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The Age
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Step back in time: 10 streaming shows from 2010s that deserve to be rediscovered
Recently a show from 2017 made the Netflix Top 10. Sneaky Pete, a blackly comic grifter thriller starring Giovanni Ribisi, has resided on Amazon Prime Video's servers since it debuted, but then Netflix licensed all three seasons and suddenly a whole new audience discovered the series, which was co-created by Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston. That got me thinking. Television's streaming age is long; Netflix and Stan* have been available in Australia since 2015. There's actually been different eras within those 10 years, with the programming philosophy of some streaming services changing dramatically in that time. Early Netflix, for example, sought quality over quantity. Here are 10 streaming shows from the 2010s, available today, that also deserve to be rediscovered. The Bisexual A bracing, London-set comedy created by US filmmaker Desiree Akhavan, this 2018 show's sole season begins with Akhavan's Leila breaking up with her long-time girlfriend and deciding to sexually experiment with various men. Sexual identity, cultural truth-telling, and orgasm anxiety are all at work here, shot with low-budget discipline, as Leila realises she can be many versions of herself and each one matters. There's a bumbling housemate as sitcom relief, but this is mostly a vivid character study that's sexually and emotionally frank. ABC iview Counterpart Shogun co-creator Justin Marks put together this brain-bending science-fiction thriller, which is set in two parallel Earths that have split from a portal accidentally created in a Berlin basement decades prior. Debuting in 2017, the show is an existential mystery – there are two versions of everyone born before the secret split, as middling bureaucrat Howard Silk (J.K. Simmons) realises when his snarling doppelganger crosses over and contacts him. The world-building is fascinating, the plotting intricate, and the ramifications unsettling: what are you willing to do to yourself? 7plus Escape at Dannemora Based on real-life events, this 2018 crime drama is about the many forms incarceration can take. Directed by a pre- Severance Ben Stiller, the seven episodes are a slow burn that reveals how a pair of convicted murderers, Richard Matt (Benicio Del Toro) and David Sweat (Paul Dano), escaped from a high-security prison in upstate New York with the aid of a jail employee, Joyce 'Tilly' Mitchell (Patricia Arquette). The performances are exceptional, and there's a telling level of anthropological detail to the prison ecosystem and the town outside. Paramount+ The Girlfriend Experience A caveat: there are three seasons of this sex-worker anthology, which was 'suggested by' Steven Soderbergh's 2009 movie of the same name, but we're just focused on the beguiling first instalment, which constituted one of 2016's best new shows. Riley Keough plays Christine Reade, a law student and intern at a prestigious Chicago firm, who takes up escort work to manage financially. The show upends expectations, explicit sexually and in terms of identity, as Christine infiltrates her life as the for-hire Chelsea. Each half-hour episode is intricately attuned to the storytelling. Stan* Goliath These days Amazon Prime Video is big on Dad Action – hello, Reacher! – but early on they leant into the kind of flawed male anti-heroes that had shifted television tastes on the likes of Breaking Bad and The Shield. With four seasons to binge, this 2016 legal drama stars Billy Bob Thornton as Billy McBride, a brilliant but washed-up lawyer who mostly lives in a Santa Monica bar. Billy's self-loathing and drive to make amends are at war in each season-long case, which comes with courtroom cunning and juicy supporting parts for the likes of William Hurt. Amazon Prime Video Homecoming Again, first season only of this gripping psychological thriller from 2018, which stars Julia Roberts as the same woman at two points on a timeline: a therapist at a corporate facility treating US soldiers returned from combat, and a diner waitress several years later with no connection to her prior career. The connection between the two eras unfolds with conspiratorial calm and evocative direction from Mr Robot creator Sam Esmail, making it a show both nightmarish and intimate as it measures trauma, memory and what we're ultimately willing to acknowledge. Amazon Prime Video I Love Dick Another feature of streaming in the late 2010s: if you had a big hit, you got to take a big swing with your next show. Having won rapturous reviews for her bittersweet family drama Transparent, creator Joey Soloway followed it with this maverick mash-up that satirises academic theory, dissects male iconography, and dives deep into the female psyche. Kathryn Hahn – no surprise, she kills it – plays a married filmmaker who relocates to a small Texan town and becomes erotically obsessed with the local potentate, Kevin Bacon's laconic conceptual sculptor. Savour what transpires. Amazon Prime Video Kingdom Long before Squid Game, Netflix struck gold with its first original series from South Korea. Debuting in 2019, Kim Eun-hee's period drama intertwines gruesome horror and grandiloquent adventure. It's set in the 17th century, but resonates with 21st-century concerns, as the crown prince of the Korean peninsula's ruling family, Yi Chang (Ju Ji-hoon), is exiled by his ailing father's courtiers, only to discover that the countryside is being overrun by a plague that raises the dead. By the third episode they're swarming. Netflix Maniac