Best On Netflix

The 17 Drama Series On Netflix With The Highest Rotten Tomatoes Scores

By Claire Spellberg @c_spellberg

Published Aug. 14, 2018, 8:30 a.m. ET

collage of Mindhunter, The Crown, and Better Call Saul — Ranked by their Rotten Tomatoes Critic Scores!Photos: Everett Collection, NETFLIX ; Illustration: Dillen Phelps

***The Fall***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
Starring Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan, this psychological thriller follows a detective and a serial killer as they both hunt their respective prey. With well-written dialogue, chilling story lines, and riveting characters, *The Fall* gives viewers an intimate look at the kind of monster that inspires nightmares.
[Stream The Fall on Netflix]Photo: Netflix

***Happy Valley***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%
*Happy Valley* doesn't just refer to Penn State. This drama follows Catherine, a stern police sergeant who leads a team of officers in a rural West Yorkshire valley. She soon finds herself involved in something much darker and closer to home than she ever anticipated, and must reckon with her own past as horrific events unfold around her.
[Stream Happy Valley on Netflix]Photo: Netflix

***Better Call Saul***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%
Few spin-offs stack up to the original series, but *Better Call Saul* has been expertly matching *Breaking Bad* in quality since Day 1. The series tells the origin story of lawyer Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) and charts his transformation from Slippin' Jimmy to Saul Goodman, the sleazy lawyer fans meet in *Breaking Bad*. If you're a die-hard Heisenberg fan, *Better Call Saul* is a must-watch.
[Stream Better Call Saul on Netflix]Nicole Wilder/AMC/Sony Pictures Television

***Mindhunter***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
David Fincher's *Mindhunter* is a true crime series so chilling it was renewed for a second season before it even hit the platform. Set in 1979, the Netflix drama follows FBI Special Agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench (Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany), a duo who interview imprisoned serial killers to get inside the minds of active murderers and solve cases that have gone cold.
[Stream Mindhunter on Netflix]Patrick Harbron/Netflix

***The Sinner***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
Jessica Biel's limited series captivated viewers with a totally batshit "whydunnit" mystery unlike anything on TV. One day at the beach, Cora Tannetti (Biel) suddenly murders a man on the blanket next to her, and no one is able to provide an explanation for the sudden attack -- including Cora. Why did she do it? Did Cora know the victim? *The Sinner*'s first season answers these questions and more.
[Stream The Sinner on Netflix]Peter Kramer/USA Network

***Luther***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
Looking for a riveting crime drama that also stars an incredibly hunky leading man? Look no further than *Luther,* starring Idris Elba as a brilliant detective with some dark secrets. His inability to suppress his emotions often pushes him to use unorthodox methods to solve crimes and seek justice - a fault that may very well come back to haunt him later.
[Stream Luther on Netflix]Everett Collection

***Scandal***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%
Shonda Rhimes' political drama stars Kerry Washington as a White House Communications Director-turned-professional "fixer" named Olivia Pope. Each episode, Olivia races against the clock with her team to diffuse the latest scandal in their midst - and try to keep their own secrets in the process. Smart, sexy, and totally addicting, Scandal is a crowd-pleaser for all kinds of viewers (but particularly Shondaland fans).
[Stream Scandal on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

***The Crown***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 89%
Netflix's big-budget epic follows Queen Elizabeth through various scandals in her decades-long tenure as queen. Each season covers roughly a decade in the queen's reign, and Claire Foy is excellent in Seasons 1 and 2 (there's a reason she was nominated for all those awards). Stream the Netflix drama in all its glory before Olivia Colman takes the throne in the next two seasons.
[Stream The Crown on Netflix]Photo: Netflix

***The Fosters***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 89%
This ABC Family-turned-Freeform drama tells the story of a lesbian couple who are raising one biological child and four adopted children in San Diego. As members of the Foster family go about their lives, they deal with the effects of homophobia and racism as well as relationship issues, career troubles, and everyday growing pains. The series just wrapped its run in June; and all five seasons are now available to stream on Netflix
[Stream The Fosters on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

***Blue Bloods***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 89%
CBS' long-running police procedural follows an intergenerational family of NYPD officers who have spent decades attempting to curb crime in the city. Led by Police Commissioner Frank Regan, the family includes a detective, a beat cop, and a prosecutor, and the siblings consistently end up getting involved in each other's business both personally and professionally. There are eight seasons of *Blue Bloods* available to stream on Netflix, so if you're looking for a lengthy binge-watch, this is the drama for you.
[Stream Blue Bloods on Netflix]Photo: CBS

