2026 has been a good year for Solo Leveling fans, as the franchise continues to expand, proving that it is still alive. One of these projects is a live-action adaptation of the popular South Korean WebToon novel that’s currently in production. While a release date has yet to be revealed, fans were given a little taste of what to expect.

Solo Leveling follows the story of Sung Jinwoo, an E-Rank hunter deemed the weakest of all humankind, who is selected by the System to level up his abilities, thus turning him into an S-Rank Hunter. The anime adaptation first came out in 2024 and has released two seasons so far. Following its success, it was announced that a live-action adaptation is in the works and will star Byeon Woo-seok as Sung Jinwoo and Gyeongseong Creature‘s star, Han So-hee, as Cha Hae In. Also confirmed in the live-action cast list is Kang You-seok, set to play Yoo Jin-ho, Sung Jinwoo’s friend.

Over on social media, GQ Korea has revealed that Byeon will be featured on the cover of its August issue. The magazine showcased four images of the South Korean actor, with some hinting towards his lead live-action role. Byeon started his career in 2010, first debuting as a model before becoming an actor. Before he was cast as Sung Jinwoo in Solo Leveling, Byeon starred in numerous K-dramas, such as Lovely Runner, Moonshine, Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency, and Record of Youth. At the moment, the plot of the Netflix adaptation has yet to be revealed.

‘Solo Leveling’ Has Also Confirmed a Movie Is in the Works

Alongside the Netflix live-action adaptation, Sony has confirmed that a film adaptation of Solo Leveling has also entered production. Solo Leveling — Beyond the System — The Movie will be a continuation of the anime adaptation, taking place after the events of Season 2 and following in the footsteps of Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle and Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc‘s box-office success. At the moment, the plot for the feature has yet to be revealed, and a release date has yet to be announced, but there were reports that it could come out in 2027 or 2028. At the same time, the concept trailer for Solo Leveling — Beyond the System claimed that this will serve as the anime’s third season.

Netflix’s live-action Solo Leveling has yet to announce a release date. In the meantime, you can stream Seasons 1 and 2 on Crunchyroll. Follow Collider for more updates.

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Release Date

2024 – 2025-00-00

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Tokyo MX, Gunma TV, BS11, Tochigi TV

Directors

Tatsuya Sasaki, Toru Hamasaki

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Writers

Shigeru Murakoshi, Shingo Irie, Fuka Ishii

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• 
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  Genta Nakamura

  Yoo Jin-ho

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When Apple TV+ renewed Dark Matter for a second season, one question immediately followed: how do you continue a story that had already adapted Blake Crouch’s entire bestselling novel? The first season left very little on the table, meaning the creative team suddenly found themselves venturing into completely original territory for the first time. As it turns out, though, they weren’t simply thinking about Season 2.

Season 2 sees Joel Edgerton (The Boys in the Boat) return as Jason Dessen alongside Jennifer Connelly (Top Gun: Maverick) as Daniela, Alice Braga (Queen of the South) as Amanda Lucas, Oakes Fegley (The Fabelmans) as Charlie Dessen, Jimmi Simpson (Westworld) as Ryan Holder, Dayo Okeniyi (The Hunger Games) as Leighton Vance, Amanda Brugel (The Handmaid’s Tale) as Blaire Caplan and Zoë Soul (Prisoners) as Denise.

Speaking with Collider’s Steve Weintraub at San Diego Comic-Con, creator Blake Crouch and executive producer Jacquelyn Ben-Zekry revealed they’d already mapped out a third season alongside the second, with the intention of telling a complete trilogy, and no more than that. Asked how much he was thinking beyond Season 2 while writing entirely new material, Crouch admitted stepping away from the novel was a daunting prospect.

“It’s one of those things that you have to sort of be on both sides. You have to write something that has a definitive ending, but you also have to lay some breadcrumbs in case you continue the story. But being off-book for the second season literally scared the shit out of me, because we didn’t save anything in the book. We blew through everything. We were like, ‘I don’t know if we’re going to do any more of this. Let’s not hold anything back.’ So, usually when I stare at the blank page, it’s for a novel, which I can take years and years and years to do, but this blank page was asking to be filled very, very quickly.”

