The Netflix Top 10 list won’t tell you how many people are watching a show, but it will tell you which shows people are watching the most. The Top 10 list for Monday, Jan. 4 proves that people are all about nostalgia, with the Karate Kid continuation series Cobra Kai taking the No. 1 spot. Bridgerton, Shonda Rhimes’ steamy period piece; Unknown, a 2011 Liam Neeson thriller; Chilling Adventures of Sabrina‘s final season; and the Zac Efron-starring comedy 17 Again round out the top 5 today.
But of the Netflix Top 10, which of these shows and movies are actually worth watching? We break down the entire Netflix Top 10 list and guide you through what to binge and what to skip.
The Best TV Shows and Movies on Netflix in November 2020
Based on Netflix’s Top 10 from Monday, Jan. 4
1. Cobra Kai
For fans of: ’80s nostalgia, well-choreographed karate scenes | Is it good?: It’s pretty delightful
Originally a YouTube series, Cobra Kai — now in its third season — is the continuation of the Karate Kid film series that you didn’t know you needed. The twist here is that it’s mostly told from the perspective of Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), whose life never really recovered after Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) crane-kicked his nose to the other side of his face.
2. Bridgerton
For fans of: Period pieces, a lot of sex scenes | Is it good?: It’s a very fun watch that will keep you hooked
Produced by Shonda Rhimes, this period piece follows Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) through her first season out in London society and her rollercoaster journey of falling in love with a reluctant duke (Rege-Jean Page). It’s like if Pride and Prejudice met Gossip Girl met Scandal, all in one show.
3. Unknown
For fans of: Liam Neeson, action movies, action movies starring Liam Neeson | Is it good?: It is what it is
Liam Neeson stars as a man who awakens from a coma to discover that someone has stolen his identity, his wife doesn’t recognize him, and also he’s being chased by assassins. He teams up with a mysterious woman (Diane Kruger) in effort to prove who he is.
4. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
For fans of: Teen witches, Satan | Is it good?: Not as good as it was in Season 1, but the ending will have fans buzzing
In the final season of the Riverdale-adjacent series, Sabrina the Teenage Queen of Hell (Kiernan Shipka) and her witchy aunts take on the Eldritch Terrors one by one. Even more important than the fate of the world, though, is which of Sabrina’s love interests will ultimately be the one to claim her heart.
5. 17 Again
For fans of: Late-2000s nostalgia, young Zac Efron | Is it good?: It definitely holds up
Zac Efron gives one of his funniest (and earliest) performances in this comedy about a man (Matthew Perry) who wakes up as his 17-year-old self (Efron) after an accident. What else is there to say? It’s still a great movie!
6. We Can Be Heroes
For fans of: Mid-2000s nostalgia, superheroes | Is it good?: It’s a standard sequel, but fans of the original will probably appreciate it
This sequel to The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D finds Sharkboy and Lavagirl all grown up now, and because this is a movie for kids (well, technically — if you ask us, it’s mostly for Gen Z-ers), it’s up to their kids to save the world from an alien invasion. Priyanka Chopra, Pedro Pascal, and Christian Slater star.
7. 30 Minutes or Less
For fans of: Buddy comedies, stupid heists | Is it good?: Honestly, it’s kind of forgettable
Remember the era of stoner action comedies that were always about a bunch of dudes getting themselves into trouble? This is very much that. Jesse Eisenberg stars as a pizza delivery driver who, through a series of unfortunate events, finds himself with a bomb strapped to his chest that will detonate unless he robs a bank in 10 hours. He drags his best friend (Aziz Ansari) into the whole mess, and as you can imagine, hijinks ensue. Danny McBride and Nick Swardson co-star.
8. The Netflix Afterparty
For fans of: Uh, Netflix? | Is it good?: It’s a talk show where the main topic is always Netflix, if that’s your thing
This is a Netflix show where David Spade, Fortune Feimster, and London Hughes sit in a room and talk to people who star in other Netflix shows about those Netflix shows. If you love synergy, be sure to check this one out.
9. Death to 2020
For fans of: Hating 2020, mockumentaries, the Black Mirror people | Is it good?: Ugh, no
From Black Mirror producers Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones comes this mockumentary with an expiration date of about five minutes that chronicles the worst year in recent memory in a satirical format. There’s a lot of COVID talk and a lot of election talk, in case you were hoping to hear more takes on those two things. On the plus side, a lot of your favorite celebrities show up, including Samuel L. Jackson, Leslie Jones, Lisa Kudrow, and Kumail Nanjiani.
10. The Queen’s Gambit
For fans of: Chess, drugs, and character drama | Is it good?: It’s one of the best shows of the year
Budding superstar Anya Taylor-Joy (she’s been cast as young Furiosa in the next Mad Max movie) stars in this literary adaptation as Beth Harmon, a brilliant but troubled chess champion in 1950s Kentucky. She was an orphan who, in her youth, developed an incredible skill for the game but also a debilitating addiction to pills, which quiet her obsessive mind. It’s a detailed character study of brilliance and madness that’s usually reserved for male characters. It comes from one of Netflix’s go-to limited series producers, Godless‘ Scott Frank.
The Best Netflix Originals of 2020 So Far
Lucifer, The Baby-Sitters Club, Love Is Blind