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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. 30 finds Virgin River Season 2 in the No. 1 spot, while the Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn-starring new release The Christmas Chronicles 2 is at No. 2. The wildly successful limited series The Queen’s Gambit is still holding steady at No. 3, but The Crown has officially lost its throne, having been pushed down to No. 4 (though it’s up from yesterday, when it fell to 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. 30
1. Virgin River
For fans of: Hallmarkian romance, heartwarming tearjerkers | Is it good?: It’s a fun time for any hopeless romantic out there
Adapted from the Virgin River novels by author Robyn Carr, the romantic drama stars Alexandra Breckenridge as Melinda “Mel” Monroe, a midwife and nurse practitioner from Los Angeles who moves to a beautiful but remote Northern California town following a series of traumatic heartbreaks. It all has a very Hallmark vibe to it, but in a good way! (Yesterday’s rank: 1)
2. The Christmas Chronicles 2
For fans of: Kurt Russell, Goldie Hawn, Christmas | Is it good?: The first is better, but it still gives a good dose of holiday cheer
In the sequel to 2018’s The Christmas Chronicles, Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn return as Santa and Mrs. Claus, which is pretty delightful all on its own. There’s also a plot here, though, with Kate Pierce (Darby Camp), who has grown into a cynical teen, reuniting with the Clauses to help save Christmas after it’s threatened by an elf gone bad. (Yesterday’s rank: 2)
3. 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: 3)
4. 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: 5)
5. The Beast
For fans of: Action movies, Italy | Is it good?: It’s all right
This Italian action movie about a Special Forces veteran who sets out to rescue his daughter from her kidnappers follows a tried and true plot that you’ve seen plenty of times, but The Beast has a lot going on and will probably hold your interest. These dudes just can’t stop letting their daughters get stolen, huh? (Yesterday’s rank: 7)
6. Hillbilly Elegy
For fans of: The Oscars, hammy performances from your favorite actors, memes | Is it good?: No
Do you hear that? It’s the sound of Amy Adams and Glenn Close fans, who would very much like to see them both win Oscars, collectively saying, “No, not like this.” Hillbilly Elegy, Ron Howard‘s awards-bait adaptation of venture capitalist J.D. Vance’s bestselling and controversial memoir about growing up as a poor white person, is not very good, though Close’s performance — she appears in full “ugly” prosthetics and speaks in a garish accent — is 100% going to inspire a lot of memes. Do with that information what you will, but also know that we gave this movie a 1.5 out of 5. (Yesterday’s rank: 4)
7. 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)
8. Hard Kill
For fans of: Bruce Willis, people fighting each other | Is it good?: It certainly is a Bruce Willis action movie
Life is full of changes, but there are certain constants we can rely on, like movies starring Bruce Willis as a man with a gun who has a dangerous mission to complete. In this one, his character’s daughter is taken hostage by a guy trying to harness a new technology that will allow him to do something bad to the world. Bruce Willis hires a team of mercenaries to help him put a stop to it, as one does. (Yesterday’s rank: 9)
9. The Christmas Chronicles
For fans of: Kurt Russell, Goldie Hawn, Christmas | Is it good?: You can’t help but love it
The movie that started it all: The Christmas Chronicles centers on two kids who are determined to capture Santa (Kurt Russell) on camera, sending them on a wild adventure. (Yesterday’s rank: 8)
10. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
For fans of: Jim Carrey, Baby Grinch | Is it good?: People certainly love it
The second Grinch on this list, Jim Carrey‘s 2000 adaptation of the Dr. Seuss book has become a holiday classic for plenty of people. If you’re a fan, you’ve probably already made a plan to revisit it for the holidays. (Yesterday’s rank: 10)
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