Five Netflix projects that will open your eyes
With great power comes even greater responsibilities. But Netflix? It isn’t shy to take on any. While it has always been a streaming platform that has highly regarded entertainment at all times, it has also been an eye-opener in more ways than one.
Netflix has been the catalyst for every emotion, whether it’s scary or feel-good. But on today’s guest list of what to watch next, we have five Netflix projects that are practically eye-openers.
Netflix’s library is not short of titles that challenge outlooks and urge viewers to change their perception. Sometimes, they even make the audience reflect in ways they never thought of before. At times, they even serve as our teachers away from school.
That’s probably why when it comes to binge marathons, we don’t think twice before hitting Netflix’s homepage. It’s a subconscious reflex, and we are about to make the best of that opportunity.
Five Netflix projects that will open your eyes
The Social Dilemma (Jeff Orlowski, 2020)
One of the most prominent streaming offerings of recent times, which was worth the buzz following its Netflix release, is The Social Dilemma. In a digital age where consumerism has reached sky-high, there isn’t a person who is still a novice to the dangers of social media. But how exactly does social media impact its users? What is the conditioning of algorithms? How does it psychologically influence people? The Social Dilemma answers with a direct exposé.
The Netflix documentary clarifies that what you’re looking into is not the product. It is you who are. Filled with interviews from former players, engineers, and designers from Google, Facebook, and X, The Social Dilemma opens your eyes to make sure you know what happens to your data and how consciously social media manipulates users without an ounce of ethical responsibility. This Emmy-winning documentary is one of the most-talked-about Netflix projects of all time, and once you see it, you’ll understand why.
Black Mirror (Charlie Brooker, 2016-Present)
Black Mirror is an anthology series on Netflix that remains one of the most-watched shows of all time, thanks to its no-holds-barred approach. Each episode is a standalone story that spans multiple genres, examining the often-dystopian concepts related to science fiction and technology, which primarily act as cautionary tales in the ever-evolving world of modern-day social media and fast-forward innovations on screen.
But just because it comes with the label of “dystopian future,” don’t mistake it for ordinary fiction. It will make viewers introspect on just how close we are to the reality that threatens to upend their own existence. Black Mirror touches upon themes such as data, surveillance, the dark side of social media, social validation, and even cancel culture. The lack of social consciousness and the diminishing phase of real-life identities also form a huge crux of the show. The Netflix series is an eye-opener that will forever change the way you address your online presence.
Trainwreck Anthology (Netflix Productions, 2025)
Netflix users found their latest guilty pleasure this year when the streaming giant expanded with other Trainwreck documentaries following the success of Woodstock ’99. The anthology series explores various real-life occurrences that became fodder for the media, including the deadly stampede at Travis Scott’s Astroworld festival, the disastrous impact of a Facebook event gone wrong, the throwback fiasco of the Balloon Boy incident, and the Carnival Triumph cruise ship poop catastrophe, among others.
Each story explores a different kind of eye-opener that will leave you in jaw-drops. The disaster series has grown into a powerhouse franchise that has had viewers hooked to their screens this year. So, if you’re still out of the loop, you know what to watch next on Netflix.
Mindhunter (Joe Penhall, 2017-2019)
Based on John E Douglas’ and Mark Olshaker’s 1995 true-crime book, Netflix’s Mindhunter centres on FBI agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench, accompanied by psychologist Wendy Carr, and their research project of interviewing serial killers to understand the psyche of the criminals. The Netflix series is an eye-opener for various reasons, but most importantly, it does away with the idea of “whodunit,” questioning instead the motivations of the perpetrators.
Mindhunter doesn’t romanticise violence or the serial killers. It provides a historical and psychological context that educates viewers just how thin the line is between the world of good and bad, doubling down on the idea that nobody’s born a criminal; they are man-made.
Adolescence (Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne, 2025)
Not many fictional projects leave an impact as close to Adolescence. The Emmy-winning limited series offers an unflinching insight into contemporary youth with a spine-chilling murder case where the killer is 13-year-old Jamie Miller and the victim, his female classmate. Adolescence explores unsettling topics that have had profound tangible effects in the real world, especially with the onset of a digital age where cyberbullying and peer pressure have become a common occurrence.
The Netflix series takes a haunting approach to subtly critique the systems that fail to protect children by distinctly drawing a line on the limitations of the justice system. Once you watch Adolescence, you’ll see a different side of growing up in the digital age. And perhaps that’s an important look to begin with because they concern the leaders of tomorrow.