and its name is Lockwood & Co. Run by Anthony Lockwood, a rebellious young entrepreneur haunted by his mysterious past, his brilliant but eccentric sidekick George, and a newly arrived, supremely gifted girl called Lucy, this renegade trio are about to unravel a terrifying mystery that will change the course of history."
Why you should watch it: While "Lockwood & Co." was canceled after its first season, the show is a supernatural YA fantasy that will be to your tastes if you're a fan of similar teen dramas.
3. "Cunk on Earth"
Release date: January 31, 2023
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
Netflix synopsis: "Philomena Cunk is here to show how far humanity has come — or not — in this witty mockumentary tracing the history of civilization."
Why you should watch it: "Cunk on Earth" features a pitch perfect Diane Morgan as Philomena Cunk, who comes at world history from a place of sublime ignorance.
4. "Red Rose"
Release date: February 15, 2023
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
Netflix synopsis: "A ragtag crew of teens must survive a summer of terror after downloading an app that makes dangerous demands with deadly consequences."
Why you should watch it: This tech thriller plays on our very real dependence on cell phones, social media, and technology — and delivers without getting too in the weeds.
5. "The Glory"
Release date: March 10, 2023 (Part Two)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%
Netflix synopsis: "Tormented by her high school classmates and with nowhere to turn for help, Moon Dong-eun sinks into despair before deciding on a new mission in life."
Why you should watch it: "The Glory" is a riveting, simmering revenge drama anchored by stellar performances — in particular, Song Hye-kyo as Moon Dong-eun, and Lim Ji-yeon as Park Yeon-jin.
6. "Beef"
Release date: April 6, 2023
Rotten Tomatoes score: 98%
Netflix synopsis: "'Beef' follows the aftermath of a road rage incident between two strangers. Danny Cho (Steven Yeun), a failing contractor with a chip on his shoulder, goes head-to-head with Amy Lau (Ali Wong), a self-made entrepreneur with a picturesque life. The increasing stakes of their feud unravel their lives and relationships in this darkly comedic and deeply moving series."
Why you should watch it: "Beef" got a fair amount of buzz, but if there's one show you shouldn't miss from this year on Netflix, it's this. Riveting and tightly written, it explores how deeply hate can consume someone — and serve as catharsis as their life falls apart.
7. "XO, Kitty"
Release date: May 18, 2023
Rotten Tomatoes score: 81%
Netflix synopsis: "Teen matchmaker Kitty Song Covey thinks she knows everything there is to know about love. But when she moves halfway across the world to reunite with her long-distance boyfriend, she'll soon realize that relationships are a lot more complicated when it's your own heart on the line."
Why you should watch it: "XO, Kitty" is the more chaotic companion series to the "To All the Boys" film trilogy. Blending the sensibilities of American teen dramas and K-drama hijinks, it's a blast to binge.
8. "One Piece"
Release Date: August 31, 2023
Rotten Tomatoes score: 85%
Netflix synopsis: "Based on Japan's highest-selling manga series in history by Eiichiro Oda, 'One Piece' is a legendary high-seas adventure unlike any other. Monkey D. Luffy is a young adventurer who has longed for a life of freedom since he can remember. Luffy sets off from his small village on a perilous journey to find the legendary fabled treasure, ONE PIECE, to become King of the Pirates! But in order to find the ultimate prize, Luffy will need to assemble the crew he's always wanted before finding a ship to sail, searching every inch of the vast blue seas, outpacing the Marines, and outwitting dangerous rivals at every turn."
Why you should watch it: Netflix is going all in on "One Piece," one of the longest running, best-selling manga series of all time, with a second season of this live-action show and a new anime adaptation of the manga. This series is a good place to start your journey into the "One Piece" universe if you're a newcomer — and you'll probably like it if you like pirate adventures, really weird supernatural powers, and the found family trope.
9. "Lupin" season 3
Release date: October 5, 2023
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
Netflix synopsis: "Now in hiding, Assane must learn to live far from his wife and son. With the suffering they endure because of him, Assane can't stand it any longer and decides to return to Paris to make them a crazy proposal: leave France and start a new life elsewhere. But the ghosts of the past are never far away, and an unexpected return will turn his plans upside down."
Why you should watch it: This French-language series starring Omar Sy has long been a hit, bringing the vibes of the classic "gentleman thief" character Arsène Lupin into the modern age through Sy's Assane Diop.
10. "Bodies"
Release date: October 19, 2023
Rotten Tomatoes score: 81%
Netflix synopsis: "Four detectives. Four timelines. One body. Based on the mind-bending graphic novel by Si Spencer, 'Bodies' is a police procedural with a twist. When a body — the same body — is found on Longharvest Lane in London's East End in 1890, 1941, 2023 and 2053, one detective from each period must investigate. As connections are drawn across the decades, the detectives soon discover their investigations are linked, and an enigmatic political leader — Elias Mannix (Stephen Graham) — becomes increasingly central. Did he have a part to play in the murder? Or is something far more sinister at play? To solve the mystery, our four detectives must somehow collaborate and uncover a conspiracy spanning over 150 years."
Why you should watch it: This time-twisting British series packs multiple timelines into one mystery. At just eight episodes, it's also quick enough to binge that you won't be left hanging for too long.
11. "Blue Eye Samurai"
Release Date: November 3, 2023
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
Netflix synopsis: "This provocative and visually stunning cinematic series immerses the viewer in a world of vivid adult animation with a live-action edge. Set in Edo-period Japan, 'Blue Eye Samurai' follows Mizu (voiced by Maya Erskine), a mixed-race master of the sword who lives a life in disguise seeking the deliverance of revenge."
Why you should watch it: "Blue Eye Samurai" is a visual marvel and brilliant revenge drama, and a standout in Netflix's adult animation landscape.
12. "Scott Pilgrim Takes Off"
Release Date: November 17, 2023
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Netflix synopsis: "Scott Pilgrim meets the girl of his dreams, Ramona Flowers, but learns he must defeat her seven evil exes in order to date her. Then things get even more complicated. Based on the graphic novels by Bryan Lee O'Malley."
Why you should watch it: "Scott Pilgrim Takes Off" is the kind of adaptation that we need more of because it respects its source material, but doesn't get too gummed up in it. For fans of the franchise and newcomers alike, this anime series from Netflix and Science Saru is a delightful, and well worth it, watch.
13. "Obliterated"
Release Date: November 30, 2023
Rotten Tomatoes score: 47%
Netflix synopsis: "'Obliterated' is a high octane action-comedy that tells the story of an elite special forces team who thwarts a deadly threat to Las Vegas. After their celebratory party, filled with booze, drugs and sex, the team discovers that the bomb they deactivated was a fake. The now intoxicated team has to fight through their impairments, overcome their personal issues, find the real bomb, and save the world."
Why you should watch it: See past the Rotten Tomatoes score on this one. Is it a critical darling? Absolutely not. Is it vulgar? Extremely so. Will it keep you entertained for eight straight episodes, like a car wreck you can't help but rubberneck at on the highway? You betcha.
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