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The Netflix Top 10 list won’t tell you how many people are watching a show, but it will tell you which shows people are watching the most. The Top 10 list for Monday, Nov. 16, has The Crown Season 4 at No. 1, marking the long-awaited return of one of Netflix’s biggest shows. Its debut in the top spot has knocked The Queen’s Gambit down to No. 2, but still, queens are dominating the top of the list. The new holiday musical Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey is at No. 3, followed by the 2018 version of The Grinch at No. 4 and true-crime docuseries Trial 4 at No. 5.
But of the Netflix Top 10, which of these shows and movies are actually worth watching? We break down the entire Netflix Top 10 list and guide you through what to binge and what to skip.
The Best TV Shows and Movies on Netflix in November 2020
Based on Netflix’s Top 10 from Monday, Nov. 16
1. The Crown
For fans of: Palace intrigue, the Royals | Is it good?: It’s the best season yet
The ambitious, decades-spanning drama series about Queen Elizabeth II is back for its second season with Olivia Colman in the lead and its fourth season overall, and it adds two pivotally important characters into the mix: Margaret Thatcher (the great Gillian Anderson) and Princess Diana (Emma Corrin), who both clash with the Queen. Their addition breathes fresh life into the series, which remains one of the grandest on all of television. (Yesterday’s rank: N/A)
2. The Queen’s Gambit
For fans of: Chess, drugs, and character drama | Is it good?: It’s one of the best shows of the year
Budding superstar Anya Taylor-Joy (she’s been cast as young Furiosa in the next Mad Max movie) stars in this literary adaptation as Beth Harmon, a brilliant but troubled chess champion in 1950s Kentucky. She was an orphan who, in her youth, developed an incredible skill for the game but also a debilitating addiction to pills, which quiet her obsessive mind. It’s a detailed character study of brilliance and madness that’s usually reserved for male characters. It comes from one of Netflix’s go-to limited series producers, Godless‘ Scott Frank. (Yesterday’s rank: 1)
3. Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
For fans of: Christmas, musicals, Christmas musicals | Is it good?: It’s pretty adorable
Legendary toymaker Jeronicus Jangle (Forest Whitaker) loses everything after he’s betrayed by his friend (Keegan-Michael Key), who steals his most prized creation. Jangle’s granddaughter (Madalen Mills), with the help of a long-forgotten invention, sets out on a holiday adventure to get it back. There’s music, dancing, about a million celebrity cameos, and a whole lot of Christmas spirit, if that’s what you’re in the market for. (Yesterday’s rank: 2)
4. The Grinch
For fans of: the Grinch | Is it good?: It’s fine
Benedict Cumberbatch voices Dr. Seuss’ iconic green guy who learns to love Christmas. You know the story, and this CG adaptation doesn’t add much to it. But it doesn’t detract anything from it, either. It’s better than the Jim Carrey version, but not as good as the original version. (Yesterday’s rank: 6)
5. Trial 4
For fans of: Justice | Is it good?: Yes, and it’s infuriating, too
This limited docuseries tells the story of Sean Ellis, a Black man who was wrongfully convicted for the murder of a white Boston police officer. The timely documentary explores issues of police corruption and racism in the judicial system, and if you care about injustice, it will make you sick. (Yesterday’s rank: 3)
6. American Horror Story
For fans of: Ryan Murphy, frequent pop culture references | Is it good?: Some seasons are better than others
Season 9 of Ryan Murphy‘s horror anthology series recently dropped on Netflix. 1984 is set at a summer camp and pays homage to ’80s slasher movies, and if you’re already a fan of American Horror Story, you’ll be happy to hear that the nostalgia-seeped setting “provided the perfect setup for the signature one-liners and pop culture references” the show has become known for. If you’re not already a fan, 1984 maybe isn’t the best season to start with, but it’s still fun. (Yesterday’s rank: 5)
7. The Life Ahead
For fans of: Prestige film, the Oscars | Is it good?: It might just move you to tears
Screen icon Sophia Loren stages her comeback in this film about a Holocaust survivor who strikes up a bond with a young boy after he robs her. Loren is outstanding in it, and rightfully getting a lot of attention for her performance, so you may want to keep your eyes on her when Oscar season rolls around. (Yesterday’s rank: 9)
8. The Impossible
For fans of: The resilience of the human spirit in the face of disaster | Is it good?: Yes
Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts (who was nominated for an Oscar for her performance), and young Tom Holland star as a family who gets separated during the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and have to struggle to survive and find each other again. It’s a powerful true story. (Yesterday’s rank: 4)
9. Cocomelon
For fans of: Singalongs, nursery rhymes | Is it good?: Little kids are in love with the Coco
Cocomelon, a multiplatform kids’ TV phenomenon, is consistently in the Netflix Top 10 as it adds new content constantly. It dropped off for one day yesterday, but now it’s back. Preschoolers love it, and parents hear the songs in their sleep. (Yesterday’s rank: N/A)
10. Dash & Lily
For fans of: New York City at Christmastime, bookstores | Is it good?: It’s totally charming
Dash (Austin Abrams) and Lily (Midori Francis) court each other by leaving notes to each other with comfort zone-expanding dares in a secret book at Manhattan’s famous Strand bookstore. It’s cute and will put you in a cheerful mood. [TV Guide review] (Yesterday’s rank: 7)
The Best Netflix Originals of 2020 So Far
Lucifer, The Baby-Sitters Club, Love Is Blind” width=”2070″ height=”1380″ title=”Lucifer, The Baby-Sitters Club, Love Is Blind” data-amp-src=”https://tvguide1.cbsistatic.com/i/r/2020/09/17/505dd032-3cbb-41bc-b9c7-b25aa75a8297/watermark/706d004f9a37fe96bd7085c7f19efb3c/netflix-2020-reg.jpg”>Lucifer, The Baby-Sitters Club, Love Is Blind