Sex Education is a brilliantly funny and emotionally charged drama that is well worth a binge if you haven't seen it yet. Photo / Supplied
There is nothing worse than scrolling through your Netflix feed looking for something to watch and seemingly finding ... nothing.
It is boring and disheartening and the new Netflix "play something" feature is not a big help. As an Australian, currently residing in NZ, I tend to notice when shows from back home pop up in my feed. Maybe it is a hint of homesickness, but I find myself seeking them out and, being Aussie made, they often fall under the radar here in NZ.
This explains why you will find quite a lot of Aussie-made stuff on this list, but don't hold that against them, they are really good.
Along with some Aussie gems, you will also find some foreign language favourites and a few British beauties on this binge-friendly list.
There are some amazing Australian gems out there in the streaming-verse, here are just a few of my favourites.
The Beautiful Lie
An adaptation of the classic novel Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, A Beautiful Lie is dark, passionate, powerful and features some incredible acting performances from Sarah Snook (Predestination) and Rodger Corser (Doctor Doctor).
Snook plays a happily married professional tennis player who begins a passionate affair with a new man that she meets and feels an instant attraction to, but the strength of their attraction is enough to destroy them all.
This is a limited series of six episodes so you could probably binge it in a night (or two if you fall asleep on the couch). Keep an eye and ear out for NZ singer/songwriter Marlon Williams in this stunning drama.
Wanted
Kiwi actress Rebecca Gibney is at the heart of this edge-of-your-seat action series and the performance is one of the best of her career. Gibney plays Lola, a woman who accidentally witnesses a murder at a bus stop. Alongside Lola at the bus stop is nervous, high maintenance Chelsea, played with perfection by Geraldine Hakewill.
Realising that they have witnessed something they shouldn't see forces the two to go on the run together, embarking on an adventure that will take them from Australia to Thailand and New Zealand and back again over three unforgettable seasons. Watch this immediately, it is utterly gripping and beautifully shot.
Tangle
This drama, based in Melbourne, features some of Australia's best actors, including Justine Clark, Catherine McClements and Kat Stewart, as members of two families intertwined in complex and destructive ways.
Almost a decade old, this powerful drama unpacks the messiness of family love, loyalty and betrayal as though not a day has passed. All three seasons are available to stream on Netflix. Give it a go, you will soon be hooked.
Don't let the subtitles scare you, these foreign dramas are what binge-watching is all about. The stakes are high, the drama even higher and everyone is so ridiculously good looking.
Who Killed Sara?
Part murder mystery, part revenge thriller and part love story, Who Killed Sara will keep you guessing, taking so many twists and turns you will end up with narrative whiplash. If you are not familiar with the Spanish telenovela style of storytelling this series may seem a bit over the top at first, but by episode three, you will be hooked.
To give you an idea of what to expect, everyone is hiding something, nothing will turn out the way you imagine and people may come back from the dead. Yes, it sounds a bit silly, but it is oh so good and very addictive. Two seasons of Who Killed Sara are streaming on Netflix.
High Seas
The drama of High Seas all takes place on a luxury ship making the journey from Spain to Brazil in the late 1940s. The series centres around two sisters, Eva, played by Ivana Baquero with impeccably dressed aplomb, and Carolina, played by Alejandra Onieva, who boasts the most perfect hair you have ever seen.
The number of cataclysmic events that happen to the guests sailing on the Barbara de Braganza should be laughable, but the stunning 40s fashion, high production values, well-drawn characters and the fact every line is delivered by someone very good-looking speaking in gorgeous Spanish means you find yourself very much on board. All three seasons of High Seas are available now on Netflix.
Celebrating love in all its forms, these series are full of relatable characters and powerful messages that will resonate, no matter your sexual orientation or gender identity.
It's a Sin
Starring Neil Patrick Harris, this British drama, set in London during the early days of the AIDS crisis, somehow manages to be very funny, while also astonishingly sad. A cast of beautiful gay men tries to build careers and relationships in the midst of an epidemic that they don't understand and no one will explain to them.
As you can imagine, this series doesn't have a happy ending but it someone manages to be a celebration of life, not death. The entire limited series of It's a Sin is available on TVNZ on Demand.
Sex Education
This fun teen-based drama is driven by the incredibly hilarious mother-son relationship depicted by Asa Butterfield as the insecure teenage son and Gillian Anderson as his mother, who also happens to be a sex therapist. If you have missed out on this series somehow then now is the time.
