Best Netflix UK series and films of 2023

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Lupin

French language mystery thriller "Lupin" has returned for a third series. Inspired by the adventures of Arsène Lupin, the hit show created by British writer George Kay stars Omar Sy as Assane Diop, Netflix's "most suave gentleman thief", said Morgan Jeffery on RadioTimes.com. The first series of "Lupin" was one of the most successful ever on Netflix and part three is the "boldest and bloodiest yet", said Leila Latif in The Guardian. "Super-suave" lead Sy is "such a born action star" that "he could be the next Bond".

Bodies

Starring "everyone's fave" Stephen Graham, said Furvah Shah in Cosmopolitan, Netflix's new crime and sci-fi series "Bodies" is "seriously mindblowing". It follows "four detectives from different time periods" who discover the exact same body in Whitechapel, east London, and they begin to "unravel a disturbing conspiracy spanning decades and have to try to work together to solve the murder". An adaptation of the late Si Spencer's graphic novel from 2015, this "genre-blurring whodunnit" is "exceptionally good value", said Rebecca Nicholson in The Guardian. The thrilling cop drama will leave you "wanting more and more (and more)". 

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Beckham

Netflix's four-part documentary about David Beckham is a "cosy but candid" insight into an "icon", said Jessie Thompson in The Independent. There's "nostalgia galore", a cast of football greats and a "gripping portrait of the birth of a celebrity brand". Directed by Fisher Stevens (the PR man Hugo in "Succession"), this is both a sports documentary, said Blair Marnell on Digital Trends, and an examination of "what it's like to be such a huge celebrity".

The Fall of the House of Usher

Loosely based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, said James Hibbs on RadioTimes.com, this fifth show in "master of the horror genre" Mike Flanagan's Netflix catalogue "arrives with perhaps the weightiest expectation of all". Featuring an "A-grade" cast all "working at the top of their game", "The Fall of the House of Usher" is "a cut above" many of the horror offerings not only on Netflix, but "anywhere right now". Halloween "is saved", said Leila Latif in The Guardian, Flanagan's final Netflix offering is "a spooky, grisly, sumptuously gothic treat". 

Top Boy

The final series of "Top Boy", Netflix's hit London street crime drama, has "gone down well with TV critics", said Paul Glynn on the BBC. This series picks up where the last left off: with the murder of an upstart who had been tipped to take over the drugs empire presided over by gangster Dushane (played by Ashley Walters). Now, Dushane faces further problems with the arrival of a crew of fearsome Irish gangsters (led by Brian Gleeson and Barry Keoghan). At just six episodes, season three is a "frenetic final outing", said Morgan Jeffery on RadioTimes. The swan song is "pacy and powerful", but "leaves you wanting more". 

Gangs of Oslo

What else does Netflix "have up its sleeve" to fill the void left by "Top Boy", asked Paul Speed on The Mirror. Well, "look no further" than Norwegian crime drama "Gangs of Oslo", called "Blodsbrødre". This show is a "rare breed indeed" – it's both "hard-hitting" yet "uniquely vulnerable in equal measure". Watch "Gangs of Oslo" now, said Ricky Gervais on X, it's "my favourite series of the year" and "up there" with "Gomorrah" and "4 Blocks". It's like a "Scandi" version of "The Wire". 

At Home with the Furys

Despite its "slightly dubious" premise – "come and chill out" with heavyweight boxing champ the "Gypsy King" Tyson Fury and his "absolutely bonkers" family – Netflix's docu-series is nine episodes of "absolute gold", said Vicky Jessop in the Evening Standard. "Let's get one thing straight" though, "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" this is not. It's "arguably more compelling": fame with the "varnish stripped off, rough and unfiltered". It's the "perfect type of trash: give it to me straight. I love it."

The Lincoln Lawyer

"Buckle up" for this modern-day "Knight Rider", said Lucy Mangan in The Guardian. Netflix's car-based legal drama is "utter nonsense from axle to axle", but it's "worth it" to watch the stars "heroically deliver ludicrous lines with a straight face". Starring Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as defence attorney Mickey Haller, the second season of "The Lincoln Lawyer" is "cleverly updated, old-school TV", said Cristina Escobar on RogerEbert.com. And like the first season it "pivots around one particular crime". 

