As December rolls on, so too does our annual Female First Awards and today (December 18th, 2021), we’re introducing a brand new category: Best Netflix Original Series!
The past 12 months have once again been a struggle due to the coronavirus pandemic, and so the streaming platform’s efforts to entertain us have been more important than ever. Fortunately for subscribers, there has been some of the best content ever produced put out; here are our favourites that have earned their spot as nominees and of course, our winner!
Clickbait
When a video appears on the internet of a typical family man who has been supposedly kidnapped, his loved ones spin into a frenzy trying to find him before the threat of ending his life becomes a reality. When they fail, their world comes crumbling down and each of them become a suspect in one of the most mind-bending mysteries television has ever seen.
Some incredible performances come from the likes of Zoe Kazan, Camaron Engels, Betty Gabriel and Abraham Lim; we can’t wait to see what the series’ creators Tony Ayres and Christian White come up with next.
Squid Game
Revolving around a contest for an eye-watering sum of money, Squid Game sees 456 players who are in dire financial straits battle it out in adult-sized versions of childhood school yard games. What they don’t realise until the first competition is underway however, is that they’re unsuccessful, they lose their life.
Director and creator of Squid Game, Hwang Dong-hyuk admitted following the show's success, that it took over a decade for the series to be made. A whole host of networks rejected it as too “unrealistic”, and so we imagine that after it became Netflix’s most-watched series of all time, they were left kicking themselves!
Shadow and Bone
Based on the original Shadow and Bone book trilogy by American author Leigh Bardugo and her follow-up series Six of Crows, Netflix original series Shadow and Bone has already been renewed for a second season following the huge success of its first.
The show introduced a group of people known as Grisha, who can live safely in just a few places, being trained for the Second Army and divided into three orders. Dependant on their individual powers, they can either summon natural elements like wind and fire; control materials such as glass and metal; or even manipulate the bodies of others.
Out there however, is one Grisha who can manipulate light. It is that person who many hope will be able to bring down the Shadow Fold which has been causing all manner of chaos for humanity; saying much more would ruin the intricately-layered and stunning narrative on offer. Check it out if you haven’t already!
Murder Among The Mormons
True crime is something that Netflix knows exactly how to do right. Sure, there have been some bumps along the way but, for the most-part, there’s plenty of true crime content that really delivers. One of those is Murder Among The Mormons.
Having debuted on March 3rd, the series followed one of the most notable forgers in history, Mark Hofmann, who created Latter Day Saint movement-related forgeries. Before being sent to prison, Hofmann would create explosive devices that killed two people; but perhaps the most fascinating exploration in the show is that of the Morman community. A real eye-opener.
Sweet Tooth
Based on the comic book of the same name by Jeff Lemire comes Sweet Tooth, from Jim Mickle. Already renewed for a second season, it follows the journey of a youngster who is half-boy, half-deer, fighting for survival in the wilderness after the death of his father.
With many humans afraid of hybrids and actually hunting them down in a bid to rid the world of them, he faces an uphill battle to forge a fairer society but above all else, find his mother, who he believes to be in Colorado. A real story with heart and one that we can’t wait to see continue in the near future.
And the winner is…
Squid Game!
Despite being a South Korean series, Squid Game managed to defy the odds and become a major success across the globe, smashing down the barriers that lay in front of it. A worthy first winner for our latest category!
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