It is funny, irreverent, powerful and sometimes sad. It also deals skillfully with the tumultuous time of sexual awakening and experimentation that is adolescence. Two seasons of Sex Education are ready to binge on Netflix.
A well-crafted mystery is one of the most addictive shows around. You find yourself watching episode after episode, just itching to find out who done it and these light-hearted crime shows hook you right from the start.
Lupin
A French-language series about a skilled and charming thief hell bent on righting the wrongs of the past, Lupin is delightful. Named after Arsène Lupin, a fictional gentleman thief, this series is both a retelling and an homage to the original character, often referring to the books by Maurice Leblanc.
In this Lupin the main character of Assane Diop, played by Omar Sy, is a cunning thief who manages to evade authorities with his wits and penchant for disguises. There is more to Diop that stealing for stealing's sake though, he is a man with a mission, and all is not as it seems. The first two series of Lupin are on Netflix, with a third season confirmed as in development.
Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries
The original Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, starring Essie Davis, is one of the best things to ever happen to television (also available on Accorn) and now, the incredible Phryne has her own spin-off. Set in the swinging 60s, the protagonist of this fun homage to the original is Phyrne's niece, played by the stunning Geraldine Hakewill (who also stars in Wanted, see above).
Hakewill stars as Peregrine, who unexpectedly inherits her aunt's fortune and (of course) teams up with a slew of strong independent women to solve crimes. It is very true to the format of the original, with a 60s twist, and wonderful hair and fashion to boot. The first two series are streaming on Accorn.
Sit back and have a laugh with a comedy, it's good for the soul, although you may need tissues on hand as some of these will have you laughing till you cry.
The Let Down
If you have children then this Australian comedy will have you crying with laughter. From the struggles of feeding to getting your child to sleep, The Let Down addresses these challenges with brutal, raw and hilarious honesty. Focused on new mum Audrey, and the members of the mother's group she reluctantly joins, trying to work out how to be a parent.
Audrey, played by Alison Bell, who also wrote and created the series, is the heart of the show and a scene where she ends up buying drugs off a street dealer just so that she doesn't have to move her car and wake her baby is one of the funniest things ever. Two seasons of The Letdown are streaming now on Netflix.
Star Struck
The incredible Rose Matafeo needs no introduction. Matafeo's latest project is the London-set TV series Starstruck. Matafeo wrote the series and stars as main character, Jessie, who has a one-night stand with a man who ends up being a famous actor, Tom, played by Nikesh Patel.
What ensues is a unique and very funny love story about two people who, despite their strong attraction, always manage to mess things up. Starstruck is warm, funny and familiar and, with only six episodes so far (a second series has been commissioned) this would make a wonderful big night in with friends. Starstruck is streaming now on TVNZ on demand.
Upright
Australian musician Tim Minchin, the brains and talent behind Matilda The Musical, both wrote and stars in this fun, but at times sad, road-trip drama. An unexpected series of mishaps sees Lucky, played by Minchin, team up with a 13-year-old girl to transport an upright piano across Australia from Sydney to Perth.
The young girl, Meg, is played with extraordinary intensity and humour by Milly Alcock, who somehow manages to be the more mature party in this unlikely pairing. Upright is as much a love story to the Australian outback as it is a hilarious depiction of a man down on his luck and desperate for redemption. The first season of Upright is on TVNZ on Demand, with a second season in the works.
Creamerie
This incredible show almost didn't make the list as it has been so widely talked about and universally loved that it seemed almost impossible that there are still those who haven't seen it. But, just in case, in an effort to right that wrong, here it is – Creamerie.
Set in a dystopian version of New Zealand where all of the men have supposedly been wiped out by a virus, Creamerie focuses on three women who are trying to make sense of this strange reality. One day the trip literally stumble across a man (yikes, a man!) and everything that happens from there on is just wonderful.
Creamerie stars (and was co-created by) JJ Fong, Ally Xue and Perlina Lau, who, along with director Roseanne Liang, are the brains behind the successful web series Flat3. With a premise that could easily fall off a far-fetched cliff, Creamerie somehow manages to create a deliciously dark and hilariously funny world that is so well done that not even the most bizarre moments feel like they have gone too far.
Everyone should watch this ... now. Creamerie season one is streaming on TVNZ on Demand.
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