15 Best Netflix Originals Of 2020 So Far - Ranked

Netflix originals have been coming hard and fast for the last few years, with the first half of 2020 being no exception. However, in the current climate, entertaining and bingeable TV is something that is necessary like never before. Thanks to the streaming king, viewers rarely have to wait longer than a few moments before they can catch the next episodes.

Between docu-series, movies and TV shows, Netflix has been packing them out this year. Some of the topics are more current, though none on this list deal with the virus. With the news and all media dominated by stories of COVID-19, Netflix is very thankfully offering a distraction.

Some of the documentaries are extremely difficult to watch, owing to their subject matter. However, that does not mean that they are not compelling television. Some are downright crazy, while yet more are sweet and wholesome.

Netflix may have something of a mixed bag when it comes to their range of quality, though with the entrants on this list, it is clear that when they do deliver, they can deliver in spades. It has also been a wonderful way to showcase new or up and coming talents, particularly in the cases of Sophia Lillis, Shira Haas and Ncuti Gatwa.

Sit back, grab the popcorn and get ready to binge: here are the best that Netflix has to offer so far this year.

Lost Girls had been in production since 2016, going through several rewrites and variations along the one. At one point, Sarah Paulson was set to star as Mari Gilbert, before Amy Ryan was finally cast in the role.

The film tells the story of the true life case of the Long Island Serial Killer, told from the perspective of Gilbert, who's daughter Shannon was believed to be a victim. However, her's was a death ruled 'death by misadventure'.

Gilbert's story is another tough one to watch, with the subject matter being a heavy topic. Ryan is fantastic as the grieving yet determined mother, searching for answers. Gabriel Byrne co-stars as the police commissioner.

The film is a stark depiction of the ongoing search for the killer. To date, the Long Island Serial Killer has not been caught. Gilbert's story was one of the inciting reasons that led to the discovery of many of his crimes.

The pacing and execution of the film isn't perfect and may well have been better suited to a mini-series format, yet both the acting and writing on show make up for this. The main theme - that of the trouble Mari went through to make her daughter matter - is a brutal lesson to learn, even as there is no happy ending on show here.