‘Dark Matter’ Season 2 Will Lead Directly into Season 3

While Season 2 will tell a complete chapter of its own, Ben-Zekry confirmed the writers were already looking beyond it while breaking the story, while Crouch confirmed to Weintraub with a resounding “yes” when asked if they saw the series ending at Season 3, in a perfect world.

“When we were designing Season 2 and pitching it, we actually did Season 3 kind of at the same time, because we imagined it as a trilogy. We really wanted to do the beginning, middle, and end of a story. So, you’ll see when you see this season. It’s definitely set up for more.”

Dark Matter Season 2 premieres on Apple TV+ on September 12.

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Release Date

May 7, 2024

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Apple TV+

Directors

Jakob Verbruggen, Alik Sakharov, Roxann Dawson, Logan George

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Writers

Blake Crouch

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All the way back in 2022, approaching Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power with skepticism made sense. The entertainment world’s current era of reboots is arguably more frequent, less thoughtfully produced, and less well-received by general audiences. A prequel to the events depicted in director Peter Jackson‘s revered The Lord of the Rings trilogy could’ve easily been a derelict attempt to capitalize on nostalgic iconography, no matter how much lavish beauty the show mined from its astronomical budget. Fast-forward to 2026, and overwhelming success emerged from that leap of faith. The Rings of Power has defied expectations to become a sterling example of contemporary high fantasy television, and it’s as thrilling an adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien‘s Legendarium as legally possible — capturing his defining philosophies with heartfelt grace, contemplative nuance, and a visible passion for its, well, legendary source material.

Although showrunners J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay‘s decision to spend the first two seasons of their five-season plan establishing assorted narrative set-ups was necessary to achieve maximum long-term payoff, the installments received valid critique regarding how certain storylines were paced. Following the events of Season 2’s tremendous finale, Rings of Power is finally able to turn its Great Eye (terrible pun intended) toward the Legendarium’s weightiest, meatiest material: Sauron (Charlie Vickers), undisguised and unrepentant, forging the One Ring, and Gandalf (Daniel Weyman), once a confused wanderer dubbed the Stranger, claiming his formidable identity. Payne and McKay recently shared how those substantial developments reframe and elevate their already impressive accomplishment to another level.

Introducing the True Gandalf and Sauron Fundamentally Changes ‘The Rings of Power’ Season 3

The Rings of Power Season 3 opens five years after its predecessor. Sauron has secluded himself inside his volcanic fortress of Barad-dûr while the peoples of Middle-earth prepare for the Second Age’s most momentous war. While speaking with Empire magazine, Payne, McKay, Vickers, and Weyman promised that Sauron and Gandalf will enter this upcoming season with fresh clarity and reignited purpose. Weyman paraphrased Payne and McKay’s goals for the character: “We want to see that Gandalf has arrived. We want to see him as the wizard we all love from Tolkien’s writings.” That means a personality similar to Ian McKellen‘s beloved turn with the wardrobe to match, but not before the inexperienced Wizard undergoes a steep learning curve.

Where Sauron’s concerned, Payne teased an immense paradigm shift. “We have a full-on villain this season,” he explained, in a way that contrasts with the slippery Dark Lord having concealed his true intentions behind two separate alter egos. He’s still seeking the elusive three Rings he lost to the Elves, and he’s still a deceptive seducer who aims to weaken his enemies. This time, however, Sauron is openly fashioning his greatest weapon. Reaching this historical turning point significantly raises The Rings of Power‘s stakes and “changes the tone of the show,” according to McKay. “This third season is darker, more dangerous.”

There’s a fantastic symmetry to having these specific characters reach similar developmental points at the same time. If Rings of Power‘s interpretation of the ancient Sauron rarely wavers from his chosen identity, then Gandalf, a semi-newborn Wizard, commits to fulfilling his duty after a self-discovery journey. Tolkien doesn’t engage the two in anything resembling physical combat, but he positions them as opposing ideological forces created by the same supreme deity. Sauron, a profoundly powerful and immortal Maiar, is essentially a fallen angel. Gandalf, another Maiar and one of the wisest Wizards, is sent to Middle-earth in response to Sauron’s reign and remains devoted to preserving goodness; he’s a beacon of hope designed to keep mortal hearts from collapsing into despair.

