Best of 2025: Top 10 Netflix web series; Adolescence, The Bads of Bollywood, Black Warrant, Delhi Crime and more

Netflix released several web series in 2025. Here are our picks for the top 10 OTT shows this year.

Adolescence

This four-part British crime drama on Netflix was shot entirely in real time, featuring continuous one-take scenes. The series earned 8 Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Limited Series. Its young lead, Owen Cooper, became the youngest male actor ever to win an Emmy.

Cast: Owen Cooper, Stephen Graham, Christine Tremarco

Story: The web series follows the arrest of 13-year-old Jamie Miller for killing his classmate, Katie. Instead of asking who did it, the show asks why. It explores toxic online influence, parental guilt and psychological struggles. It also highlights how social media and inadequate school systems can harm young boys.

Man vs Baby

Rowan Atkinson returns after the 2022 series Man vs Bee. The web series, with 14 million weekly views, reached No. 1 on Netflix's English TV charts in mid-December.

Cast: Rowan Atkinson, Alanah Bloor, Claudie Blakley

Story: Trevor takes a house-sitting job to fund his daughter’s education. But, he ends up caring for a baby left behind at school. His days spiral into chaos as nappy changes wreck the penthouse. Security traps him outside while the child is inside.

Single Papa

Single Papa is a comedy-drama about a man who suddenly becomes a father. The six-episode show, directed by Shashank Khaitan, quickly became a top Netflix India hit.

Cast: Kunal Kemmu, Prajakta Koli, Manoj Pahwa

Story: Gaurav Gehlot is a 30-year-old man-child. His life flips after he finds an abandoned baby in his car. The series uses comedy to question old ideas about gender.

Black Warrant

It is a seven-episode crime drama, based on a true-crime book, Black Warrant: Confessions of a Tihar Jailer, by Sunil Gupta and Sunetra Choudhury. It won major Filmfare OTT Awards this year, including Best Series.

Cast: Zahan Kapoor, Rahul Bhat, Sidhant Gupta

Story: During the early 80s in Tihar Jail, Sunil Gupta learns how power twists justice. He sees corruption everywhere and watches famous cases unfold.

Wednesday (Season 2)

Wednesday Season 2 was one of Netflix’s biggest shows in 2025. The eight-episode season came out in two parts, with Part 1 on August 6 and Part 2 on September 3. It became No. 1 in over 80 countries.

Cast: Jenna Ortega, Emma Myers, Steve Buscemi

Story: Season 2 shifts to Ireland with a sharper horror tone. Wednesday fights a vision of Enid’s death and hunts the Kansas City Scalper.

Stranger Things (Season 5)

This was the global finale for Netflix's flagship sci-fi horror series. The final season was released in three parts. Volume 1 became Netflix’s biggest-ever English-language premiere, with 59.6 million views in its first five days.

Cast: Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Jamie Campbell Bower

Story: The group makes a final attempt to stop Vecna. Hawkins stays locked under military watch. The government looks for Eleven. Will senses a psychic link that pulls him toward the Upside Down’s secret.

Zero Day

The six-episode political thriller miniseries is Robert De Niro’s OTT debut.

Cast: Robert De Niro, Angela Bassett, Jesse Plemons

Story: A cyberattack kills thousands and freezes the United States. President Mitchell creates the Zero Day Commission and hands former president George Mullen unusual power. Mullen uncovers deep political games while still battling trauma from his son’s death.

The Bads of Bollywood

This marks the directorial debut of Shah Rukh Khan’s son, Aryan Khan. The web series was No. 1 on Netflix India.

Cast: Lakshya, Bobby Deol, Raghav Juyal

Story: Aasmaan Singh rises as a new Bollywood star yet quickly faces industry politics. His romance with Karishma creates trouble when her father, Ajay, opposes it.

Delhi Crime (Season 3)

The highly-acclaimed show returned this year. This time, it focused on interstate human trafficking networks.

Cast: Shefali Shah, Huma Qureshi, Rasika Dugal

Story: The season draws from the real Baby Falak case. A battered toddler at AIIMS leads Vartika’s team into a nationwide trafficking network across Assam, Haryana, Mumbai and Gujarat.

When Life Gives You Tangerines

This 16-episode South Korean slice-of-life drama spans six decades. It won Best Drama and Best Screenplay at the 61st Baeksang Arts Awards. Time magazine named it the "Best K-Drama of 2025".

Cast: Lee Ji-eun, Park Bo-gum, Park Hae-joon

Story: The drama seamlessly blends Jeju Island’s beauty with its unique haenyeo culture through a non-linear narrative. It follows Ae-sun, a determined girl denied schooling, and Gwan-sik, her quiet supporter. Their journey spans war, poverty, disasters and resilience.

The interest in ‘Netflix’ on Google India from 25 December to 27 December was massive: