The best sci-fi TV shows on Netflix (2023)

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This apocalyptic sci-fi from Belgium will probably stop you flying soon. Set on an airplane, Into the Night features a red eye being kidnapped by a soldier who, along with the rest of the passengers, survives a deadly global event on the ground. Can they keep the plane moving long enough to get them to safety? That premise alone should be enough to entice you to pick up this excellent, suspenseful thriller.

Murray Close/Netflix

From the creators of The Matrix comes another story that plays with reality. Sense8 follows eight strangers from around the world who discover that they are spiritually and emotionally connected. Not only do these windows into very different lives teach tolerance, but the "wise ones" can take advantage of one another's abilities when faced with a sinister organization chasing them. If you agree with Sense8's diverse characters, you'll fall in love with this serious and sensual sci-fi drama.

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Hilary Swank is the big star at the center of Away's space drama. She plays Emma Green, a NASA astronaut and commander of an expedition to Mars. Things start off badly, and Emma's international crew fills her with doubts about her ability to command. With its time divided between earthly drama and reliable entertainment above the stratosphere, Away manages to make a complete journey.

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Altered Carbon is set in a cyberpunk world where human consciousness can be transferred into different bodies. This features investigator and ex-soldier Takeshi Kovacs being transported into the body of Joel Kinnaman in Season 1 and Anthony Mackie in Season 2. First, Kovacs' story revolves around solving a murder before he goes on a quest to find out what happened to his own love. Altered Carbon can be clunky at times, but its visual and entertaining value is enhanced by the exposure and heavy social commentary.

Screenshot von Warner Bros./YouTube/CNET

If The 100 looks like your standard teen drama, prepare to exceed your expectations. There's a reason this post-apocalyptic series has seven seasons: The 100 offers rich world-building and moral dilemmas that take the stereotypical characters to unique and compelling locations. The 100 in question are a generation of juvenile prisoners who were sent to Earth to determine if it was habitable after the apocalypse. 100 percent give this one a chance.

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This adult anthology series spans a variety of genres with many episodes hitting the Black Mirror compare button. Robots in a post-apocalyptic town, peasants piloting mech suits, and a space mission gone awry all feature in the first season. While episodes can be hit-and-miss (some have been criticized for their treatment of women), you'll find plenty of thought-provoking and immersive animation.

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A DNA researcher claims it's possible to match people based on genetics and starts a dating service. A murder investigation takes a turn for the worse. The One is based on the book of the same name by John Marrs, published in 2016.

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Yep, Gong Yoo from Squid Game is in. What else do you need to know? This South Korean sci-fi mystery follows a team of astronauts on a mission to an abandoned research facility on the moon. His goal: a sample of an unknown substance for unclear purposes. Treachery, government lies and personal secrets spiral this addictive space journey.

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Sadly, this sci-fi series isn't seeing a second season — another Netflix victim killed too soon. Two timelines, cults and a mystery are packed into the enticing package of Archive 81 much more than he expected, involved in an investigation of a mysterious cult and a young woman who may or may not be dead. Archive 81 is a horror, noir, and sci-fi supernatural thriller steeped in its spooky atmosphere.

JoJo Whilden/Netflix

Netflix cancellations are no more criminal than The OA's. This extremely unique story follows Prairie Johnson, a blind young woman who returns after years of being missing and is now able to see. Claiming to be the "original angel", she convinces a small group of villagers to listen to her impossible story, which involves kidnappings and grand escapes. The OA is the kind of grounded sci-fi that catches you and its heroes completely off guard as it unveils its fantastic concepts. Watch the flawless first two seasons on Netflix and keep your fingers crossed for season three to show up elsewhere.

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The reboot of the 1965 series of the same name transports us to the year 2046, two years after humanity is on the brink of extinction. The talented Robinson family sets out with a team to colonize a new planet. Adding to the inevitable family drama, they face strange new environments and a strange alien robot who befriends young Will. Mystery, heart and a memorable villain in Dr. Parker Posey's Smith gives Lost in Space plenty of fuel to take off (seasons 2 and 3 are vastly improved over the first).

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Germany's response to Stranger Things deliberately takes its time before going to completely compelling and original locations. A sci-fi noir, Dark weaves time travel, conspiracies and broken families into a multi-generational story that begins with the disappearance of a child. If these kinds of meticulously designed layers are what you're after in your storytelling, then settle down. All three seasons of Dark's meditative look at time travel and its impact on human nature are waiting to hit you in full force.

Laurie Sparham/Netflix

During Charlie Brooker's dark-tech anthology seriescan be hit and missedAt its best, Black Mirror packs its mini-movies with exploring futuristic technological ideas through painfully human stories. One of them is San Junipero, which follows two women in their '80s (soundtrack pounding) who fall in love with each other in a way they couldn't in their "real" life outside of the seaside town. The technological aspect is revealed with ingenious timing, and overall the show explores the implications of our connected lives in a disturbing and occasionally uplifting way.

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It wouldn't be the best list without Stranger Things. If you somehow missed the Duffer Brothers' ode to '80s horror and Steven Spielberg, things are about to get tubular. We follow El, an almost mute girl who has been the subject of scientific experiments. She develops telekinetic powers, which she uses to fend off invading monsters from a terrifying alternate dimension. The world of Indiana, Hawkins is meticulously detailed for anyone in need of a nostalgic '80s hit, and the misfit characters, played by an outstanding young cast, are part of everything that makes this show a tour de force.

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Full Disclosure: Netflix sadly canceled Travelers after its third season, but this well-planned sci-fi from Canada manages to end with an ambitious bang. We start with Marcy, a disabled woman who gets beat up after helping a friend escape from bandits. She dies - then she comes to life again. This heavily character-driven sci-fi cleverly unveils its mysteries as it follows future agents tasked with preventing the collapse of society while also navigating the tricky terrain of a double life.

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2023 is coming with new movies from Marvel, Netflix, DC and more