8 New Must-Watch Netflix Originals From 2018

The year of 2018 was a standout for Netflix, the streaming giant rolling out dozens of new originals.

After promising to up its original content throughout the year, dedicating some $8 billion to bring subscribers 700 original TV shows and movies, 2018 was packed full of new content for Netflix subscribers to add to their must-watch list, and with the year rolling to a close, it’s time to binge any of these must-watch series you may have missed.

With new originals dabbling in horror, comedy, sci-fi, and drama, a handful rose to be the stand-out series not only on the streaming platform, but in the world of entertainment as a whole, and they rightfully deserve to have a spot in every subscribers Netflix list.

Keep scrolling to see the must-watch Netflix originals from 2018.

The Haunting of Hill House

Starring: Michiel Huisman, Carla Gugino, Timothy Hutton

Number of Seasons: 1

Renewed?: While Netflix has not officially renewed The Haunting of Hill House for a second season, the series debuted to critical acclaim and director Mike Flanagan has even stated his intentions as for what a second season would look like.

Dubbed as being “close to a work of genius” by Stephen King, Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House debuted in October to critical acclaim. The series follows the Crain family, who return to Hill House, the home they lived in for one summer as children, following a tragedy in their family. The series has largely been described as a perfect mix of a family drama and a horror series.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Starring: Kiernan Shipka, Ross Lynch, Miranda Otto

Number of Seasons: 1

Renewed?: Thankfully, this Netflix series isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. The streaming giant initially picked up Chilling Adventures of Sabrina for a 20-episode order, with Season 2 set to premiere on April 5. The series was also gifted a holiday special, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: A Midwinter’s Tale, which debuts on Dec. 14.

Helmed by Riverdale showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and based on a dark reimagining of the Archie Comics of the same name, this Netflix series follows Sabrina, who, on her 16th birthday, must choose between her dual nature — half-witch, half-mortal — and decide whether to enter the Church of Night, the world of her ancestors, or remain in the human world with her friends.

Queer Eye

Starring: Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Tan France

Number of Seasons: 2

Renewed?: With two mega-successful seasons under its belt and after being nominated for Primetime Emmy Awards in the categories of structured reality program, casting, picture editing and cinematography, Netflix officially announced that it had renewed Queer Eye for a third season in July.

A reboot of the Bravo unscripted hit Queer Eye for the Straight Guy from more than a decade ago, Queer Eye follows a group of five men, dubbed the Fab Five, who visit men in the communities in and around Atlanta, giving lifestyle makeover, grooming consults, fashion tips, and more, all while offering laughs and tears along the way.

The End of the F***ing World

Starring: Jessica Barden, Alex Lawther, Steve Oram

Number of Seasons: 1

Renewed?: Praised for its cinematography, acting, and writing, The End of the F***ing World was granted a second season by the streaming giant in August.

An adaption of Charles Forsman’s comic series of the same name and originally airing on British television, the eight-part series tells the story of teen outsider James, a self-proclaimed psychopath, and Alyssa, a foul-mouthed rebel fed up with her boring life, as they embark on a road trip to escape adulthood. The unlikely duo face a number of ups and downs on their chaotic journey, all while being trailed by two police detectives.

Everything Sucks

Starring: Jahi Di’Allo Winston, Peyton Kennedy, Patch Darragh

Number of Seasons: 1

Renewed?: Despite quickly becoming a hit among subscribers, Netflix ultimately decided to give Everything Sucks the ax, placing blame for the cancellation on many viewers not watching anything more than the first episode and the belief that the audience would not grow along with a second season.

Parodying teen culture of the late ’90s , Everything Sucks was set in 1996 Oregon and followed two groups of high school misfits from the A/V club and a Drama club who collide. The series was frequently compared to Judd Apatow’s acclaimed series Freaks and Geeks.

The Rain

Starring: Alba August, Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard

Number of Seasons: 1

Renewed?: In May, the same month that it made its Netflix premiere, the streaming giant announced that it had ordered a second season The Rain that is slated to launch in 2019.

The Danish series is set six years after a virus carried by the rain wipes out almost all humans in Scandinavia and follows a small group of young survivors who set out on a quest through an abandoned Scandinavia searching for any signs of life.

Altered Carbon

Starring: Joel Kinnaman, James Purefoy, Martha Higareda

Number of Seasons: 1

Renewed?: Six months after its debut, sci-fi series Altered Carbon was renewed for an 8-episode second season.

The dystopian sci-fi series Altered Carbon, based on Richard K. Morgan’s 2002 novel of the same name, explores the journey of Takeshi Kovacs over hundreds of years and across different bodies. Set 300 years in the future in a society transformed by new technology that allows humans to overcome mortality, Kovacs, the only surviving soldier of a group of elite interstellar warriors, is offered a second chance at life after he is hired to solve the murder of a prominent Earth billionaire, Laurens Bancroft.

Maniac

Starring: Emma Stone, Jonah Hill, Justin Theroux

Number of Seasons: 1

Renewed?: Intended as a limited-series, Maniac was not renewed for a second season.

Patrick Somerville’s Maniac enthralled viewers upon its premiere as it tells the story of two struggling strangers, Owen and Annie, who connect while participating in a pharmaceutical trial. Promising a cure for all psychological troubles, including Owen’s possible schizophrenia and Annie’s borderline personality disorder and depression, the trial transports their minds to different worlds, where they always find their way back to each other.

Honorable Mentions

Lost in Space
“After crash-landing on an alien planet, the Robinson family fights against all odds to survive and escape. But they’re surrounded by hidden dangers.”

Wild Wild Country
“When a controversial cult leader builds a utopian city in the Oregon desert, conflict with the locals escalates into a national scandal.”

Flint Town
“Over a two-year period, filmmakers embedded with cops in Flint, Michigan, reveal a department grappling with volatile issues in untenable conditions.”