‘The Rings of Power’s Ambitions Are Higher than Ever in Season 3

The Rings of Power‘s Season 3 evolution has already been a rewarding challenge for the actors. Weyman and Vickers raved about the “unbelievably spine-tingling” and awe-inspiring “privilege and honour,” respectively, of finding themselves charged with immense responsibility. They aren’t the only ones shouldering a mighty task, either. McKay teased the One Ring’s creation as “the single most ambitious, technically challenging sequence we’ve ever done on the show”; Vickers reported that filming the scene encompassed two weeks.

Minor and easily correctable imperfections aside, The Rings of Power needed Seasons 1 and 2. Without those foundations, Payne and McKay couldn’t tee up the massive moments that fans (toxic naysayers need not apply) never expected to see onscreen, and therefore have been anticipating with especially bated breath. The series’ track record with magnificent set pieces that balance astonishing cinematic spectacle and breathtaking character-driven intimacy — look no further than Season 2’s siege of Eregion — all but guarantees Season 3 will prove worth the four-year wait.

Although the genre is fairly reliable theatrically, when a sci-fi movie goes wrong at the box office, it is usually in spectacular fashion. Take, for a recent example, The Mandalorian and Grogu, which was supposed to be the spiritual opening of a big summer of cinema. Instead, the movie tanked in theaters, despite the success of the series it is based on and the overall Star Wars franchise. However, the huge viral triumph of both A24’s Backrooms and Obsession left The Mandalorian and Grogu struggling for relevance.

The big-screen debut of Pedro Pascal‘s titular bounty hunter has earned $344 million worldwide against a production budget of $165 million, which doesn’t account for a likely enormous marketing and commercial investment. It seems as if each year fields its own sci-fi flop, with one of 2018’s even killing a $1 billion franchise. The film in question is Pacific Rim: Uprising, a sequel to 2013’s Pacific Rim, and the second installment overall in the franchise ahead of the animated series Pacific Rim: The Black.

Spartacus and Daredevil‘s Steven S. DeKnight took to the director’s chair for Pacific Rim: Uprising, taking over the reins from Guillermo del Toro, who had won both Best Picture and Best Director at the Academy Awards the year prior for The Shape of Water. Uprising, which follows John Boyega‘s Jake as he is offered one last chance to live up to his father’s legacy, also stars Cailee Spaeny, Scott Eastwood, Adria Arjona, Jing Tian, and Zhang Jin. Eight years later, Pacific Rim: Uprising is a surprising streaming hit, officially ranking as one of the ten most-streamed movies on HBO Max in the U.S., at the time of writing.

How Badly Did ‘Pacific Rim: Uprising’ Flop?

Although the film is known as a disaster, Pacific Rim: Uprising didn’t perform perhaps as poorly as many would’ve suspected. Against a reported production budget of $155 million, the film made $291 million at the global box office, split between a domestic haul of $60 million and a further $230 million from overseas markets. The movie managed to open at #1 at the U.S. box office, but quickly dropped to #5 in its second weekend.

Pacific Rim: Uprising is available to stream now on HBO Max. Make sure to stay tuned to Collider for all the latest streaming stories.

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Release Date

March 23, 2018

Runtime

111 minutes

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Director

Steven S. DeKnight

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Writers

Emily Carmichael, Kira Snyder, Steven S. DeKnight, T.S. Nowlin, Travis Beacham

Producers

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Guillermo del Toro, Jon Jashni, Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Thomas Tull, Femi Oguns

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The spirit of vengeance lives! Ryan Gosling finally joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe at San Diego Comic-Con 2026.

Gosling, 45, made a surprise appearance at Marvel Studios’ Hall H panel on Saturday, July 25, to confirm that he will star in a reboot of the Ghost Rider franchise. (Nicolas Cage previously played the character in two movies — 2007’s Ghost Rider and 2012’s Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance — that exist outside the MCU continuity.)

