5 Months Later, Netflix's Masterpiece 2-Part Thriller Series With Stellar RT Score Is Still The Ideal Weekend Binge

Published Sep 24, 2026, 2:43 PM EDT Felipe Rangel is a Movie and TV Journalist ScreenRant. He has been writing about movies and TV since 2021. Felipe joined ScreenRant in 2022, working across different teams, covering everything from breaking news to features to reviews and more. Felipe is a writer who is an avid film and TV fan, with superhero movies and series being his biggest passion. He graduated from college in 2019, having studied Journalism. Before college, he spent a month studying at the Oxford English Centre. His superhero knowledge expands to the comics, with his undergraduate thesis being "Politics Reflected In American Comics." Sign in to your ScreenRant account Netflix has several thrillers that make for engaging binge-watch sessions on the streaming service, but five months after its latest release, there is a masterpiece series that continues to be the perfect weekend binge on Netflix. Thriller shows on Netflix might come in droves, with several from each subgenre you can think of. However, they also come with top-notch quality. After all, many of Netflix's best original series are thrillers. In fact, Netflix's biggest new TV show of 2026 is a thriller, and not just that, it is the latest project in the generational run that Harlan Coben crime novel adaptations are having on Netflix for years. At the time of writing, that thriller series, I Will Find You, stands as Netflix's 5th most-watched TV show of all time. According to official Netflix data, I Will Find You racked up 120.8 million views, beating hit series like Wednesday season 2, DAHMER: Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, and many more. Other noteworthy new Netflix thrillers in 2026 include Jo Nesbø's Detective Hole, Nemesis, His & Hers, and more. That said, the streaming service also saw the return of many successful genre shows, and one of them remains a must-binge five months later. Now Streaming · Press Play How Well Do You Know Netflix Originals? “Red light, green light.” 🌀StrangerThingsThe Upside Down 🎭SquidGamePlayer 456 👑TheCrownLong live the Queen 🕸WednesdayNevermore Academy 🌹BridgertonDearest readers PRESS PLAY → 01 Squid Game shattered records on launch in 2021, becoming Netflix’s biggest-ever series debut. Hwang Dong-hyuk’s South Korean thriller centres on a desperate gambler named Seong Gi-hun. What is his player number? A067 B218 C001 D456 ✓ Correct! Gi-hun is Player 456 — the last number drawn. Kang Sae-byeok (the North Korean defector) is 067, Cho Sang-woo (the Stanford-educated finance crook) is 218, and the mysterious elderly Oh Il-nam is 001. Squid Game became Netflix’s first show to hit #1 in every country it launched in, amassing over 1.6 billion hours watched in its first month alone. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is 456. Gi-hun’s number is the very last of the 456 players. 067 is Sae-byeok the defector, 218 is Sang-woo the Stanford grad, and 001 is the mysterious old man Oh Il-nam whose identity becomes the series’ biggest reveal. Squid Game became Netflix’s most-watched launch ever, hitting #1 in 94 countries. NEXT → 02 The Tim Burton-directed Addams Family spin-off set at Nevermore Academy became Netflix’s second-biggest English-language debut in 2022 and launched a TikTok dance craze. Which young actress plays the deadpan title character? AJenna Ortega BMillie Bobby Brown CSadie Sink DMaya Hawke ✓ Correct! Jenna Ortega — a Disney Channel graduate and indie-horror favourite (X, Scream VI) — took the role Christina Ricci made iconic in the 1990s films and made it entirely her own. Her now-famous cello-accompanied dance scene became an overnight TikTok phenomenon, and her performance earned Wednesday two Emmy nominations despite airing mid-season. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Jenna Ortega. Millie Bobby Brown is Eleven on Stranger Things, Sadie Sink plays Max Mayfield (also Stranger Things), and Maya Hawke plays Robin. Ortega’s deadpan Wednesday Addams — and her viral cello-dance scene — turned the show into a global phenomenon in late 2022. NEXT → 03 In 2013, Netflix released a dark political thriller starring Kevin Spacey as a ruthless congressman breaking the fourth wall. It became the first major streaming original to land a Primetime Emmy nomination and effectively invented prestige streaming TV. Which show was it? AOrange Is the New Black BHouse of Cards CArrested Development (revival) DHemlock Grove ✓ Correct! House of Cards — adapted by Beau Willimon from the 1990 BBC series — became Netflix’s first prestige original and proved a streaming service could go toe-to-toe with HBO. Kevin Spacey’s Frank Underwood and his asides to camera defined early streaming TV. Orange Is the New Black followed months later in July 2013 and became Netflix’s longest-running original at the time. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is House of Cards (February 2013). Orange Is the New Black launched five months later (July 2013), Arrested Development’s Netflix revival came in May 2013, and Hemlock Grove was a horror effort the same spring. House of Cards was the flagship — the first streaming original to earn a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama Series. NEXT → 04 Peter Morgan’s The Crown famously recast its entire ensemble every two seasons to age the royal family. After Claire Foy played Queen Elizabeth II in seasons 1-2, which Oscar-winning actress took the crown for seasons 3-4? AImelda Staunton BOlivia Colman CHelena Bonham Carter DGillian Anderson ✓ Correct! Olivia Colman — fresh off her Best Actress Oscar for The Favourite — played the Queen across seasons 3 and 4, covering the late 1960s through the early Thatcher years. Imelda Staunton took over for seasons 5-6, Helena Bonham Carter played Princess Margaret in seasons 3-4, and Gillian Anderson stole the show as Margaret Thatcher in season 4. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Olivia Colman. Imelda Staunton took over for the final two seasons (5-6). Helena Bonham Carter played the chain-smoking Princess Margaret during seasons 3-4 alongside Colman. Gillian Anderson delivered an Emmy-winning Margaret Thatcher in season 4. Colman anchored the show’s middle era fresh off her 2019 Oscar win. NEXT → 05 The Duffer Brothers’ 1980s nostalgia juggernaut sees Eleven and the gang battle inter-dimensional horrors from a portal beneath the town’s Hawkins National Laboratory. In which fictional US town and state is the series set? ADerry, Maine BHawkins, Indiana CHill Valley, California DTwin Peaks, Washington ✓ Correct! Hawkins, Indiana — a fictional Midwestern small town that became one of TV’s most iconic settings. The Duffer Brothers chose Indiana for its unassuming, ordinary-America vibe, making the supernatural chaos feel more jarring. Derry is Stephen King’s It setting, Hill Valley is from Back to the Future, and Twin Peaks is David Lynch’s famous town. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Hawkins, Indiana. Derry, Maine is the fictional town from Stephen King’s It. Hill Valley is Marty McFly’s home in Back to the Future. Twin Peaks, Washington is David Lynch’s famous fictional town. Hawkins is The Duffer Brothers’ deliberately ordinary Midwestern setting — the flat, unassuming backdrop that makes Vecna’s horrors hit harder. NEXT → 06 Netflix’s Regency romance juggernaut — based on Julia Quinn’s novels and famous for its colour-blind casting, string-quartet pop covers, and narrated gossip column — is produced by which prolific showrunner’s production banner? AShonda Rhimes (Shondaland) BRyan Murphy CJulian Fellowes DJenji Kohan ✓ Correct! Shonda Rhimes — the creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal — produces Bridgerton through her Shondaland banner as the first major fruit of her massive 2017 Netflix deal. Chris Van Dusen created the show, but Shondaland’s signature ensemble-romance DNA is all over it. Julian Fellowes did Downton Abbey, Ryan Murphy did Monster/Dahmer, and Jenji Kohan did Orange Is the New Black. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Shonda Rhimes (Shondaland). Ryan Murphy produces true-crime anthologies like Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Julian Fellowes is the Downton Abbey/Gilded Age creator — a different period drama entirely. Jenji Kohan is behind Orange Is the New Black and Weeds. Bridgerton was the first big payoff of Rhimes’ nine-figure Netflix deal. NEXT → 07 La Casa de Papel (Money Heist) became a global phenomenon on Netflix after a modest Spanish TV debut — partly thanks to its gang’s instantly recognisable red jumpsuits paired with a mask of which famous figure? AGuy Fawkes BSalvador Dalí CChe Guevara DPablo Picasso ✓ Correct! The Salvador Dalí mask — with its upturned moustache — became the show’s defining visual alongside the red jumpsuits, a nod to Spanish artistic rebellion and surrealist individuality. It inspired protest iconography worldwide, from Lebanon to France. The original Antena 3 version underperformed; Netflix acquired it in 2017, re-edited it, and turned it into a global sensation. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Salvador Dalí. Guy Fawkes is the V for Vendetta mask that Anonymous adopted. Che Guevara is a common revolutionary image but not the heist crew’s mask. Picasso is a frequent wrong answer given he’s the more globally-known Spanish artist — but the Dalí mask, with its iconic moustache, is the one fused forever with Money Heist’s red jumpsuits. NEXT → 08 Netflix’s 2020 limited series about a Cold War-era chess prodigy named Beth Harmon caused a global surge in chess-set sales and was one of the streamer’s most-watched shows that year. Who played Beth? AFlorence Pugh BAnya Taylor-Joy CSaoirse Ronan DDaisy Edgar-Jones ✓ Correct! Anya Taylor-Joy — already a cult favourite from The Witch and Emma — broke out globally as Beth Harmon, winning the Golden Globe for Best Actress. The Queen’s Gambit pulled 62 million households in its first 28 days and caused such a chess-boom that Chess.com and retailers ran out of sets. It also made Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel a surprise bestseller almost 40 years later. ✗ Eliminated! The answer is Anya Taylor-Joy. Florence Pugh (Midsommar, Oppenheimer), Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird), and Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People, Where the Crawdads Sing) are all frequent competitors in similar roles. Taylor-Joy’s Beth Harmon earned her a Golden Globe, a SAG Award, and turned Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel into a sudden bestseller. REVEAL MY SCORE → Credits Rolling · Autoplay On Your Binge-Watcher Rank 🎬 / 8 Platinum subscriber — or still on the free trial? ⤴ PLAY NEXT EPISODE Among Netflix's returning thriller series with new seasons in 2026 were shows like The Night Agent, The Chestnut Man, The Lincoln Lawyer, and Beef. The latter came back for season 2 on April 16, following a three-year wait that saw the show go from a limited series to an anthology. Five months after its return, a few factors see Beef remain the perfect weekend binge on Netflix. Why Beef Remains The Perfect Weekend Binge A couple of factors have kept Beef a timely watch on Netflix. The first relates to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as the cast of the MCU's X-Men movie was officially revealed on August 14 at D23 by Marvel Studios. With fans of the superhero franchise excited about the arrival of the X-Men, the fact that the director of that upcoming MCU movie is Jake Schreier, one of the main directors and creative minds behind Netflix's Beef, makes the two-season thriller series the perfect binge, especially since the show's creator, Lee Sung Jin, is attached as one of the writers of the MCU X-Men movie. Beef season 2 stars Charles Melton and Cailee Spaeny have also seen their names in the rumor mill for X-Men casting, so fans who watch the Netflix series can get familiar with the actors in case Marvel follows through on the casting rumors. More recently, at the start of September, Beef won three Emmys in technical categories for sound editing and mixing, as well as season 2's costumes. This can be used as fuel for those who were still on the fence about giving the Netflix thriller series a go, as Beef is a visually stunning show with intense performances and quite a few creative plot twists. With two seasons of the Netflix anthology series out, totaling 18 episodes between them, Beef tells two separate stories with a beginning, a middle, and an end, about individuals or couples in feuds. The show is perfect for a weekend binge, as Netflix subscribers can get the whole story if they want to in a day or a couple over the weekend. Beef also boasts two impressive casts, with actors like Steven Yeun, Ali Wong, and Young Mazino in season 1, and Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan joining the aforementioned Melton and Spaeny in season 2. On Rotten Tomatoes, Beef boasts a near-perfect 93% critics' score. Will Beef Season 3 Happen On Netflix? Beef season 1 debuted on Netflix on April 6, 2023. The hit thriller series would only be reportedly renewed for season 2 in February 2024. As such, there was a 10-month gap between the debut of season 1 and the confirmation of Beef season 2. If the Netflix thriller series follows that timeframe, an announcement on the status of Beef season 3 could emerge by February 2027. During an interview with Rolling Stone for season 1's release, Beef's creator, Lee, claimed he had three seasons mapped out. As such, new viewers who binge Beef on Netflix this weekend will still have at least one more season to wait for after. Release Date April 6, 2023 Network Netflix Showrunner Lee Sung Jin Directors Hikari, Jake Schreier, Kitao Sakurai, Lee Sung Jin Writers Alice Ju Creator(s) Lee Sung Jin