The Best-Rated Sci-Fi Series On Netflix That You Can Easily…

Sci-fi fans are spoiled for choice these days. With a wealth of science fiction spread across the many streaming services, there's something for everyone to take in, and it's often pretty high-quality content. While AppleTV is the current streaming king of sci-fi, if what you're working with is Netflix, there's plenty to find there, too.

Even better, a bunch of these series are short enough that you could binge them in a weekend with no problem. Here we'll take a look at some of the best sci-fi series on Netflix that are suited for that. They come from all kinds of genres and deal with all sorts of science fiction subgenres, but they're all highly rated and well worth your time the next chance you have to spend a weekend on the couch. All but one are two seasons long or less to keep them as manageable as possible, providing solid binging fodder for a two- or three-day marathon.

3 Body Problem (1 Season)

A Mind-Bending Alien Invasion Story

Cast	Eiza Gonzales, Benedict Wong, Liam Cunningham
Creator(s)	David Benioff, D. B. Weiss
No. Of Episodes	8

Based on the trilogy of novels by Cixin Liu, 3 Body Problem is the first season of Netflix's adaptation of those novels. While the series is not complete as of this writing (season 2 is expected sometime in late 2026), the first season is something of a complete arc all on its own.

The series follows a group of scientists (and a couple of investigators) who make contact with an alien race that is cruising its way towards Earth. The aliens have reached out through a virtual reality simulator to help humanity understand their motivations for making the journey through space. This sets off a sequence of geopolitical conflicts, and one small human error causes the aliens to turn hostile in a fascinating and existentially terrifying way. 3 Body Problem deals with some complex scientific concepts, but it presents them in an accessible way, and the breakneck pacing will keep you moving from episode to episode without much of a break in between.

Supacell (1 Season)

South London Supes

Cast	Tosin Cole, Nadine Mills, Josh Tedeku
Creator(s)	Rapman
No. Of Episodes	6

Set in south London, Supacell follows a group of people who suddenly develop superpowers, and the way each of them handle the abrupt changes makes them all immediately endearing. Don't think of this as an MCU superhero show, though; the action scenes are few and far between, and instead, these characters use their powers to improve their lives and get themselves out of very human problems.

Don't believe the intense negativity about Supacell expressed by some viewers: this is a show that's well worth your time. While it might feel a bit similar to Misfits out of the gate (some scenes are even set in the same places), it quickly blazes a trail all its own. The pacing is excellent, the twists are surprising, and the characters are well-written and complex. It's also getting a second season in 2026, so it's a great time to catch up.

Maniac (1 Season)

Freaky Pharmaceuticals

Cast	Emma Stone, Jonah Hill, Justin Theroux
Creator(s)	Patrick Somerville, Cary Joji Fukunaga
No. Of Episodes	10

Created, written, and directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, the director behind the first (and best) season of True Detective, Maniac is a sci-fi psychological thriller about two people — a man suffering from schizophrenia and a reclusive woman — who sign up for a drug trial that promises to solve all of their problems, no strings attached. The only problem is, the trial itself is... Psychologically intense, involving hallucinations about alternate realities.

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Maniac can be intense at times, but it's so surreal that it also frequently veers into comedic territory. The two leads, Jonah Hill and Emma Stone, are electric, and their chemistry from their first appearance together in Superbad carries over brilliantly here. It's easy to binge through Maniac in a couple of quick sittings, but it's also the kind of show that gets even better on repeat viewings.

Russian Doll (2 Seasons)

One Woman's Time Loop

Cast	Natasha Lyonne, Charlie Barnett, Greta Lee
Creator(s)	Natasha Lyonne, Amy Poehler, Leslye Headand
No. Of Episodes	15

The time-loop premise of Russian Doll will be familiar to any fans of Groundhog Day or the Happy Death Day duology, but there are a couple of things that make it stand out. For one, the time loop doesn't begin at the start of Nadia's (Natasha Lyonne) day; it starts right in the middle of her 36th birthday party. Given that she dies at the end of every night, the amount of time she has to work with is much shorter than the full day most time loop victims are granted. Second, Nadia eventually meets a man named Alan, who is stuck in a time loop all his own, but in a way that overlaps with Nadia's. This small adjustment helps the series bend the concept in new and altogether unexpected ways.

Russian Doll's episodes are only 30 mins each, which makes binging easy. The second season also isn't essential viewing. It still follows Nadia, but not the same time loop story, and while it's still a solid season of television, Russian Doll's first season is far and away the better of the two.

The Eternaut (1 Season)

Post-Alien Invasion Argentina

Cast	Ricardo Darin, Carla Peterson, Cesar Troncoso
Creator(s)	Bruno Stagnaro
No. Of Episodes	6

Set in Buenos Aires, 2025's The Eternaut is a post-apocalyptic series where an otherworldly snowfall strikes overnight and kills most of the population. A few thousand people, including John Salvo, survive, but their struggle to stay alive afterwards is a large part of what drives the series' plot. Then there's the snowfall itself, which is hiding a mystery and a danger all its own. It's soon discovered that the snowfall is just the first step in a worldwide alien invasion, and the next steps are now underway. Not only must the survivors struggle through the apocalypse, but they must search for a way to push back the alien threat.

The Eternaut received a lot of praise from worldwide audiences, but it never quite caught on in a big way. It's kind of like Dark in that way, another non-English Netflix sci-fi series, as it probably needs a bit more time to gather its audience. There is also a second season planned, but given season 1's lengthy production time, it might still be a year or two away.