He will team up on a new Ghost Rider movie with Stranger Things director Shawn Levy, who previously worked with Marvel Studios on 2024’s Deadpool & Wolverine. (Gosling and Levy collaborated on the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter.)

There was even more exciting news about the future of the MCU beyond December’s Avengers: Doomsday and 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars, including an update on the long-awaited Black Panther III.

Related: Ryan Reynolds Asked Nicolas Cage to Cameo in ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’

Ryan Reynolds confirmed he tried to get Nicolas Cage to make a cameo as Ghost Rider in Deadpool & Wolverine. Early concept art for the movie, revealed by Marvel Studios visual development supervisor Rodney Fuentebella following its July release, shows that at least one point, Cage and Ben Affleck’s Daredevil were considered for cameos alongside […]

Keep scrolling for the biggest news to come out of Marvel Studios’ Hall H Panel

Ryan Gosling Will Star in ‘Ghost Rider’ Movie

Gosling surprised fans by showing up unannounced to Hall H to confirm he will play the superhero Ghost Rider in a 2028 reboot directed by Deadpool & Wolverine’s Levy.

The Project Hail Mary actor has publicly campaigned for the Ghost Rider role in the past — revealing to the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast all the way back in 2022 that he’d discussed the part with Marvel Studios.

During the Hall H panel, Gosling described Ghost Rider as “a character I’ve wanted to play for a long time.”

For his part, Levy praised Gosling during the Comic-Con panel as “the absolute s***t” and promised Ghost Rider will be worth the wait for fans.

“Let’s ride, we’ll see you in 2028,” the filmmaker teased.

Ghost Rider is an antihero who first appeared in the pages of Marvel Comics in 1972 when Johnny Blaze, the first incarnation of the hero, sold his soul to the demon Mephisto to save his foster father’s life. After Blaze’s head was mystically transformed into a fiery skull, Ghost Rider jumped on his signature black motorcycle to wreak havoc on the underworld.

There have been other incarnations of Ghost Rider throughout the decades — including high school student Robbie Reyes, who was played by Gabriel Luna in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show.

Gosling’s longtime partner, Eva Mendes, starred in Cage’s 2007 version of Ghost Rider.

‘Black Panther 3’ Will Star Industry’s David Johnson

Acclaimed filmmaker Ryan Coogler announced during the Hall H panel that he will return to write and direct Black Panther III.

Coogler and Marvel Studios chief creative officer Kevin Feige welcomed Industry and The Long Walk actor David Jonsson to the stage to confirm that he will lead Black Panther III.

Jonsson is expected to play T’Challa II, the son of the late Chadwick Boseman’s iconic Black Panther. The character was teased at the end of 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever when Shuri (Letitia Wright) discovered that T’Challa and Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) secretly welcomed a son named Toussaint. (Boseman died in 2020.)

“I want to say thank you so much,” Jonsson said in Hall H. “Thank you, Ryan. Thank you, Kevin. Thank you to this amazing family that I honor. [It’s] a privilege and blessing to join.”

He went on, “I don’t want to say too much because I want to let the screen do the talking, but believe me, the honor is entirely mine.”

Black Panther III is expected to premiere in 2028.

‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Unveiled a Returning Star and New Footage

Some exciting casting news kicked off the Avengers: Doomsday portion of Marvel Studios’ presentation, as Hayley Atwell was confirmed to reprise her role as Peggy Carter opposite Chris Evans’ previously-announced Steve Rogers / Captain America.

Ryan Reynolds also made a surprise appearance during the panel as Deadpool’s denim alter-ego, Jeanpool, to beg for a cameo in Avengers: Doomsday. It remains to be seen whether the Merc With a Mouth will pop up in December’s blockbuster.

Fresh off the debut of the extended trailer for Avengers: Doomsday on Monday, July 20, fans in Hall H got an exclusive sneak peek at brand new footage on Saturday.

Per Variety, the new clip focuses heavily on Robert Downey Jr.’s villainous Dr. Doom sitting on his throne in Latveria as various clips of the MCU heroes in battle are interspersed.

Fantastic 4 member Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby) provides some background on Doom, describing him as “broken as a person.”

