Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Science Fiction
Actor: Cara Gee, Dominique Tipper, Frankie Adams, Jasai Chase-Owens, Keon Alexander, Nadine Nicole, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Steven Strait, Wes Chatham
Find the best movies and show to watch from the year 2015. These handpicked recommendations are highly-rated by viewers and critics.
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Science Fiction
Actor: Cara Gee, Dominique Tipper, Frankie Adams, Jasai Chase-Owens, Keon Alexander, Nadine Nicole, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Steven Strait, Wes Chatham
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Actor: Abbi Jacobson, Ilana Glazer
Sixteen-year-old Rae Earl struggles with many things, among them: severe mental illness, a distorted body image, and less-than-ideal home life. In an attempt to redefine herself and pursue the teenage dream she’s always wanted, she reconnects with her estranged friend Chloe and the cool new people she’s met in Rae’s absence. As Rae gets to know this group more, she embarks on a coming-of-age journey that is, at turns, hilarious, awkward, and painfully real.
Set in ‘90s-era UK and scored to the unbeatable, headbanging tunes of English rock, My Mad Fat Diary is also an effective throwback of a show. It’s sure to be nostalgic to those who grew up in that era, while also doubling as a finely-aged portrait of a simpler time to the rest of us. Elevated, too, by diary doodles come to life and Rae's unflinching witticisms, the series is a gem for anyone who has struggled to come to terms with their teenage self.
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Actor: Ciara Baxendale, Claire Rushbrook, Dan Cohen, Ian Hart, Jodie Comer, Nico Mirallegro, Sharon Rooney
TV nerds know that Orange is the New Black, as much as it’s hailed in the U.S. for being 'crazy’, doesn’t deserve that title. It’s only a mellow take on the women prison genre that was perfected outside the States. The Australian show Wentworth is one example and Vis a Vis (or Locked Up) is another. The show starts with an inmate being boiled alive.
Macarena Ferreiro is set up by her boss/lover and ends up in prison for tax crimes. First naive and used to luxury, she has to adapt to harsh prison conditions, and harsher inmates. On the outside, her parents try to secure a large sum to pay her bail.
Genre: Thriller
Actor: Abril Zamora, Adriana Paz, Alba Flores, Alberto Velasco, Alma Itzel, Almagro San Miguel, Ana María Picchio, Ana Marzoa, Berta Vazquez, Carlos Hipolito, Claudia Riera, Cristina Marcos, Cristina Plazas, Daniel Ortiz, David Ostrosky, Harlys Becerra, Huichi Chiu, Inma Cuesta, Inma Cuevas, Isabel Naveira, Itziar Castro, Javier Lara, Jesus Castejon, Laura Baena, Laura Baena Torres, Lisi Linder, Lucas Ferraro, Luis Callejo, Maggie Civantos, María Isabel Díaz Lago, Maria Isabel Diaz, Maria Salgueiro, Marta Aledo, Najwa Nimri, Ramiro Blas, Roberto Enríquez, Ruth Díaz, Verónika Moral
Based on the 1962 award winning novel of the same name by Philip K. Dick, The Man in the High castle presents a world in which World War II concluded with the victory of the Axis powers, dividing the United States of America into two powers on the verge of conflict, the Greater German Reich and the Japanese Pacific States. The show follows Juliana Crain (Alexa Davalos) and her boyfriend Frank Frink (Rupert Evans) as their lives quickly turn into chaos when they come across a film reel that shows a glimpse into the world that could have been, ours, bringing the couple to the restless attention of both governments and of the resistance. The Man in the High Castle will captivate you with excellent writing, a superb cast, and a carefully crafted world that is as believable as it is terrifying.
Genre: Drama, Science Fiction, Thriller
Actor: Alexa Davalos, Brennan Brown, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Chelah Horsdal, DJ Qualls, Joel de la Fuente, Luke Kleintank, Rufus Sewell, Rupert Evans
Actor Chris O'Dowd had a special childhood growing up in rural Ireland. So he wrote, created, and starred in this sitcom based on his experiences. He plays his childhood imaginary friend.