Pantheon (2 Seasons)

The Dead In The Cloud

Cast	Katie Chang, Paul Dano, Aaron Eckhart
Creator(s)	Craig Silverstein
No. Of Episodes	16

Based on a short story by Ken Liu, author of The Dandelion Dynasty fantasy series, Pantheon is an animated series that is pure sci-fi conceptualism. Humanity has cracked the code for uploading human minds into computers, led by a company called Logorhythms. Maddie Kim, whose father died two years prior while working for Logorhythms, soon discovers that the person online who has been helping her process her grief is, in fact, her father's digital consciousness. As more people are uploaded — some willingly, others not — an arms race breaks out, as countries around the world try to control this new tech.

Backed by a stellar voice cast (including Batman villain alums Paul Dano and Aaron Eckhart), Pantheon is one of the most imaginative sci-fi shows on this list. It deals with heady futuristic concepts in deeply emotional ways, all while situating them in an overarching plot that's not dissimilar to a political thriller. There are only two seasons, as AMC canceled Pantheon in 2023 (which is why it's now on Netflix). However, there is no cliffhanger ending to get stuck on, and the current ending is pretty perfect as it is. That said, demand for a third season continues to grow as more people give it a shot, so don't count it out.

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (2 Seasons)

Absurdist Crime Solving

Cast	Samuel Barnett, Elijah Wood, Jade Eshete
Creator(s)	Max Landis
No. Of Episodes	18

If you're looking for weird sci-fi, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency has more than got you covered, and given that it's based on a Douglas Adams series, that's not surprising. It follows the titular Dirk (Samuel Barnett), a holistic detective who, instead of looking for evidence, searches for the universal connections between all things. He isn't exactly assigned to cases; he "finds them" by wandering in a direction that he claims the universe is telling him to. Tagging along are a pair of normal humans: Todd Brotzman (Elijah Wood), a bellhop, and Farah Black (Jade Eshete), a security officer, both of whom (eventually) recognize that, despite his eccentricities, Dirk may actually be onto something.

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Elijah Wood seems to have found a comfy niche as the awkward straightman in bizarro comedy series, and between Wilfred and Dirk Gently, he's proven that he's a master at it. Samuel Barnett's Dirk may be the main attraction, but you see the story largely through Todd's perspective, which makes it easy to buy into Dirk's insanity, because Todd does too. The first half of each season can feel like you're watching a fever dream, but rest assured that every case is tied up by each season's finale, and in impressively satisfying fashion at that. If you keep that in mind, it's easy to stay glued to this series until you've devoured it.

Archive 81 (1 Season)

Video Restoration And Cults

Cast	Mamoudou Athie, Dina Shihabi, Evan Jonigkeit
Creator(s)	Rebecca Sonnenshine
No. Of Episodes	8

If you prefer a little more horror with your sci-fi, Archive 81 is a great place to look. Dan (Mamoudou Athie) is hired to restore documentary footage filmed by a college student in 1994, but soon realizes that the recordings contain a mystery about a cult and the disappearance of the documentary's creator, Melody (Dina Shihabi). Dan begins to suspect that witchcraft may be involved.

Archive 81's sci-fi elements are a bit of a spoiler, but they are definitely there, and it's a hell of a reveal when they show up. It's got a very creepy vibe throughout, and solid pacing makes sure things never drag. While the show's single season tells a complete story, there is still lots of room left open for a sequel. However, despite performing well, Netflix canceled it in 2022. It may leave you longing for more, but Archive 81 is still one of the best horror series on Netflix right now, and it is severely underrated.

Sense8 (2 Seasons)

Eight People Connected Through Their Thoughts

Cast	Bae Doona, Jamie Clayton, Tina Desai
Creator(s)	Lilly Wachowski, Lana Wachowski, J. Michael Straczynski
No. Of Episodes	24

Sense8 is a funny show. It was a massive hit among its fanbase, to the point that it is one of the few successful fan campaigns to get a series brought back from cancellation. That said, others see it as a disaster. It's definitely an acquired taste, but if you turn out to be one of the people suited to it, it could become an all-time favorite.

The series follows eight people who become psychically connected, sharing their thoughts and talents with one another. However, they aren't the only "sensate" group in the world, and a secretive organization already exists that is hell-bent on hunting them down. 24 episodes might seem a bit steep for a single weekend, but Sense8 is pretty addictive once you get started. The only thing that might trip you up is the 2-hour finale.

Love Death + Robots (4 Seasons)

Action To Comedy To Experimental And Everything In Between

Cast	Fred Tatasciore, Nolan North, Emily O'Brien
Creator(s)	Tim Miller
No. Of Episodes	45

You're probably saying: "45 episodes in a weekend? Yeah, right." Here's the thing. Love Death + Robots isn't your average Netflix series. It's an anthology of short animated sci-fi stories, each written and directed by different people and animated in different styles. Some are even in live-action. The reason you can get through all this in a weekend is that the series' longest episode runs for just 18 minutes, and on average, episodes are anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes long.

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Obviously, with a breadth of content that vast, not everything will be a hit, but there are a lot of fascinating and memorable stories in LD+R. It's not even all about robots, either; there's sci-fi of all shapes and colors to take in. It's perfect for the all-consuming sci-fi fan who just loves the genre and isn't jonesing for something in particular, but it's the kind of show that all sci-fi fans should check out at some point. It's almost guaranteed that there will be episodes you love, and you may discover something new to love in the process.