“He’s always the smartest guy in every world. He used to be different. He used to be kind, he used to be caring … Everything he loved was taken from him,” she explains. “I knew he was lost but I did not realize that he was broken.”

The footage climaxes with Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal) questioning whether Doom could be responsible for mass carnage across Earth.

“All of you have lived stolen lives. You refuse to give them back,” Doom snarls.

When Thor (Chris Hemsworth) wields his trusty hammer Mjolnir against Doom, he is quickly pushed aside as the villain unleashes an army of Sentinels from the X-Men universe to fight Earth’s mightiest heroes.

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While the trailer was a convention-exclusive, Marvel Studios publicly shared a new Avengers: Doomsday poster featuring Downey as Doom.

“Decisions will have to be made, you’ll have to be on the side of the good guys, or you’ll have to consider the alternative [by] joining a family of Doom,” Downey teased during the panel. “Come over to the green side.”

Avengers: Doomsday opens December 18 and will be followed by Avengers: Secret Wars on December 17, 2027.

It takes more than a great movie premise to pull in an audience. If the viewer doesn’t care about the characters, nothing else matters. There have been many iconic heroes and villains over the decades, but there are also those characters fans hate, and not for the right reasons. Some films have been criticized for creating protagonists who were supposed to be cheered, but were instead so annoying that the viewer turned against them. These seven, however, don’t deserve the hate. Rather than disliking them, it’s time to see them for the complicated and realistic characters they are.

7

Jenny Curran in ‘Forrest Gump’ (1994)

Image via Paramount Pictures

Forrest Gump was one of the biggest movies of 1994, winning multiple Oscars. Based on Winston Groom‘s novel of the same name, the story follows Gump (Tom Hanks), a mentally disabled man who rises above his limitations to live an extraordinary life. He’s even given a love story with Jenny Curran (Robin Wright), who begins as Forrest’s childhood friend, then appears and disappears from his life over the next several decades.

Many fans don’t like Jenny because of how she treats Forrest. Sure, she’s kind to him when others aren’t, but she’s also abandoning him and outright rejecting him over and over. This makes her easy to dislike until you take a deeper look at who she is. Jenny lived a hard life as a kid, which included sexual abuse. She is suffering from that pain and finds it hard to open herself up to love. It doesn’t excuse the fact that she didn’t tell Forrest he was the father of her child for so long, but Jenny eventually grew and found love with her soulmate in the last days of her life.

6

Karen Nelson in ‘Halloween’ (2018)

Image via Universal Pictures

In 2018, the Halloween franchise returned with David Gordon Green directing the eleventh film. After the disastrous Rob Zombie entries, the new movie started on the right track by bringing back Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis). Here, Laurie is a broken woman traumatized by a terrifying past. For four decades, she has been waiting for Michael Myers to return, and her PTSD was taken out on her own child, Karen (Judy Greer).

The 2018 Halloween shows a complicated relationship between Laurie and Karen, and many fans can’t stand Karen’s portrayal. She’s seen as whiny, her dialogue flat. All she does is complain, with an aura of detachment, about how her mom treated her growing up, and how she can’t let go. Why wouldn’t Karen act this way, though? She didn’t get to have a normal childhood because of Laurie’s obsession and was even taken away by the state. All Karen has ever wanted was a normal life with a mom who focused on her. In the end, she fights against the Shape, showing how much she was listening to her mother all of those years.

5

Cho Chang in ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’ (2007)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

In the Harry Potter books and films, Cho Chang (Katie Leung) first appears as a fellow student at Hogwarts whom Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) has a crush on. Sadly, for Harry, he waits too long to act, and Cho becomes the girlfriend of Cedric Diggory (Robert Pattinson). Then, in a shocking moment, Cedric is killed. Some time later, Cho and Harry become a couple. They’re not meant to be, though, and fans couldn’t wait for Harry to get away from her.

Moviegoers and readers alike were frustrated with Cho’s character in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. They were bothered that all she did was whine and cry about the past, while being jealous about Harry’s friendship with Hermione Granger (Emma Watson). Did fans expect perfection from the character? Her boyfriend was murdered! Why would she not be grieving, especially as a scared and confused teenager? Acting all happy, as if nothing happened, would have been nonsensical. Her jealousy over Hermione shows how afraid she is to lose someone else she cares about.

