I've watched most of Netflix's top-streamed shows in 2025 — here are 3 to watch and 2 you should skip

Tom's Guide

7 days ago

I'm a streaming writer by trade — my job is to recommend television shows and films on major platforms like Netflix. Typically, my recommendations are rooted in what's trending or new to the platform, and I eagerly research new loglines every month for upcoming original releases. But the best indicator, in my eyes, is always viewer data, and Netflix has just dropped an interesting look into its most-watched television shows of 2025 so far.
Netflix recently shared its latest Engagement Report, revealing the shows and movies that its subscribers binged from January to June 2025. The report details a huge 99% of all content viewing occurred in the first half of 2025, with over 95 billion hours streamed globally.
The appeal of Netflix Originals remained strong throughout the report, with audiences continuing to engage in not only new productions but also older, much-loved entries in the streamer's catalogue. Netflix notes that nearly half of the viewing for Netflix Originals in this report came from titles that debuted in 2023 or earlier.
That said, as a certified binge-watcher, I can attest that not everything in Netflix's original television catalogue is worth watching — even with the hours upon hours of streams that titles have received in the past six months.
I've put together three of the best Netflix shows I've watched this year — and two I wouldn't recommend — to compare to the streamer's data. I've also taken into account Rotten Tomatoes scores and other reviews from fellow Tom's Guide writers.
So, without further ado, here are the top three shows to watch on Netflix and two you should definitely skip.
As per Netflix's report, the UK series "Adolescence" reigned supreme as the most-watched show, amassing 144.8 million views in the past six months to date. The show was released on March 13, 2025, and has been viewed globally for 555 million hours.
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Over a 3.5-hour runtime, the series catapulted audiences into the chilling story of 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), who is accused of murdering a teenage girl who went to his school. The one-shot crime drama proceeds to follow the unravelling of Jamie's family, including his dad Eddie (Stephen Graham). It also details the ins and outs of the police investigation fronted by Detective Inspector Luke Bascombe (Ashley Walters), whose son attends Jamie's school, and the harrowing assessment of Jamie's condition made by Briony Ariston (Erin Doherty), the clinical psychologist assigned to his case.
The show scored a massive 98% RT score, with audiences giving it a 74% rating, securing it as a must-watch limited series. Even here at Tom's Guide, our reviewer said that it "might be the best original show Netflix has ever made". If you're a fan of gripping crime dramas, "Adolescence" is not to be missed.
This cult-followed K-drama has been the most talked about Netflix Original series in years, and the entire show takes out three spots in the top ten most-streamed list. "Squid Game" season 2, which debuted late last year, beats out the final season that dropped last month, cultivating 117.3 million views and 840 million hours streamed globally. Across all three seasons, the show has received over 231 million views.
The series follows Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-Jae) as he accepts a strange invitation to compete in a series of children's games for a share of a 45.6 billion won prize. After the first round, Gi-hun and the other 455 players learn the harsh realities of the games — the pot only grows by 100 million won once a player is eliminated (read: killed).
With a solid 86% rating on RT, and a nice 66% audience score, "Squid Game" delivers on drama, mystery and nice comedic moments, courtesy of some interesting character arcs. Now that all seasons are available to stream, you could easily binge the series on a weekend… and give yourself something to talk to your colleagues about on Monday.
Hilarious, easy-to-watch and stars Kate Hudson? Sign me up! After debuting in February, this basketball-based comedy has received over 41 million views and 209 million hours streamed, which is no mean feat for a Mindy Kaling production.
When a scandal forces her brother to resign, Isla Gordon (Hudson) is appointed the president of the Los Angeles Waves, a prestigious basketball team and her family's business. Often overlooked by her brothers, the board and the players, Isla works to prove herself the right person for the job — and (spoiler alert), does just that.
The series was renewed for a second season and has a nice 82% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. It delves into tough topics but plays it all off with a healthy dose of tomfoolery, secret brothers and loving relationships — platonic ones, too. I cannot wait for the next instalment, and my only wish is for a LeBron James cameo.
Despite performing rather well in Netflix's report, ranking in fourth after "Adolescence" and "Squid Game" seasons 2 and 3, "Zero Day" received an underwhelming response from me (and Rotten Tomatoes).
The limited series follows former US President George Mullen (Robert De Niro), who, as the head of the Zero Day Commission, leads an investigation into a devastating cyberattack that wreaked havoc and caused thousands of fatalities across the country.
The series was De Niro's first major television role, but even the beloved actor couldn't save it from getting a poor 53% RT critics score and 53% audience rating. Admittedly, I always try to finish a series, but I couldn't make it past the first episode for this one, and not even the appearance of Lizzy Caplan could reinvigorate my spirits for this political thriller.
There's a lot to unpack here, but let's start with the figures from the report, shall we? The second season of "XO, Kitty" was released on January 16, 2025, and has since achieved 35.3 million views and 143 million hours streamed in the past six months. Comparatively, the rom-com's first season obtained 14.7 million views in that time, with eager rewatchers anticipating the new season.
Starring the beloved younger sister from the "To All The Boys" movies, Katherine "Kitty" Song Covey (Anna Cathcart) takes on Seoul, Korea, as she attends the Korean Independent School of Seoul (KISS) alongside her long-distance boyfriend, Dae (Choi Min-young), and rediscover a connection to her mom, a former student of KISS.
Now, I am a sucker for a rom-com series or film, and there's a fond place in my heart for the Netflix original movie trilogy, in which Kitty comes to life. But that's where I draw the line, unfortunately, as this spin-off seriously fell flat.
The interwoven storylines and endless love triangles are often confusing, the side characters are somewhat annoying, and the only episode I thoroughly enjoyed in the latest season was when Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo) came to visit — and his brief appearance didn't restore my faith in the series. I'd argue the 63% audience score may be conflated with the love for the movies, but I seriously hope season three gives fans (and Kitty) the justice they deserve.