***Riverdale***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
There is nothing on television quite like *Riverdale*. The CW's Archie Comics-inspired series gets more ridiculous each episode, but the show's soapy, dark nature only adds to its intrigue. No matter whether you've read the Archie comics, you'll find something to love in *Riverdale*, especially if you're looking for a teen drama of the dark-and-twisty variety.
[Stream Riverdale on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

*Dark* (Germany)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 87%
Foreign Netflix Originals generally aren't Netflix's bread and butter, but *Dark* captured fans' attention in a way few international series have managed to do. This German supernatural thriller follows the mysterious disappearances of two young children and their grieving families. As the families' secrets slowly come to light, it becomes clear that there's something much more sinister going in the seemingly-quaint German town.
[Stream Dark on Netflix]NETFLIX

Sons Of Anarchy - It's The Archetypes — ***Sons of Anarchy***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%
FX's long-running drama tells the story of an outlaw motorcycle club involved in the illegal arms trade. The club's members are ride-or-die, but when Jax Teller (Charlie Hunnam) begins questioning the group's direction, he inserts himself into a complicated and dangerous web of deceit. The *Sons of Anarchy* spin-off *Mayans MC* premieres on FX in September, so now is the perfect time to check out all seven seasons of the original series on Netflix.
[Stream Sons of Anarchy on Netflix]

***Mad Men***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%
Head back to the Swingin' 60s with *Mad Men*, Matthew Weiner's ad agency drama that forever changed TV. Jon Hamm stars as Don Draper, a talented creative director at a successful ad agency in New York. Don thinks he's invincible, but so does everyone around him: the firm's partners, the wealthy account managers, and their privileged clients. Over the show's seven seasons, the employees of Sterling Cooper (later Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce) craft nuanced ad campaigns, drink way too much alcohol, and develop relationships with each other so meaningful that you'll probably shed a tear upon finishing the series finale.
[Stream Mad Men on Netflix]

***How to Get Away with Murder***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%
In this Shondaland drama, Viola Davis stars as Annalise Keating, a no-nonsense defense attorney who employs a group of young law students at her practice. The group's cases vary episode-by-episode, but the show's real strength hinges on the brief moments in which Davis explores what it means to be a woman of color in her profession. *How to Get Away with Murder* has been on for four seasons, but we're still very-much addicted.
[Stream How to Get Away with Murder on Netflix]

***Anne with an E***
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84%
Netflix's retelling of classic novel *Anne of Green Gables* tells the story of Anne Shirley, a young girl who has spent her entire life in foster homes and orphanages. When Anne is finally taken in by Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, the siblings are unsure of how to handle her, but they quickly learn to love Anne's exuberant nature.
[Stream Anne with an E on Netflix]Photo: Netflix

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Nothing complements a binge-watch quite like an addicting drama series. The cliffhangers, the complex characters, the constant action — if you want to kill an entire Saturday, turning on a drama series will definitely help you achieve that goal. The fine folks over at Netflix understand how important soapy content is to our overall well-being, and they’ve stacked their platform with drama series of all shapes and sizes. Crime dramas? Check. Period pieces? Check. Murder mysteries? Check, check, and check.

Some of the best dramas of the last 20 years are available to stream on Netflix, including the Emmy-nominated series The Crown and the Breaking Bad prequel Better Call Saul. Looking for something that will keep you up at night? Don’t miss Mindhunter, David Fincher’s exploration into the twisted minds of world-famous serial killers, or The Fall, a perspective-shifting drama about a female detective and the murderer she’s hunting. Maybe you’re interested in something a little lighter? Check out The CW’s take on the Archie Comics, Riverdale, or Scandal, Shonda Rhimes’ soapy thriller about a professional political “fixer.” Or perhaps you’re looking for something family-friendly? The first two seasons of Anne with an E, Netflix’s take on Lucy Maud Montgomery’s classic novel, are currently available to stream, as well.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all these dramatic options, don’t fret. We went through Netflix’s drama series to find the highest-rated titles on the platform, so you’ll now be armed with some crucial information before diving into your next binge-watch. These are the 17 best drama series on Netflix, ranked by their Season 1 Rotten Tomatoes Critic Scores.