4

Summer Finn in ‘500 Days of Summer’ (2009)

Image via Fox Searchlight Pictures

500 Days of Summer is one of the most realistic and heartbreaking romances. In the movie, Tom Hansen (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) meets Summer Finn (Zooey Deschanel) and falls madly in love. There’s just one major problem: Summer doesn’t look at love the same way that Tom does. While he’s a hopeless romantic, Summer is guarded, having come from parents who divorced. It leads to a struggle between opposing goals.

500 Days of Summer does not have a happily ever after. Summer breaks up with Tom, and those craving a sweet ending were not thrilled. They took their anger out on Summer, but it’s a hate she doesn’t deserve. She told Tom how she felt about relationships and how she didn’t want to be a girlfriend, yet he continued to pursue her anyway. Over and over, she shared her honest feelings, only to be ignored because Tom was falling in love with the idea of Summer, not the real, complicated, and independent woman. His heartbreak is all his fault and no one else’s.

3

Rose Tico in ‘Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi’ (2017)

Image via Disney

To say that fans hated the latest Star Wars trilogy is an understatement. Some of that hate isn’t unfounded, as Episodes VII through IX are a step down creatively. Still, one character got so much undeserved derision that it hurt the actress playing her. In Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, we’re introduced to Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran), a woman mourning her murdered sister who works with Finn (John Boyega) to help in the fight against the First Order.

In the era of social media, Kelly Marie Tran received a tremendous amount of ugliness on Twitter. They thought there was zero chemistry between her and Finn and found Rose and the preachy dialogue she was given unrealistic. Worse was the hate the actress received for being a strong Asian woman. It led to her penning a piece for The New York Times where she wrote about the online harassment and her refusal to be marginalized by keyboard warriors.

2

Jar Jar Binks in ‘Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)

Image via Lucasfilm

In 1999, after a 16-year absence, George Lucas returned to the franchise that had made him a household name with Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. The film follows the childhood of the future Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd), who is helped by Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor). It was also the introduction of one of the most divisive characters in movie history, Jar-Jar Binks (Ahmed Best).

Binks is a goofy Gungan who helps the heroes. He’s there as comedic relief, and Star Wars fans couldn’t stand him. His character was seen as over-the-top and his voice infuriating, and he took up too much time when we wanted to see the bigger stars. Although those are valid arguments, Jar Jar is still a hero and a sidekick who deserves some moments to shine. Is he annoying? Sure. But he’s also supposed to be. No one likes him, yet he keeps trying and fighting anyway.

1

Wendy Torrance in ‘The Shining’ (1980)

Image via Warner Bros.

Stanley Kubrick‘s adaptation of Stephen King‘s The Shining is considered to be one of the greatest horror movies ever made. Kubrick’s direction is celebrated, as is the acting talent of Jack Nicholson, who plays Jack Torrance, a winter caretaker at the Overlook Hotel slowly being driven mad by the building’s ghosts. As he turns murderous, it’s up to his wife, Wendy (Shelley Duvall), to protect their gifted young son, Danny (Danny Lloyd).

While The Shining was being celebrated, Duvall’s performance was mocked. She even won a Razzie as the worst actress of the year. Some didn’t like her version of Wendy, who whines and cries often. Duvall didn’t deserve the grief she received. Wendy is not meant to be a badass final girl. She’s showing the trauma she’s going through. How is this physically weak woman supposed to act when the love of her life is trying to kill her and her child? Wouldn’t you be terrified and find it hard to move, too? Duvall perfectly sold the trauma as Wendy overcame and fought back. In the end, the Razzies rescinded their “award” and recognized how great the performance was.

Some of Netflix’s greatest shows work incredibly well because they’re short, focused, and carefully crafted pieces of art rather than sprawling stories that span dozens of episodes, all in the name of leaving a stronger impression. Whether it’s a miniseries, an impeccably paced single season, or a concise multi-season beauty, these short Netflix series prove that sometimes less can actually be more.

