The first month of 2024 is done and dusted.
Apart from the continuing apathy in different parts of the world, and some sprinkles of bright sides, we have had a lot going on Netflix, too, as always.
Here are the top 5 shows on Netflix in Jan 2024. I have not used any external metric to rank them.
These are my personal preferences, which I think were the best in general.
5. Fool Me Once
It was the first Netflix series of 2024. Fool Me Once is based on a novel by Harlan Coben. The story revolves around a woman named Maya Stern, who loses her husband to a murder.
But things get utterly puzzling when she sees him on the nannycam she recently installed in her daughter’s room.
Is he alive? Was he never attacked? While this particular mystery holds your supreme focus, there are several other arcs in the plot that are equally stimulating.
Masterful performances by Michelle Keegan and Adeel Akhtar are other talking points of the British show.
Number of Episodes: 8
Total Duration: ~6 Hours
Stars: Michelle Keegan, Adeel Akhtar, Richard Armitage.
4. Boy Swallows Universe
No, even though the name might suggest, it’s not a Sci-Fi series. Boy Swallows Universe is based on Trent Dalton’s novel.
It is a nostalgic, dark show about crime and belief. Strange, isn’t it?
Children to drug dealers, two teenage kids try to make things right in a household that has only seen bad days.
Eli, the younger lad, puts all his energy into finding out the truth after their mother is sent to jail for a crime she didn’t commit.
The Australian series is innocent and wild, simultaneously. It showcases a cartel hidden behind the mask of luxury.
Number of Episodes: 7
Total Duration: ~7 Hours
Stars: Travis Fimmel, Phoebe Tonkin, Simon Baker, Felix Cameron.
3. Detective Forst
Unlike most detective shows, this one tries to stay closer to the ground. The show is extracted from the literal works of Remigiusz Mroz.
A string of grisly murders springs tension in a small Polish town. Detective Forst who was initially given the charge to find the culprit is taken off the case due to his unusual ways.
However, by the time, the detective discovers the case is more about his past life than anything else. Hence, begins a gritty journey.
Detective Forst is dark and highly engaging. It doesn’t over-rely on any particular element. Instead, the focus is distributed evenly.
You’ll probably like its convolutedness and the Polish show’s emphasis on authenticity.
Number of Episodes: 6
Total Duration: ~5
Stars: Borys Szyc, Zuzanna Saporznikow, Andrzej Bienias.
2. Griselda
Remember Bernard Tapie’s story that was released last year on Netflix in the form of Class Act? Griselda is a similarly themed series, with a different real-life protagonist and genre.
It is based on Griselda Blanco’s life who used to be a dreaded drug lord in the 1970s and 80s.
The show is a fictionalized account of her prime and dwindling days. Griselda’s merits include its storyline, music, and unhinged violence.
The show has its fair share of downsides as well. Once a dreaded criminal, Blanco’s life was more than fiction could ever show, which is reason enough to give the American series a go.
Number of Episodes: 6
Total Duration: ~5
Stars: Sofia Vergara, Alberto Guerra, Juliana Aiden Martinez.
1. The Bequeathed
Putting it at number one should not come as a surprise to those who have watched The Bequeathed. It has the most unique concept among the shows mentioned here.
Seo-ha inherits a burial ground from an unknown uncle of hers. Soon after, a series of murders in her family destabilize her plans of becoming a professor.
Working on the case of her uncle’s death is a determined cop who will do anything to uncover the truth.
I wish I could tell you more. Nevertheless, more admirable is its execution which makes the Korean series full of suspense.
Based on the webtoon developed by Kang Tae-kyung, you will have to be attentive to understand some of The Bequeathed’s meanderings toward the end.
Interestingly, the middle phase brings more to the table than most of the creations out there.
Number of Episodes: 6
Total Duration: ~5
Stars: Kim Hyun-joo, Park Hee-soon, Ryu Kyung-soo.
Final Word
Around ten original shows came to Netflix in January 2024.
Those that didn’t make it to the list include End of the Line (Brazilian Sitcom), Kubra (Turkish), The Brothers Sun (American), Killer Soup (Indian), and Baby Bandito (Chilean).
I cannot outrightly reject any of them. And you can read reviews, either on this website or somewhere else, to make an informed choice.
Take care guys, I hope you have a good time binge-watching the best Netflix shows of January 2024.
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