The 10 Best Netflix Originals By Rotten Tomatoes Scores

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score: 100
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 92

Let’s hear it for the nerds! At first glance, it may seem odd that Netflix’s take on the age-old tradition of ripping on bad movies earned a perfect 100 percent from critics. However, many agreed that the new MST3K is a near perfect revival. The newest installation of the series has all of the charms and humor of the original with its own brand of quirk, and 21 critics agree it’s a must watch. Also, with Felicia Day, Patton Oswalt, and Jonah Ray, there’s no way you can go wrong.

Stream Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return on Netflix

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score: 100
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 89

It’s no surprise that Aziz Ansari’s beautiful and innovative series about Millennial life would end up on this list. Season 1 was given a perfect score by 55 critics, and Season 2 continued that trend with 37 critics. Brimming with smart observational humor, Master of None never sacrifices wit and heart in its attempt to make a joke. It’s a small, shining gem on Netflix that’s quickly becoming a critic-level powerhouse.

Stream Master of None on Netflix

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score: 100
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 57

After the controversy that followed the release of Dear White People’s trailer, it’s best to take that audience score with a grain of salt. However, 40 critics were in complete agreement about Justin Simien’s take on Ivy League racial relations. Adapted from the movie of the same name, Dear White People follows Sam White (Logan Browning), a radio host and activist whose titular show threatens to destroy the delicate social balance of one college. Filled with snappy dialogue and incredible characters, Dear White People is about more than just race or education. It’s about people.

Stream Dear White People on Netflix

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score: 97
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 100

Based on the book Five Came Back: A Story of Hollywood and the Second World War, this three-part docu-series is a powerful look the five film directors that worked on the frontline during WWII. The series follows John Ford, William Wyler, John Huston, Frank Capra, and George Stevens. Featuring interviews from current Hollywood greats such as Steven Spielberg (Wyler), Francis Ford Coppola (Huston), Guillermo del Toro (Capra), Paul Greengrass (Ford), and Lawrence Kasdan (Stevens), this series offers a moving look into how war affected these great directors. According to 31 critics, it’s a must watch.

Stream Five Came Back on Netflix

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score: 97
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 96

When Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos’ docu-series was released in December of 2015, it dominated mainstream pop culture in a way that few documentaries have. The 10-episode series follows the life and case of Steven Avery, a Wisconsin native who was falsely imprisoned for a sexual assault charge — a crime for which he served 18 years in prison. However, soon after his release, Avery finds himself at the center of another crime he didn’t commit. Making a Murderer explores the possibility that Avery had actually been framed by law enforcement, and 37 critics agree it’s a riveting watch.

Stream Making a Murderer on Netflix

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score: 96
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 91

Directed by Ava DuVernay, this documentary about the relationship between race and mass incarceration in America is anything but light-hearted. The documentary argues that racially driven laws concerning incarceration are another form of oppression for African American people. The powerful documentary was nominated for an Academy Award and received a Certified Fresh score from a shocking 74 critics.

Stream 13th on Netflix

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score: 96
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 87

The second season of Netflix’s Tina Fey comedy earned a rare 100 percent rating, a boost that really helped the series land on this list. Starring Ellie Kemper, Titus Burgess, Jane Krakowski, and Carol Kane, this bubbly comedy about overcoming adversity and the strength of women has been a critical favorite since the beginning. Season 1 received a 95 percent rating from 55 critics and Season 3 earned another 95 percent from 20 critics.

Stream Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt on Netflix

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score: 96
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 84

Norman Lear’s revival of a series of the same name isn’t just a good family comedy. It’s a genuinely great and emotional show. The series follows Penelope (Justina Machado), a newly single army veteran who lives with her two daughters and mother. Laugh out loud scenes are wonderfully balanced between somber discussions of PTSD, and 24 critics agree it’s something special that deserves your attention.

Stream One Day at a Time on Netflix

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score: 96
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 79

It’s about time a Marvel series made it on this list. Mike Colter’s take on this troubled superhero made for a gripping and delightfully dark season of television. The show’s first season dives into Luke Cage’s life before Jessica Jones, showing the sabotaged experiment that gave him super strength and unbreakable skin. Out of 53 critic reviews, the series about fighting in the heart of Harlem earned a high score.

Stream Marvel's Luke Cage on Netflix

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score: 95
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 95

Of course the Duffer brothers’ viral summer hit made it on this list. With an aesthetic that nods to Steven Spielberg and Stephen King and a cast of some of the most endearing child actors ever assembled, it was no wonder this story about missing kids and the Upside Down became a hit. Earning a Certified Fresh score from 63 critics, Stranger Things helped breathe new life into sci-fi all while being its own original self.

Stream Stranger Things on Netflix