Imagine if Station Eleven creator Patrick Somerville conjured an idiosyncratic science-fiction labyrinth, with a cast headlined by Emma Stone, Jonah Hill, Julia Garner and Justin Theroux, while True Detective linchpin Cary Joji Fukunaga directed every episode. Actually, Netflix did this in 2018 and it's still there. Maniac is not perfect, but as an ambitious mix of Terry Gilliam's Brazil, David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest, and multiple sources of comic mayhem, it's a fascinating one-off. Despite the star power, I doubt this gets made today. Netflix The OA No show better illustrates Netflix's early willingness to experiment than this metaphysical mystery from independent filmmakers Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij. The opening credits in the first episode don't roll until the 58th minute, which is one of the least surprising things in this show. Marling plays Prairie Johnson, a missing blind teenager who returns after seven years having regained her sight. There's no point trying to explain anything else in this mix of the earnest and otherworldly, except to say that it remains quite extraordinary and, yes, that's a spectral Zendaya in season two. Netflix
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Step back in time: 10 streaming shows from 2010s that deserve to be rediscovered
Recently a show from 2017 made the Netflix Top 10. Sneaky Pete, a blackly comic grifter thriller starring Giovanni Ribisi, has resided on Amazon Prime Video's servers since it debuted, but then Netflix licensed all three seasons and suddenly a whole new audience discovered the series, which was co-created by Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston. That got me thinking. Television's streaming age is long; Netflix and Stan* have been available in Australia since 2015. There's actually been different eras within those 10 years, with the programming philosophy of some streaming services changing dramatically in that time. Early Netflix, for example, sought quality over quantity. Here are 10 streaming shows from the 2010s, available today, that also deserve to be rediscovered. The Bisexual A bracing, London-set comedy created by US filmmaker Desiree Akhavan, this 2018 show's sole season begins with Akhavan's Leila breaking up with her long-time girlfriend and deciding to sexually experiment with various men. Sexual identity, cultural truth-telling, and orgasm anxiety are all at work here, shot with low-budget discipline, as Leila realises she can be many versions of herself and each one matters. There's a bumbling housemate as sitcom relief, but this is mostly a vivid character study that's sexually and emotionally frank. ABC iview Counterpart Shogun co-creator Justin Marks put together this brain-bending science-fiction thriller, which is set in two parallel Earths that have split from a portal accidentally created in a Berlin basement decades prior. Debuting in 2017, the show is an existential mystery – there are two versions of everyone born before the secret split, as middling bureaucrat Howard Silk (J.K. Simmons) realises when his snarling doppelganger crosses over and contacts him. The world-building is fascinating, the plotting intricate, and the ramifications unsettling: what are you willing to do to yourself? 7plus Escape at Dannemora Based on real-life events, this 2018 crime drama is about the many forms incarceration can take. Directed by a pre- Severance Ben Stiller, the seven episodes are a slow burn that reveals how a pair of convicted murderers, Richard Matt (Benicio Del Toro) and David Sweat (Paul Dano), escaped from a high-security prison in upstate New York with the aid of a jail employee, Joyce 'Tilly' Mitchell (Patricia Arquette). The performances are exceptional, and there's a telling level of anthropological detail to the prison ecosystem and the town outside. Paramount+ The Girlfriend Experience A caveat: there are three seasons of this sex-worker anthology, which was 'suggested by' Steven Soderbergh's 2009 movie of the same name, but we're just focused on the beguiling first instalment, which constituted one of 2016's best new shows. Riley Keough plays Christine Reade, a law student and intern at a prestigious Chicago firm, who takes up escort work to manage financially. The show upends expectations, explicit sexually and in terms of identity, as Christine infiltrates her life as the for-hire Chelsea. Each half-hour episode is intricately attuned to the storytelling. Stan* Goliath These days Amazon Prime Video is big on Dad Action – hello, Reacher! – but early on they leant into the kind of flawed male anti-heroes that had shifted television tastes on the likes of Breaking Bad and The Shield. With four seasons to binge, this 2016 legal drama stars Billy Bob Thornton as Billy McBride, a brilliant but washed-up lawyer who mostly lives in a Santa Monica bar. Billy's self-loathing and drive to make amends are at war in each season-long case, which comes with courtroom cunning and juicy supporting parts for the likes of William Hurt. Amazon Prime Video Homecoming Again, first season only of this gripping psychological thriller from 2018, which stars Julia Roberts as the same woman at two points on a timeline: a therapist at a corporate facility treating US soldiers returned from combat, and a diner waitress several years later with no connection to her prior career. The connection between the two eras unfolds with conspiratorial calm and evocative direction from Mr Robot creator Sam Esmail, making it a show both nightmarish and intimate as it measures trauma, memory and what we're ultimately willing to acknowledge. Amazon Prime