This summer, Netflix added to their growing list of original series. Their platform now not only streams older television and film, but also new and original programming. These recent expansions transition Netflix from just a binge-watching service to a major force in the landscape of Golden Age television.

Each television series in the last few years has fed into this expansion with feverous zeal. Audiences now trust the Netflix logo at the beginning of a show as much as the opening Disney castle. This summer, Netflix took television and film by storm once again with the following five new releases.

Marcella

The thriller series follows the story of former police detective Marcella Backland as she is forced to re-enter the seedy underbelly of London. A former colleague asks Marcella to decipher a case involving a serial killer from 11 years prior. The series is a cross-over between British drama and noir detective stories. Anglophiles can rejoice in their next habitually watched drama. Marcella puts an interesting spin on other Netflix series like Jessica Jones within the genre of thrillers featuring a complex, crime-fighting female lead. For audiences pursuing a show with a dark, flawed and conflicted female lead, this series will do the job.

 

Fundamentals of Caring

Netflix has teamed up with a Sundance champion to produce a dark, dramatic comedy. Starring actors Paul Rudd and Craig Roberts, Fundamentals of Caring recounts the story of a retired, struggling writer (Rudd) who after having lost his son, decides to find a new job as a caretaker. Roberts’ character is an 18 year old named Trevor with muscular dystrophy disorder who Rudd is hired to take care of. Trevor is fascinated with American roadside attractions and so Rudd encourages him to take a roadtrip. The film follows their journey and as their relationship unfolds, the characters begin to strongly affect each other. The film captivates viewers and as one of Netflix’s first forays into original film, it inspires future hope of the streaming empire.

 

The Get Down

Netflix found its groove this year using cultural throwbacks and nostalgia in order to draw viewers in. The Get Down, along with Stranger Things, utilize time periods in order to create compelling stories with added genre twists. Following the emergence of R&B and disco in New York City during the ’70s, the series creates character and struggle through the gravity of New York City. The series also uses a mixture of original and recorded music to set itself apart from similar concepts on television, giving the series a sense of originality.

 

Tallulah

Netflix picks up its second Sundance film of the year with a powerhouse duo of Ellen Page and Allison Janney. The film pulls audiences in with a story that boils down to the strengths, and sometimes poison, of family. Page starrs as title character Tallulah, a credit card thief who travels across the country before deciding to visit her mother. By a horrible mix up, Page ends up with a drunk woman’s child and the rest of the film follows Page trying to do what is right in a hard situation. For anyone looking for an heavy, emotional story, Tallulah is a roller coaster of worth watching.

 

Stranger Things

If you have Internet access, you are probably familiar with the Eggo waffle memes inspired by the character Eleven in this series. However, if you haven’t seen Stranger Things, then make no plans for the upcoming weekend and prepare to be absorbed by this sci-fi, ’80s nostalgia, Spielbergian series. Drawing from the filmography of Spielburg, ’80s pop culture and common tropes of the era’s science fiction and horror films, the show delivers a strange story involving a missing boy, government conspiracies and freaky creatures. The show’s nostalgic vibes feel natural and genuine. Rather than simply throwing ’80s references in for the heck of it, Spielberg and his production team capture a true setting of the decade. This summer breakout hit proves Netflix is capable of conquering yet another genre.