Memorable series like Netflix’s Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, which is a short and remarkably steamy romance series, and the animated Netflix watch, Blue Eye Samurai, which delivers sharp action and a captivating revenge story, are two brilliant examples of shows that feel much stronger with a smaller episode count. Compiled on this list are fantastic Netflix watches that are still quite incredible despite having twenty episodes or fewer.

10

‘One Day’ (2024)

Image via Netflix

This woefully underrated Netflix romance drama is a miniseries that doesn’t waste a single scene. One Day follows Emma Morley (Ambika Mod) and Dexter Mayhew (Leo Woodall), who become rather close friends after meeting the night of their university graduation on July 15, 1988. Although the two go their separate ways the next day, the series continues to focus on their relationship’s evolution as it revisits them on the same date across the years.

One Day is a truly exceptional watch. It’s a complete, emotionally satisfying story that never feels as if it’s overstaying its welcome. Every episode of One Day feels important due to its unique year-by-year structure that masterfully showcases Dexter and Emma’s relationship, all the while capturing the passage of time with incredible honesty. The series may be “small,” but it is fantastically mighty, a brilliant series with zero filler that wields sharp writing that balances humor, romance, and intense heartbreak.

9

‘Russian Doll’ (2019–2022)

Image via Netflix

This dark comedic thriller series may not have lasted terribly long, but it did leave an impression on its viewers. Russian Doll follows the cynical game developer in New York City, Nadia Vulvokov (Natasha Lyonne), who is forced to relive the night of her 36th birthday over and over again.

Russian Doll delivered fifteen episodes of a mind-bending, moving tale. The series and its clever time-loop premise impressed viewers, with fans dubbing it a compact good time that is both smart enough to feel complete and short enough to finish quickly. Russian Doll doesn’t waste its limited episode count, with each one offering another philosophical question, clever revelation, or emotional breakthrough, making it the perfect series to binge for those looking for something short and sweet.

8

‘Derry Girls’ (2018–2022)

Image via Netflix

With just nineteen episodes under its belt, this underrated comedy gives audiences a complete, hilarious, and heartfelt story. Set in 1990s Northern Ireland, Derry Girls centers around a group of teenage girls and a rather overwhelmed English boy as they tackle family, school, friendship, and the growing political conflicts surrounding them.

Few comedy dramas are capable of being as outrageously funny, fast-paced, and incredibly heartwarming as Derry Girls. The show is endlessly rewatchable, never feeling stretched thin because, somehow, every installment delivers genuine laughs, meaningful growth, and sweet character moments all without wasting a single minute. Derry Girls is horribly underrated despite being practically perfect. It’s one of Netflix’s finest, a short but memorable viewing experience that is loud, ridiculous, emotional, and deeply satisfying.

7

‘Blue Eye Samurai’ (2023–Present)

Image via Netflix

Blue Eye Samurai has to be one of Netflix’s greatest modern animated series. It may only span eight episodes with more to come, but it somehow feels epically complete and wastes absolutely nothing with just a single season. Set in Edo-period Japan, the period drama focuses on mixed-race swordmaster Mizu (Maya Erskine), who has been disguising herself as a man as she dives headfirst into a relentless pursuit of revenge.

Blue Eye Samurai wields a masterful story, and it delivers a complete and remarkably satisfying first season that makes the most of every single scene. Each episode brilliantly expands the show’s richly realized world while skillfully balancing deeply emotional character development with breathtaking sword fights. Even with its concise runtime, Blue Eye Samurai offers audiences battles that carry real weight, major relationships, and revelations, cementing it as one of Netflix’s greatest.

6

‘Midnight Mass’ (2021)

Image via Netflix

Even with so few episodes, this supernatural horror delivers quite the viewing experience. Set on an isolated island community, Midnight Mass follows the troubled young man Riley Flynn (Zach Gilford) as he’s released from prison and returns home to a new charismatic priest named Father Paul Hill (Hamish Linklater).

Midnight Mass is often lauded as one of Flanagan’s most mature works. The series uses its short run to craft a slow-burning, contemplative horror story that focuses more on emotional and spiritual aspects rather than basic jump scares. Midnight Mass ensures that each of its character arcs is fully drawn during every installment, without ever feeling like it’s dragging. With tight writing and a brilliant ensemble, the hit Netflix limited series is often regarded as one of the best horrors produced by the streaming platform, making it the perfect addition to this list.