Moone Boy is a funny and easy show, winner of an Emmy for Best Comedy in 2013 when it first aired. The setting in the late 80s makes everything better.
Genre: Comedy
A hilarious British sitcom about 24-year-old Tracey Gorden, a shop assistant living in a housing estate in London with unusual friends and an even more unusual family.
A bit messed up by a very religious upbringing, she navigates adulthood and trying to untangle herself from the unexciting life her neighbourhood offers (mainly by trying to lose her virginity).
Michaela Coel wrote and created the show and plays Tracey. Her expressive facial expressions and fantastic ability to convey her character make for an incredibly original show. Taking originality as a factor, this is possibly the best sitcom on Netflix right now.
Genre: Comedy
Actor: Danielle Walters, Michaela Coel, Robert Lonsdale
From the same showrunner as Happy Valley, the amazing thriller-drama also streaming on Netflix, comes this quiet romance-drama set in the British countryside.
But it’s not a coming-of-age story, the opposite. Last Tango is a later-in-life romance. Alan and Celia were neighbors and were attracted to each other when they were younger but never voiced their feelings. Now, 50 years later thanks to Facebook, they start dating again. And there are many other storylines going on other than this heart-melting romance at the center of the story.
Genre: Drama
Actor: Anne Reid, Derek Jacobi, Sarah Lancashire
This five-part BBC drama is a seemingly simple story of a woman who suspects her husband of infidelity. But, being crafted by a playwright, Mike Bartlett, the straightforward premise is falsely disarming and is quickly exploited into a much more complicated and dark story.
The lead character, Gemma, is played to jaw-dropping perfection by Broadcasting Press Guild and BAFTA-winning actor Suranne Jones.
Genre: Drama
Actor: Adam James, Bertie Carvel, Charlie Cunniffe, Cheryl Campbell, Cian Barry, Claire-Hope Ashitey, Clare-Hope Ashitey, Jodie Comer, Martha Howe-Douglas, Megan Roberts, Mike Bartlett, Navin Chowdhry, Neil Stuke, Prasanna Puwanarajah, Robert Pugh, Sara Stewart, Shazia Nicholls, Sian Brooke, Suranne Jones, Thusitha Jayasundera, Tom Taylor, Victoria Hamilton
From Sweet Tooth to The Last of Us, there’s no shortage nowadays of post-pandemic shows speculating about a virus-stricken and human-deficient world. But back in 2015, those were few and far between, making The Last Man on Earth a uniquely weird dramedy that was as existential as it was entertaining.
But even as its novelty wore off over the years, The Last Man on Earth stands the test of time thanks to its deft balance of sadness and silliness. You could be laughing about a poop joke one moment and ruminating about the purpose of life the next—and it never feels jarring. The ensemble cast is also a notable strength of the show, with each cast member becoming more sympathetic and fleshed out every season. Even the latest additions to the crew, like Kristen Wiig’s Pamela, become fast favorites.
If you're looking for quick laughs, you can put this show on, but expect some heartache in between as well.
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Actor: Cleopatra Coleman, January Jones, Keith L. Williams, Kristen Schaal, Mary Steenburgen, Mel Rodriguez, Will Forte
Genre: Drama, Romance
Actor: Azusa Babazono, Kentaro, Kentaro Ito, Reina Triendl, Ryota Yamasato, Yoshimi Tokui, You
Genre: Action & Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Actor: Arjun Gupta, Hale Appleman, Jade Tailor, Olivia Taylor Dudley, Stella Maeve, Summer Bishil
This ridiculous comedy is about a man who works as a medium between people and their ghosts.
Kevin Pacalioglu sees and communicates with ghosts for a living, but that doesn’t mean he is good at his job. His only friend is also a drug dealer whose services end up worsening Kevin’s motivation even more. In his own words, his living clients “end up wanting to spend more time with the ghosts than me.” So to make ends meet, Kevin ends up accepting ghostly missions from dead clients with unresolved issues.
Genre: Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Actor: Brandon T. Jackson, Kal Penn, Lucy DeVito, Tyler Labine