The Netflix Top 10 list won’t tell you how many people are watching a show, but it will tell you which shows people are watching the most. The Top 10 list for Friday, Nov. 13 is the same as yesterday at the top and bottom of the list, with some movement in the middle. Animated World War II limited series The Liberator debuts, true crime limited series Trial 4 is up to No. 3, and holiday rom-com Operation Christmas Drop has dropped off the list.
But of the Netflix Top 10, which of these shows and movies are actually worth watching? We break down the entire Netflix Top 10 list and guide you through what to binge and what to skip.
The Best TV Shows and Movies on Netflix in November 2020
Based on Netflix’s Top 10 from Friday, Nov. 13
1. The Queen’s Gambit
For fans of: Chess, drugs, and character drama | Is it good?: It’s one of the best shows of the year
Budding superstar Anya Taylor-Joy (she’s been cast as young Furiosa in the next Mad Max movie) stars in this literary adaptation as Beth Harmon, a brilliant but troubled chess champion in 1950s Kentucky. She was an orphan who, in her youth, developed an incredible skill for the game but also a debilitating addiction to pills, which quiet her obsessive mind. It’s a detailed character study of brilliance and madness that’s usually reserved for male characters. It comes from one of Netflix’s go-to limited series producers, Godless‘ Scott Frank. (Yesterday’s rank: 1)
2. Dash & Lily
For fans of: New York City at Christmastime, bookstores | Is it good?: It’s totally charming
Dash (Austin Abrams) and Lily (Midori Francis) court each other by leaving notes to each other with comfort zone-expanding dares in a secret book at Manhattan’s famous Strand bookstore. It’s cute and will put you in a cheerful mood. [TV Guide review] (Yesterday’s rank: 2)
3. Trial 4
For fans of: Justice | Is it good?: Yes, and it’s infuriating, too
This limited docuseries tells the story of Sean Ellis, a Black man who was wrongfully convicted for the murder of a white Boston police officer. The timely documentary explores issues of police corruption and racism in the judicial system, and if you care about injustice, it will make you sick. (Yesterday’s rank: 6)
4. The Impossible
For fans of: The resilience of the human spirit in the face of disaster | Is it good?: Yes
Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts (who was nominated for an Oscar for her performance), and young Tom Holland star as a family who gets separated during the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and have to struggle to survive and find each other again. It’s a powerful true story. (Yesterday’s rank: 3)
5. Chappelle’s Show
For fans of: Rick James, Prince | Is it good?: It’s one of the funniest shows of all time
The legendary comedy show is now on Netflix. It’s still screamingly funny after all these years. What’s your favorite Chappelle’s Show quote? Mine is “He’s a habitual line-stepper.” (Yesterday’s rank: 4)
6. The Liberator
For fans of: WWII epics, rotoscoped animation | Is it good?: Visually, it’s great, but the story is flawed
The most notable thing about The Liberator is its animation technique, which is a new technology called “Enhanced Hybrid Animation,” a combination of CGI and live-action that’s similar to rotoscoping. Other than that, though, the four-part miniseries feels like too much story stuffed into too small a runtime. (Yesterday’s rank: n/a)
7. Cocomelon
For fans of: Mashed vegetables, pacifiers | Is it good?: For babies, sure
Colorful objects, preschool songs, and big-headed babies make this catnip for toddlers and younger kids who get screentime. (Yesterday’s rank: 7)
8. Mile 22
For fans of: Mark Wahlberg action movies | Is it good?: It’s whatever
Mark Wahlberg loves to make movies with director Peter Berg. This is one of their five collaborations. It’s an action thriller about covert CIA operatives transporting a whistleblower through 22 miles of hostile terrain. It’s kinda confusing and dumb. (Yesterday’s rank: 5)
9. The Grinch
For fans of: the Grinch | Is it good?: It’s fine
Benedict Cumberbatch voices Dr. Seuss’ iconic green guy who learns to love Christmas. You know the story, and this CG adaptation doesn’t add much to it. But it doesn’t detract anything from it, either. It’s better than the Jim Carrey version, but not as good as the original version. (Yesterday’s rank: 9)
10. 60 Days In
For fans of: Jail | Is it good?: Ethics aside, it’s pretty fascinating
A&E’s docuseries follows undercover volunteers as they get incarcerated for 60 days to expose illegal activity inside the jail (among the inmates, not the corrections officers). The season currently available on Netflix is set in Arizona’s Pinal County Jail. It’s a harrowing look at life on the inside, with extremely high stakes. You worry for the participants’ safety. (Yesterday’s rank: 10)
The Best Netflix Originals of 2020 So Far
Lucifer, The Baby-Sitters Club, Love Is Blind