Painkiller

Limited series “Painkiller” is based on two journalistic accounts of the opioid epidemic and “the people caught up in it”, said Meredith Blake in the Los Angeles Times. A “necessarily fictionalised retelling of events” that relies on “imagined conversations and composite characters”, it is, “broadly speaking, a true story” – one that “accurately captures a vast American tragedy that continues to unfold”.

Heart of Stone

There’s “very little that’s original” in this Bond-alike adventure movie, said Wendy Ide in The Observer, but the action is “terrific” and a “screaming, tyre-shredding” extended car chase around Lisbon is a “breathless” and “exhilarating” highlight. Gal Gadot stars as “ace hacker” Rachel Stone, Jamie Dornan as MI5 veteran Parker and Alia Bhatt as computer prodigy Keya Dhawan. 

Our Planet II

Netflix is “heading back into the wild” with a “major new natural history push” in 2023, said Peter White on Deadline. The streamer has released the second season of “Our Planet”, narrated by the legendary David Attenborough. From the team behind “Planet Earth”, it follows more animals “on the move” and unravels the “mysteries of how and why animals migrate to reveal stories in the natural world”.

Black Mirror

Season six of dystopian anthology “Black Mirror” features an “impressive slew of guest stars”, said Charna Flam on Variety, including the likes of Salma Hayek Pinault, Michael Cera, Aaron Paul and Kate Mara. “Irregular” as it is, “Black Mirror” is “an institution now”, said Craig Mathieson on The Age, and it’s noticeable that Charlie Brooker’s “disdain for technology’s distortion has become focused on his own job: creating content”.

Beef

“Grab a bite of the best new series of the year,” said Benji Wilson in The Telegraph. “Beef” is a “wickedly funny” and “expertly written” show that begins as a road rage incident between two strangers – a failing contractor and an unfulfilled entrepreneur – then becomes a “blistering, ‘Parasite’-style social satire”. Alex Abad-Santos on Vox agrees that “Beef” is the “best show Netflix has had in recent memory”. Starring Ali Wong as Amy and Steven Yeun as Danny, this is “astounding, anti-ambient TV”. 

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story

A prequel and spin-off to the hit series, “Queen Charlotte” is the best “Bridgerton” yet, said Alison Herman in Variety. Though the story “flashes back some 50 years” to depict the titular monarch’s early marriage, “it keeps the flagship show’s stylistic trademarks firmly in place”. 

You

Netflix’s “notorious serial killer” Joe Goldberg has returned to “wreak more havoc”, said Emily Gulla in Cosmopolitan. Season four, which was released in two parts, is this time set in London with a brand new cast and brand new victims. “Yikes.”

The Witcher

When Henry Cavill announced that he would be “leaving the bath tub behind” and walking away from “The Witcher”, it was one of the “biggest pieces of entertainment news” of 2022, said Laura Jane Turner on Digital Spy. The third season is Cavill’s swansong as Geralt of Rivia, with Liam Hemsworth confirmed as his replacement for season four. Season three is “an improvement” on season two, said Adrienne Tyler on ScreenRant. Split into two parts, it is “being treated as an event”, not just because of “all the major events it covers”, but also because of Cavill’s departure. 

Extraction 2

The first “Extraction” film came out on Netflix during the summer lockdown, “when there was a certain vicarious appeal in the spectacle of rugged Chris Hemsworth kicking down doors to release an innocent captive”, said Brian Viner in the Daily Mail. “Now, he’s at it again.” Our hero, you’ll recall, is “a former ‘special ops’ soldier – with an iron six-pack – by the name of Tyler Rake”, who can “extract anyone from anywhere”.

The Night Agent

This political thriller, based on Matthew Quirk’s 2012 novel, is “propulsive, slicker-than-slick fun”, said Lucy Mangan in The Guardian. FBI agent Peter Sutherland (played by Gabriel Basso) saves a bunch of “ordinary joes” from a bomb on a subway train. Then he’s put on desk duties in the basement of the White House, “doing admin while he waits by a helpline phone that undercover operatives can call to let the powers-that-be know they are in trouble”.

The Pale Blue Eye

This “star-studded, gothically-inclined drama” movie set in 1830s America sees a jaded detective, Augustus Landor (Christian Bale), summoned to a military academy to solve a mystery, said Matthew Bond in The Mail on Sunday. A cadet appears to have taken his own life, but his corpse has been mutilated, and his commanding officer wants Landor to find out why. Gillian Anderson, Lucy Boynton, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Toby Jones also star. 

