The INSIDER Summary:
• Favorites like House of Cards and Orange is the New Black returned for new seasons.
• Newcomes to Netflix included The Crown and Lady Dynamite.
• Topping the list is Stranger Things, which deserves every ounce of hype.
It’s that time of year again. Given the plethora of original content Netflix creates, we could rank the media provider’s best productions every month and still be behind the times. In the last twelve months, a slew of Netflix favorites have returned: House of Cardshit its fourth season, as did Orange is the New Black, while Marvel’s Luke Cagegot us one step closer to The Defenders. As for original series in their maiden voyage, Stranger Things enraptured us all,The Crown is pure cinematic royalty, and clever comedies like Lady Dynamite and Easy earned well-deserved spots on our Netflix queues.
On the film front, The Siege of Jadotville made waves in the war genre, Ava Duvernay’s 13th dominated the documentary world, and Paul Rudd continued his winning streak with The Fundamentals of Caring. Netflix is setting the pace with premium content in every possible way, and we’re doing our best just to try and keep up.
Here are The Best Netflix Original Series And Movies Of 2016, Ranked.
15. Lady Dynamite
Maria Bamford deserved her own show many moons ago, but we’re glad she had to wait until now. Lady Dynamite is the comedian’s magnum opus, a one-of-a-kind story with a vibrant sense of humor matched only by the tenderness (and likability) of its characters. A fearlessly autobiographical series, Lady Dynamite tells the story of the aspiring actress’ triumphant return to Los Angeles.
Having lost her way in the city of angels, Bamford took a six month-long leave of absence to combat her bipolar disorder away from the pomp and circumstance of Hollywood. Back in LA, Bamford resumes her mission of making it in showbiz, and through a series of deftly timed (and often hilarious) flashbacks, we learn more about her complex history and family. It’s a bold piece of entertainment that, were it not for the golden age of television, might have never been made. Due to the show’s growing fan base, Netflix has doubled down on its commitment to comedy and recently renewed Lady Dynamite for a second season.
14. The Siege of Jadotville
In 1961, an Irish outpost of United Nations soldiers were ambushed by thousands of Katangese soldiers in Central Africa. Despite being grossly outnumbered and low on ammunition, the Irish army survived a six-day siege before being taken captive by the Katangese. Thrillingly depicted in The Siege of Jadotville, the Irish fought not just against native soldiers but against Belgian, French and Rhodesian hired guns, surviving all manner of mortars and machine gun fire as they waited for backup.
Led by their brave commander, Pat Quinlan (Jamie Dornan), the band of Irishmen (and the actors that portray them) show tremendous heroism and humor in the face of death (while under siege, they are rumored to have radioed, “Could do with some whiskey.”). Though not quite on the same cinematic level as Netflix’s awards-darling Beasts of No Nation, The Siege of Jadotville recalls a similar aesthetic toBlood Diamond and provides an engaging portrayal of this lesser known conflict in the Congo. In regards to war epics,The Siege of Jadotville may also be a taste of what’s to come, as Netflix prepares to release the upcoming Brad Pitt-led movie, War Machine.
13. Bojack Horseman, Season 3
Bojack Horsemanproves that horses can make men cry. From a distance, Netflix’s stellar dramedy may look like your average animated show: light on substance, heavy on crude jokes and eminently forgettable. Instead, creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg and star Will Arnett have created a hard-hitting show that entertains viewers while shining a blinding light on the inner decay of Hollywood. As a washed-up sitcom star, Bojack (Arnett) battles his crippling depression and stalemated career through the ephemeral antidotes of drugs, sex and alcohol.
While the first two seasons established Bojack as a breakable horse-man who uses his celebrity to mask his depravity, season 3 is the undisputed apogee of the show. The industry commentary is particularly incisive as Bojack rides a new wave of popularity through his attempted career resurgence. While countless live-action films have attempted to depict the emotionally barren world of Los Angeles (Damien Chazelle’s new La La Landdoes it admirably well), few can compete with the brilliant narrative of Bojack Horseman.
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