The Absolute Best Sci-Fi TV Shows on Netflix (2023)

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Yes, Gong Yoo from Squid Game is included. What else do you need to know? This South Korean sci-fi mystery follows a team of astronauts on a mission to an abandoned research facility on the moon. Their goal: a sample of an unknown substance for unclear purposes. Betrayal, government lies and personal secrets spiral into this addictive space journey.

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Sadly, this sci-fi series won't see a second season - another Netflix victim killed too soon. Two timelines, cults, and a mystery are packed into Archive 81's compelling package. The multi-genre show stars Mamoudou Athie as Dan Turner, an archivist who takes a job restoring a collection of damaged videotapes from the '90s. Getting much more than he bargained for, he finds himself embroiled in the investigation of a mysterious cult and a young woman who may or may not be dead. Archive 81 is a supernatural sci-fi noir horror thriller immersed in its spooky atmosphere.

Screenshot from Warner Bros./YouTube/CNET

If The 100 is anything like your standard teen drama, prepare to exceed your expectations. There's a reason this post-apocalyptic series got seven seasons: The 100 brings rich world-building and moral dilemmas that push stereotypical characters to unique and compelling places. The 100 in question are a generation of juvenile prisoners who were sent to Earth to determine if it was habitable after the apocalypse. 100 percent give this one a try.

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This adult anthology series spans a variety of genres, with many episodes hitting the Black Mirror comparison button. The first season features robots in a post-apocalyptic city, farmers piloting mech suits, and a space mission gone wrong. While the episodes can be hit or miss (some have been criticized for their treatment of women), you'll find plenty of immersive and thought-provoking animations.

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A DNA researcher claims that it is possible to match people based on genetics and starts a dating service. A murder investigation takes a turn. The One is based on the book of the same name by John Marrs, published in 2016.

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Germany's response to Stranger Things deliberately takes its time before going into completely compelling and original places. A sci-fi noir, Dark combines time travel, conspiracies, and broken families in a multi-generational story that begins with the disappearance of a young boy. If you're looking for these kinds of carefully crafted levels when it comes to storytelling, make yourself comfortable. All three seasons of Dark's meditative look at time travel and its impact on human nature are waiting to hit you full force.

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This apocalyptic sci-fi from Belgium will probably soon put you off flying. Into the Night is set on a plane and sees a red-eyed fighter kidnapped by a soldier who, along with the rest of the passengers, is on the ground surviving a deadly global event. Can they keep the plane running long enough to get them to safety? That premise alone should be enough to entice you to watch this excellent, suspenseful thriller.

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Hilary Swank is the big star at the heart of the space drama Away. She plays Emma Green, a NASA astronaut and commander of an expedition to Mars. Things get off to a rocky start, and Emma's international crew leaves her with doubts about her ability to command. With time torn between earth-based drama and reliable high-above-the-stratosphere entertainment, Away succeeds in most cases by landing on an all-encompassing journey.

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It wouldn't be a leaderboard without Stranger Things. If you somehow missed the Duffer brothers' ode to '80s horror and Steven Spielberg, it's about to get tubular. We follow El, a nearly mute girl who has been the subject of scientific experiments. She develops telekinetic powers, which she uses to fend off monsters that invade her from a terrifying alternate dimension. The world of Indiana, Hawkins, is carefully detailed for anyone who needs a nostalgic '80s hit, and the misfit characters, played by an exceptional young cast, are part of everything that makes this show a tour de force.

JoJo Whilden/Netflix

Netflix's cancellations are no more criminal than The OA's cancellation. This unique story follows Prairie Johnson, a blind young woman who returns after years of being missing and can now see again. Claiming to be the "original angel", she convinces a small group of locals to listen to her impossible story, involving kidnappings and big breaks. The OA is the kind of sci-fi that catches you and its heroes off guard as it presents its fantastic concepts. Watch the first two flawless seasons on Netflix and cross your fingers that the third one gets picked up somewhere else.

Laurie Sparham/Netflix

During Charlie Brooker's gritty tech anthology seriescan be hit and missAt its best, Black Mirror packs its mini-movies with an exploration of futuristic technological ideas through achingly human stories. One of them is San Junipero, which follows two 80-year-old women (amazing soundtrack) who fall in love in ways they couldn't in their "real" lives outside of the seaside town. The technical side is revealed with clever timing, and overall the show explores the ramifications of our connected lives in a disturbing and at times uplifting way.

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From the creators of The Matrix comes another story that plays with reality. Sense8 follows eight strangers from around the world who discover that they are spiritually and emotionally connected. These windows into vastly different lives not only teach tolerance, but the "scythes" can harness each other's abilities when faced with a sinister organization that is after them. If you make fun of the various characters in Sense8, you'll fall head over heels in love with this serious and sensual sci-fi drama.

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Altered Carbon is set in a cyberpunk world where human consciousness can transfer into different bodies. Investigator and ex-soldier Takeshi Kovacs is transported to the body of Joel Kinnaman in season 1 and Anthony Mackie in season 2. First, Kovacs' story revolves around solving a murder before going on a quest to find out what happened to him. his own lost love. Altered Carbon can be clunky at times, but its visual sweetness and entertainment value will carry you through exposure and heavy-handed social commentary.

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Full disclosure: Netflix sadly canceled Travelers after its third season, but this sci-fi series from Canada manages to end with an ambitious bang. We start with Marcy, a disabled woman who takes a beating after helping a friend escape from bullies. She dies, and then comes back to life. This heavily character-driven sci-fi cleverly reveals its mysteries, following agents from the future tasked with preventing the collapse of society as they navigate the complicated terrain of a double life.

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The reboot of the 1965 series of the same name takes us to the year 2046, two years after humanity is on the brink of extinction. The talented Robinson family embarks with a team to colonize a new planet. The inevitable family drama aside, they are faced with strange new surroundings and a strange alien robot who befriends young Will. Mystery, heart, and a memorable villain in Dr. Smith gives Lost in Space plenty of fuel to get off the ground (Seasons 2 and 3 are much better than Season 1).

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2023 comes to new movies from Marvel, Netflix, DC and more