5

‘Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story’ (2023)

Image via Netflix

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This Bridgerton expansion is a brilliant romance spinoff that works incredibly well with just six episodes. Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story centers around young Charlotte (India Amarteifio), just before she becomes queen, as she enters an arranged marriage with King George (Corey Mylchreest), which surprises her in ways she never could have foreseen.

Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story’s short run only works to its advantage as it never loses sight of the central relationship, giving every episode great significance. The series masterfully balances the sensuality and elegance of its larger story with a far more mature and bittersweet love story. With just a few episodes, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story delivers a moving romance about sacrifice, love, and endurance, making it clear that six episodes is all the show really needs.

4

‘The Haunting of Hill House’ (2018)

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The Haunting of Hill House is one of Netflix’s most beloved limited series because it genuinely feels both enormous and intimate despite its short run. The series focuses on the Crain family across their childhood and adulthood as they remain traumatized by what occurred inside Hill House.

Even with The Haunting of Hill House being a standout hit, it is still somehow terribly underrated. The limited series and its ten-episode run deliver both emotional depth and quality shocks. The Haunting of Hill House wields top-notch directing, acting, and production, a concise single-season masterpiece that offers audiences an enticingly horrific yet incredibly emotional watch. The series’ length enforces discipline, balancing family drama with scares so brilliantly that it easily earns a spot on this list among Netflix’s short but incredible series.

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‘When They See Us’ (2019)

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This four-part miniseries, directed by Ava DuVernay, may be incredibly short, but for its length, it definitely leaves an enormous impact. Set in New York City, When They See Us centers around five Black and Latino teenagers—Kevin Richardson (Caleel Harris), Yusef Salaam (Ethan Herisse), Antron McCray (Asante Blackk), Korey Wise (Jharrel Jerome), and Raymond Santana (Marquis Rodriguez)—who are wrongfully accused and convicted of a 1989 assault.

When They See Us is a masterful series whose short format only heightens its urgency surrounding each episode. The dramatized tale based on a true story packs such an emotional punch with its tight pacing that every installment feels incredibly significant. From performances to direction, When They See Us definitely deserves its status as one of Netflix’s greatest. It may not be the excessively lengthy watch that Netflix tends to produce, but it’s a memorable four-episode series that ensures viewers stay fully engaged.

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‘Arcane’ (2021–2024)

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Arcane is an exceptionally stunning animated series set in the steampunk world of the wealthy city of Piltover and its industrial slum, Zaun. The story follows two orphaned sisters from Zaun: Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and her younger sister Powder, who later becomes the infamous Jinx (Ella Purnell) as growing divisions, political conflict, and personal tragedy push them apart.

Arcane is no doubt one of Netflix’s greatest animated series ever created. Its two-season run is tight yet expansive enough to develop complex characters and plot. Incredibly loved, Arcane is praised for its blend of unique emotional depth and 3D and 2D animation. In four to six hours, the sci-fi beauty gifts viewers a complete saga with no filler arcs, and is impeccable proof that a truly unforgettable story doesn’t require dozens of episodes to feel truly satisfying.

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‘The Queen’s Gambit’ (2020)

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The Queen’s Gambit is a masterpiece that sparked a renewed passion for the game of chess. The period drama focuses on orphaned chess prodigy Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy), who discovers an extraordinary gift for chess and eventually, a very dangerous affinity for tranquilizers.

This single-season drama offers audiences tightly written episodes, standout performances, and impeccable production. The Queen’s Gambit is universally lauded as an almost magical viewing experience that may not last for an incredibly long time, but remains with its viewers long after the credits are rolling. It is in no way boring; in fact, the series is a rather thrilling watch for a drama surrounding the game of chess. The Queen’s Gambit uses every minute to fulfill both its emotional stakes and character arcs, creating a complete experience that’s remarkably crafted from beginning to end.

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The Queen’s Gambit

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Release Date

2020 – 2020-00-00

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Showrunner

Scott Frank

Directors

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Scott Frank

Writers

Scott Frank

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