Video I Love Dick Another feature of streaming in the late 2010s: if you had a big hit, you got to take a big swing with your next show. Having won rapturous reviews for her bittersweet family drama Transparent, creator Joey Soloway followed it with this maverick mash-up that satirises academic theory, dissects male iconography, and dives deep into the female psyche. Kathryn Hahn – no surprise, she kills it – plays a married filmmaker who relocates to a small Texan town and becomes erotically obsessed with the local potentate, Kevin Bacon's laconic conceptual sculptor. Savour what transpires. Amazon Prime Video Kingdom Long before Squid Game, Netflix struck gold with its first original series from South Korea. Debuting in 2019, Kim Eun-hee's period drama intertwines gruesome horror and grandiloquent adventure. It's set in the 17th century, but resonates with 21st-century concerns, as the crown prince of the Korean peninsula's ruling family, Yi Chang (Ju Ji-hoon), is exiled by his ailing father's courtiers, only to discover that the countryside is being overrun by a plague that raises the dead. By the third episode they're swarming. Netflix Maniac Imagine if Station Eleven creator Patrick Somerville conjured an idiosyncratic science-fiction labyrinth, with a cast headlined by Emma Stone, Jonah Hill, Julia Garner and Justin Theroux, while True Detective linchpin Cary Joji Fukunaga directed every episode. Actually, Netflix did this in 2018 and it's still there. Maniac is not perfect, but as an ambitious mix of Terry Gilliam's Brazil, David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest, and multiple sources of comic mayhem, it's a fascinating one-off. Despite the star power, I doubt this gets made today. Netflix The OA No show better illustrates Netflix's early willingness to experiment than this metaphysical mystery from independent filmmakers Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij. The opening credits in the first episode don't roll until the 58th minute, which is one of the least surprising things in this show. Marling plays Prairie Johnson, a missing blind teenager who returns after seven years having regained her sight. There's no point trying to explain anything else in this mix of the earnest and otherworldly, except to say that it remains quite extraordinary and, yes, that's a spectral Zendaya in season two. Netflix
Forbes
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Netflix's Best New Show Boasts 96% On Rotten Tomatoes
Giovanni Ribisi and Bryan Cranston star in the critically acclaimed crime drama 'Sneaky Pete,' which ... More just made its move from Amazon Prime Video to Netflix. Every so often, a show sneaks onto your favorite streaming platform, totally catching you off guard; the kind of show you previously slept on, or maybe you never even heard it, only to wonder in retrospect why you didn't tune in, or how it ever flew under your radar. After all, the show's credentials speak for themselves: a crime thriller that boasts a 96% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, that was created by Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston, that somehow never found the audience it needed on Amazon Prime. Well, that show is now going to test the waters on Netflix—and it might just be about to steal your weekend. The series in question? Sneaky Pete, a con artist drama that originally premiered on Amazon Prime Video back in 2017. This critically acclaimed show that moved over to Netflix this morning sports three seasons of smart, suspenseful material. Yet, despite such glowing reviews (it currently sports 46 positive reviews and two negative ones on Rotten Tomatoes), and despite a stellar cast (Giovanni Ribisi, Bryan Cranston, Libe Barer, Marin Ireland, Michael Drayer and Margo Martindale), and despite three tightly written seasons of caper-filled entertainment, this show never quite reached the mainstream buzz it deserved. But now, with all 30 episodes available on Netflix, Sneaky Pete is finally positioned to find the massive audience it was always meant for. At the center of the story is our main character Marius (Ribisi), a gifted con man who, after serving time in prison, slips into the identity of his former cellmate, Pete Murphy (Ethan Embry). Posing as Pete, Marius ingratiates himself with his deceased cellmate's estranged family—a tight-knit group that hasn't seen the real Pete since childhood—in Bridgeport, Conn. The family matriarch, Pete's grandmother Audrey (Martindale, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series at the 2017 Critics' Choice Television Awards), runs the family's struggling bail bonds business alongside her husband Otto (Peter Gerety) and accepts Marius with open arms. But Marius soon discovers the family carries deep, dark secrets of their own, and as Marius gets pulled deeper into their world, he must learn to navigate some escalating threats while also concealing his hidden agenda. All the while, a menacing gangster named Vince (Cranston) looms in the background, hunting Marius down for a debt that could cost him his life. As the con grows more complicated, new players enter the mix—Julia (Ireland), Pete's sharp and suspicious cousin; Carly (Barer), Pete's whip-smart teenage sister; and Taylor (Shane McRae), a hot-headed local cop. Throughout the series, these characters pose new challenges to Marius's carefully constructed lie. As evidenced by the 96% score, critics were effusive in their prais during the show's run between 2017-2019 (technically, the show's pilot episode premiered in 2015, but the first full season didn't play until 2017). Tim Goodman over at The Hollywood Reporter calls