Don’t Overlook These 10 Amazing Older Netflix Originals

Netflix offers a wide collection of new original and exclusive movies and TV shows that you can find easily on the “Home” tab. However, this OG streaming platform has many older original shows that you might be missing out on.

These Netflix Original titles are some of the most acclaimed shows, released between 2015 and 2022. If you’re looking to grow your watch list with some amazing content, start with these shows. Here’s all you need to know.

1

Virgin River

A Romance Tale With a Fresh Tale

Virgin River is Netflix’s longest-running English-language drama series. This six-season romance, based on the novels by Robyn Carr, follows Melinda, a nurse practitioner who moves to a remote town (Virgin River) in Northern California for a fresh start. In this town, she meets Jack Sheridan, a bartender and owner of Jack’s Bar, and the two embark on a romantic journey. Meanwhile, Melinda also treats and bonds with the residents of Virgin River.

In 2024, it was announced that a prequel about the story of the protagonist’s parents is in the works. The show has also been renewed for a seventh season, with filming underway.

2

Savage Beauty

The Classic Revenge Story

Savage Beauty is a South African drama series with a classic revenge plot. It revolves around Zinhle Manzini, the face of a beauty brand called Bhengu Beauty, which is a South African global beauty empire run by the Bhengu family. Unbeknownst to the family, Zinhle is one of two survivors of their dark, hidden secret from 15 years ago. She plots her revenge against the family while embedding herself in the Bhengu family.

Savage Beauty garnered over 10.6 million views within a week of its release on Netflix and was in the Top 10 Charts for the first week in 13 countries. The third season of this drama series is in the works.

3

Bloodline

A Family’s Dark Secrets Resurface

Bloodline is a thrilling psychological drama with a gripping plot about the Rayburn family, who convene to celebrate the 45th anniversary of their parents’ seaside inn. Things start going awry when the family’s black sheep and oldest son, Danny, also joins the occasion. Danny’s rocky relationship with his father, Robert, comes back to the surface, and John, one of the siblings and a detective, begins investigating a string of mysterious deaths. The family’s dark secrets from the past resurface, relationships and trust are broken, and an unimaginable crime takes place in this seemingly peaceful setting.

Bloodline was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and has been praised by critics for both its performances and storyline. This is a binge-worthy watch with a compact run of three seasons.

4

Sense8

The Mysterious Bond Between 8 Strangers

If you’re looking for a science-fiction/psychological thriller with a bizarre plot, then Sense8 could be the perfect addition to your watch list. This series revolves around 8 characters living in 8 cities across the world, who were “birthed” by the same mysterious woman. The characters are connected by their thoughts and emotions, which also link their knowledge and skills to each other. How they navigate this mysterious situation while fighting off a sinister organization on their tail and meeting people like them makes up the rest of the plot.

Netflix included Sense8 in one of its reports as one of the most binge-watched series on its platform. It has received positive reviews from critics throughout its run and is a relatively short watch if you’re looking for something to binge-watch over a long weekend.

5

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Three Children, One Evil Man, and A Massive Fortune

Based on Lemony Snicket’s (Daniel Handler) book series of the same name, A Series of Unfortunate Events is a black comedy drama that has received high praise from critics and viewers alike. Similar to its source material, this series follows the story of the Baudelaire orphans, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny, who are adapting to life after their parents’ mysterious deaths in a fire. While trying to unveil the mystery, the children have to deal with the evil Count Olaf (played by Neil Patrick Harris), who wants to take over their massive inheritance before Violet comes of age.

A Series of Unfortunate Events won 10 awards, including for its costume design, script, and title theme. The series has been praised for its accurate adaptation, performances, and tone.

6

Ozark

A Family Entangled in a Dangerous Mess

Starring and directed by Jason Bateman, Ozark is a critically acclaimed crime thriller that tells the story of Marty and Wendy Byrde (Laura Linney), who move to the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri when a money-laundering scheme for a Mexican cartel goes wrong, putting them in a sticky debt situation. Here, living with his two children and Wendy, Marty has to continue the operation to appease the cartel’s boss, while the family becomes entangled with local criminals and the mafia.

The series received a staggering 45 Primetime Emmy nominations throughout its run, with Bateman winning Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series, and Linney winning the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series award thrice. The show was also nominated for 10 Golden Globe Awards, winning one. The show has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics, who have praised the story’s tone, performances from the main cast, and production.

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7

Mindhunter

A Peak Into the Disturbing Psyche of Killers

One of the best and most highly-rated Netflix Original shows to date, Mindhunter is a psychological crime thriller that will have you hooked to its plot and performances in the first episode. Directed by David Fincher, the show is based on the book “Mindhunter: Inside the FBI’s Elite Serial Crime Unit.”

The show follows two FBI agents, Holden Ford and Bill Tench, who teach “Road School,” where they hit the road and go to various precincts across the US to teach police officers about the psychology of killers. The two embark on a dangerous journey when they begin to have conversations with brutal killers to gain insights about their minds and behaviour, but a third member joins their mission when the stakes get higher. How they lay the groundwork for modern-day serial killer profiling while dealing with their personal lives makes up the rest of the series.

Mindhunter has two seasons, and despite the potential for a third, ended after Fincher announced that the series was officially over. Both seasons are critically acclaimed, and the show has an 8.3 rating on IMDb.

8

Altered Carbon

A Futuristic Story With an Impossible Ask

Altered Carbon is a futuristic, cyberpunk thriller based on the 2002 novel of the same name by Richard K. Morgan. Set in 2384 in Bay City, the story follows cutting-edge technology where human bodies are interchangeable, and consciousness is stored in disks. Takeshi Kovacs, a political operative and the sole survivor of a murdered elite rebel squad, is given another shot at life after the uber-wealthy Laurens Bancroft pulls his disk. He must, however, solve an impossible murder in return: Bancroft’s own.

Altered Carbon is a must-watch if you like science fiction and the cyberpunk genre. It also has an anime spin-off called Resleeved, which you can stream on Netflix. The show was, to many fans’ disappointment, canceled after two seasons.

9

Free Rein

A Heartwarming Family Story

Free Rein is a British drama series that makes for a good family watch. It depicts the story of Zoe, a 15-year-old girl from Los Angeles who spends a summer at her mother’s hometown, an island near England, where she develops an instant connection with a strange horse named Raven. She takes horse-riding lessons, navigates relationships with her family members, and develops new ones with the people of the island.

Free Rein has been praised by critics for its family-friendly tone, story, and accurate portrayal of horse riding. The show won three film awards, including two Daytime Emmy Awards.

10

The OA

A Mystery That Bends Your Mind

The OA is a two-part mystery thriller, with elements of science fiction and fantasy. The story revolves around Prairie Johnson, an adopted, visually-impaired woman who reappears after going missing for seven years. What’s odd, apart from her reappearance, is that she seems to have regained her eyesight, calls herself the “OA” (Original Angel), and has mysterious scars on her back. Further, she refuses to tell her parents or the police about what happened during her disappearance, choosing instead to gather five strangers whose help she recruits to save other missing people.

The OA is a mind-bending story that has been listed on many “Best Shows of…” lists by major publications such as BBC, NME, and Wired. Unfortunately, the show was canceled after two parts despite being planned to be a five-part series, eliciting negative reactions from fans. It has a 7.8 rating on IMDb from audience ratings, and is one of Netflix’s best Original shows to date.

If you want to discover more Netflix Original titles, simply type in “Original” in your app’s search bar to filter out exclusive content. You can also filter Netflix’s library by genre or trope using its secret codes.