Fubar

Arnold Schwarzenegger makes his TV debut as an ageing CIA agent in this amusing comedy-caper series. “Fubar” is an “unstoppably daft” crime drama, said Stuart Jeffries in The Guardian, but Arnie’s a “natural comedian”. This thriller’s backstory “makes no sense” and it gives Schwarzenegger “one of his worst ever catchphrases”. But it’s a comic role “he’s spent his life prepping for”. 

Lockwood & Co.

Forget the “YA" label, "Lockwood & Co." is an “addictive, sophisticated” supernatural thriller which will keep “cynical old duffers entertained throughout”, said Boyd Hilton on Empire. Let’s hope the “notoriously ruthless” Netflix “big cheeses” give this show “more opportunities to delight and intrigue us”. 

The Law According to Lidia Poët

Telling the “important true story” of Italy’s first female lawyer, this Italian period series blends “humour, romance, crime and drama into one truly enjoyable watch”, said Morgan Cormack on RadioTimes.com. It’s a “light procedural drama” and “perfect” for the crime fans among us.

Luther: The Fallen Sun

After five seasons on BBC TV, Luther has been released as a feature film on Netflix. Idris Elba, who returns as DCI John Luther, told Empire that the movie will “break out of the gritty streets of London” and into the wilderness. Andy Serkis also stars.

MH370: The Plane That Disappeared

For “fans of conspiracy theories”, this three-part “examination” of the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 is “irresistible”, said Adam Sweeting on The Arts Desk. Though the “continuing anguish” of friends and relatives of the 239 people aboard the flight “makes for some painful viewing”. There’s something “very dark” at the “core of this story”, but will it ever come out?

Formula 1: Drive to Survive

There’s been a number of new sports documentary series on Netflix this year, including tennis’s Break Point and golf’s Full Swing. Season five of Formula 1: Drive to Survive has also been released and Netflix and production company Box to Box Films have “stuck to their guns”, said Filip Cleeren on Autosport. “After all, why change a winning formula that has helped elevate F1’s popularity to unseen heights?”

Kaleidoscope

Heist series "Kaleidoscope" represents “nothing less than a bold new vision of storytelling”, said Stuart Heritage in The Guardian. There are eight episodes in total, “but here’s the thing”, you can watch “in any order you like”. In fact there are “40,320 ways” to watch the show. Giancarlo Esposito, Jai Courtney, Tati Gabrielle and Rufus Sewell star.

Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street

This four-part documentary series reveals the truth behind Bernie Madoff’s $64bn global Ponzi scheme, the largest in history. With access to whistleblowers, employees, investigators, and victims, and never-before-seen video depositions of Madoff himself, filmmaker Joe Berlinger uncovers how the fraud was not just the brainchild of one evil genius. "Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street" is “both entertaining and educational”, said Sarah Almeida on The Review Geek. This shows audiences “every route the notorious financial serial killer took”, which is “quite captivating”, and breaks down “just how damaging these Ponzi schemes can be”. 

That ’90s Show

“Grab a beer, or a blunt!” and turn on for “a blast of nostalgia”, said Bria McNeal on Esquire. A spinoff of "That ’70s Show", this series follows Eric and Donna’s daughter, Lei Forman, who will stay with her grandparents, Red and Kitty, for the summer. “She’ll make her own memories with a new gaggle of friends.” 

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget

Aardman’s eagerly anticipated sequel to the highest-grossing stop-motion animated film of all time will be coming exclusively to Netflix on 15 December 2023. Like its 2000 predecessor, "Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget" is a comedy action-adventure. Released in the UK on 15 December

The Crown

The sixth and final season of Netflix’s “absolute juggernaut of a 20th century epic” will “get to the heavy stuff” in late 2023, said Tom Nicholson in Esquire. In season five there was a lot of “portent and pouting” and in season six Diana’s going to die “very early doors”. From there “we’ll head into the Blair premiership proper, the wreckage of the death of Diana, the beginnings of the split between Harry, William and Charles, the demise of Blairism and Queen Lizzie’s encroaching mortality”. Part one out now, part two out on 14 December