Sneaky Pete an 'immediately likable, unspooling with exhilaration," and that the suspense and drama never let up throughout the course of the story, that 'almost when we're not expecting or even needing it to, the series develops other favorable attributes that hint at a longer, more complex run.' Brian Tallerico of notes that while the writing isn't as dense or challenging as a similar show like Better Call Saul, 'it's not intended to be. This is more of a diversion, a miniature version of Ocean's 11 or Get Shorty with its twists and turns, memorable bad guys and complex cons.' Finally, Lorraine Ali of Los Angeles Times rightfully highlights the show's incredible ensemble cast, specifically noting the work of Cranston (who won multiple Emmys for his Walter White character on Breaking Bad), who 'doesn't appear all that often, but when he does, we're reminded of how terrifyingly calculated his characters can be.' If you're a fan of shows like Ozark, Better Call Saul, The Americans, or even The Talented Mr. Ripley—all programs that were praised by the same critics who loved Sneaky Pete—then this show could be right in your wheelhouse. The comparisons to such shows will become evident once you start watching: like Ozark, this Ribisi-fronted vehicle thrives on characters forced into criminal lives, without room to make a single mistake; like Better Call Saul, this slow-burn character study revels in the mechanics of cons, scams and second chances; and like The Americans, this unfortunately cut-short drama digs into the emotional cost of pretending to be someone you're not. But what sets Sneaky Pete apart is its lighter touch. It's not always grim or cynical; there's a charm to its world of lies, a thread of humanity that runs through every double-cross. The show understands that the best cons aren't just about getting away with something, but about about survival, about connection, about the blurry line between who we are and who we pretend to be. And now with all three seasons now on Netflix, Sneaky Pete is no longer hiding in plain sight. It's one of the smartest, most entertaining shows on the streamer—and now that it's within reach, there's no excuse not to press play.
Daily Record
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Netflix adds Bryan Cranston's 'must-watch' thriller fans still love - and it's not Breaking Bad
The third and final season of the show scored a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, proving it's one of the best series finales of all time Netflix is breathing new life into a captivating cult thriller that concluded several years ago. Featuring one of the biggest names in high-quality television, this three-season drama began in 2015 and was among Prime Video's most popular shows at the time. It wrapped up in 2019 and maintained critical acclaim throughout its entire run, earning near-perfect scores on Rotten Tomatoes. In fact, the third and final season scored a coveted 100 percent on the aggregator, indicating it has one of the strongest conclusions to a popular drama in recent years. Starring Giovanni Ribisi with guest appearances from Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston in the first season, Sneaky Pete is now available on Netflix and is an absolute must-see, reports the Mirror. Whether you're a newcomer or eager to revisit one of your favourite dramas, this enthralling dark comedy about a con man who assumes the identity of his cellmate to avoid detection is not to be missed. A synopsis reads: "Sneaky Pete follows Marius, a con man who gets out of prison only to find himself hunted by the vicious gangster he once robbed. "With nowhere else to turn, Marius takes cover from his past by assuming the identity of his cellmate, Pete and then 'reunites' with Pete's estranged family – who have no reason to suspect he is not their long-lost loved one." If you're still not convinced, take it from fans of the show who have lavished Sneaky Pete with hundreds of five-star reviews over the years. One Google user exclaimed: "Easily one of the best shows of the last few years. Watched it twice over now and the acting is impeccable. "Ribisi gives a fantastic performance and so does Margo Martindale and literally everybody else, the script and writing is great, the story is entertaining and keeps you at the edge of your seat and it even mixes in some comedic parts that don't feel out of place and aren't overused." Another viewer remarked: "One of the BEST series I've seen in such a long time. The entire cast does such a great job each season. "I'm a HUGE fan of Giovanni Ribisi and once again, he held it down. Bryan Cranston is also a great actor and I loved what he brought to season 1." Watch Squid Game season 3 - Free Netflix subscription This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more from £15 Sky Get deal here Product Description A different fan shared: "One of the main reasons I began streaming Amazon was for this show. I watched all three seasons in one weekend. "I was so wrapped up in the plot and the characters. I can't even begin to tell you how disappointed I am that it has been cancelled and there will not be a fourth season. It was that addictive!" And yet another enthusiast wrote: "Loved this series! The acting, writing, direction - all fantastic. "I really cared about the characters and loved watching them evolve. I loved season 3 and the ending. "It was fun as a wild ride, but it also had deep messages about belonging and love versus transactional relationships. I will be thinking about this show for a long time." Are you tempted to give Sneaky Pete a go this weekend? Sneaky Pete is available to stream on Netflix.
