With the coming of 2022, all users of Netflix, or other streaming platforms, for that matter (even movie pirates) have updated their watch lists. Despite fans and their love for finding hidden gems, there are certain shows that have become so influential that not seeing them entails missing out on a lot of interaction with strangers and friends alike. Here are some of the top shows on Netflix, each of which is a must-watch.

Top shows on Netflix in English

The Witcher

As competition to Game of Thrones for the best fantasy series to have been created in a while, Netflix produced The Witcher. The show is about Geralt of Rivia, a mutant monster who belongs to a breed of men called the Witchers. He hunts dangerous monsters that harm humans in exchange for money. However, his ‘cryptic European middle ages version of a hitman’ lifestyle changes as he finds his fate tied with that of a royal child. The series is based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s The Witcher books and follows the lives of Geralt, Princess Cirilla, a child with unimaginable powers, and Yennefer of Vengerberg, one of the most powerful mages to have ever lived.

Emily in Paris

If a fantasy series is a bit too much hassle and slight escapism is all you’re looking for, then this Netflix Original is the perfect watch for you. Emily in Paris is about the titular character Emily Cooper and her life away from her town of Chicago to the city of Paris. While she encounters many difficulties along the way, she slowly gets comfortable.

Bridgerton

Some of our readers are picky and not all recommendations sit well with them. If The Witcher and Emily in Paris both seem too extreme to you and you’re looking for escapist fun and pretty dresses like Emily Cooper but Geralt’s way of talking and middle ages Europe is too appealing, then Bridgerton has arrived on Netflix at the right time. Bridgerton is about the Bridgerton family and their agony as they come to terms with life and responsibilities, i.e., the pain of growing up.

You

Lovers of thrill and crime, worry not as we bring to you, Joe Goldberg. This bookseller is the perfect man- he is kind, smart, and easygoing. Not to mention, the protagonist of You has impeccable taste in literature. His favorite books quite literally include Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky and Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. His only flaw might be that he tends to get creepy and stalkery. And no, we’re not talking about your average ‘scrolling through their social media’ stalking. We’re talking about memorizing their entire schedule and family history without ever having talked to them and having gone inside their house without them ever knowing stalking. Oh, and, did we mention that he commits a couple of murders here and there?

Top shows on Netflix in other languages

Squid Game

Having lived through 2021 in society meant having to live through the absolute craze of Squid Game on the internet. Although in Korean, this series is Netflix’s biggest launch ever. Squid Game, a Battle Royale-esque show, is about 456 players who compete to death until there is a sole winner for 45.6 billion won ($38 USD).

Money Heist

Another one of Netflix’s most popular shows and proof that Netflix’s diverse content in different languages is their best investment yet is Money Heist. The series is about a bunch of thieves who are grouped together by a genius who prefers going by the alias of The Professor. At first, they rob The Royal Mint of Spain for money. When that ends, they find their way back into the life of crime as they must fight to get their friend back. Be it their anarchy or their own capitalist mindsets, this show has become quite the icon with signature elements like Bella Ciao and the Salvador Dali face mask and is one of the top-rated shows on Netflix.

Which one of these are you yet to see?