Wales Online
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Netflix adds thriller with near-perfect scores fans say is 'addictive'
Netflix adds decade-old thriller with near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score fans say is 'addictive' A three-season drama starring one of the biggest names in prestige TV has been added to Netflix and it's an absolute must-watch Netflix is offering viewers a fresh opportunity to discover a compelling crime thriller that concluded several years back. Featuring one of television's most acclaimed actors, this three-series drama launched in 2015 and ranked among Prime Video's top-performing programmes during its original run. The show wrapped up in 2019, maintaining critical praise throughout its entire duration and achieving exceptional ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. The final series secured a perfect 100 per cent score on the review platform, marking it as one of the most satisfying conclusions to a beloved drama in recent memory. Led by Giovanni Ribisi, with notable guest spots from Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston in the opening series, Sneaky Pete has now landed on Netflix and deserves a place on your watchlist, reports the Mirror. Breaking Bad legend Bryan Cranston makes appearances in the first season (Image: PRIME VIDEO ) Article continues below Whether you're discovering it for the first time or eager to revisit a cherished favourite, this enthralling dark comedy about a fraudster who adopts his former cellmate's identity to evade capture is essential viewing. The official description states: "Sneaky Pete follows Marius, a con man who gets out of prison only to find himself hunted by the vicious gangster he once robbed. "With nowhere else to turn, Marius takes cover from his past by assuming the identity of his cellmate, Pete and then 'reunites' with Pete's estranged family – who have no reason to suspect he is not their long-lost loved one." If further persuasion is needed, consider the countless five-star reviews from devoted viewers who have championed Sneaky Pete over the years. One Google user proclaimed: "Easily one of the best shows of the last few years. Watched it twice over now and the acting is impeccable. "Ribisi gives a fantastic performance and so does Margo Martindale and literally everybody else, the script and writing is great, the story is entertaining and keeps you at the edge of your seat and it even mixes in some comedic parts that don't feel out of place and aren't overused." Another individual remarked: "One of the BEST series I've seen in such a long time. The entire cast does such a great job each season. "I'm a HUGE fan of Giovanni Ribisi and once again, he held it down. Bryan Cranston is also a great actor and I loved what he brought to season 1." The third season scored a rare 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes (Image: PRIME VIDEO ) Ginny and Georgia season 3 - Get Netflix free with Sky This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more from £15 Sky Get the deal here Product Description Sky is giving away a free Netflix subscription with its new Sky Stream TV bundles, including the £15 Essential TV plan. This lets members watch live and on-demand TV content without a satellite dish or aerial and includes hit shows like Ginny and Georgia. A different viewer commented: "One of the main reasons I began streaming Amazon was for this show. I watched all three seasons in one weekend. "I was so wrapped up in the plot and the characters. I can't even begin to tell you how disappointed I am that it has been cancelled and there will not be a fourth season. It was that addictive!" Lastly, an enthusiastic fan wrote: "Loved this series! The acting, writing, direction - all fantastic. "I really cared about the characters and loved watching them evolve. I loved season 3 and the ending. "It was fun as a wild ride, but it also had deep messages about belonging and love versus transactional relationships. I will be thinking about this show for a long time." Article continues below Are you tempted to binge-watch Sneaky Pete this weekend? Sneaky Pete is available to stream on Netflix.
