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Everybody hates predictable shows that wrap viewers in a web of complex detours only to arrive at an underwhelming conclusion. But on today’s episode of what to watch next on Netflix, the only shows shortlisted are those notoriously famous for pulling the rug from under the audience.

While Netflix has produced and distributed plenty of shows over the years, renowned for their intricate plotting and shocking reversals, the ones on our queue today stand out as the most notable examples, frequently discussed for their unexpected twists and turns that leave mouths agape.

From cyclical curveballs and techno-paranoia shockers to supernatural twists and elaborate turns of events, Netflix shows have done it and seen it all.

But if you’re unsure about what your style is, here are five Netflix shows with the wildest plot twists to select from.

Five shows with the most unexpected curveballs

Behind Her Eyes (Erik Richter Strand, 2021)

Widely famous for one of the most jaw-dropping finales in recent TV memory, Behind Her Eyes is a hypnotic psychological thriller that kicks off on an incredibly strong note, only to make you question everything the more it progresses. The six-episode limited series, based on Sarah Pinborough’s 2017 novel, centres on Louise, a single mother working as a receptionist, who begins an affair with her married psychiatrist boss, David.

At the same time, Louise befriends his mysterious wife, Adele, who initially comes across as fragile and vulnerable. Sounds complex, right? But trust us when we say it’s only the tip of the iceberg of confusion awaiting you, because although it starts as a seemingly standard love triangle drama, it takes a sharp, supernatural, dark turn that completely recontextualises whatever you thought was happening to begin with.

Bodies (Marco Kreuzpaintner and Haolu Wang, 2023)

Easily one of the most-talked-about shows delivered by Netflix in the first half of the 2020s, Bodies is a genre-defying sci-fi mystery thriller based on Si Spencer’s 2014–15 DC Vertigo graphic novel. The eight-part limited series follows four different detectives from four different timelines, 1890, 1941, 2023, and 2053, who are inadvertently linked by the investigation of the same unidentified body in the same Longharvest Lane in London in their respective time periods.

Although that sounds head-turning in itself, as the detectives investigate, they join the dots to learn that the cases are actually linked across 150 years. While the show jumps back and forth in time, featuring four distinct time periods with their own detective leads, Bodies centres on these sleuths as they realise the importance of working together across time to uncover the massive conspiracy underlying that will surely make you pinch yourself.

Archive 81 (Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead, Haifaa al-Mansour, and Rebecca Thomas, 2022)

If you prefer the kind of horror that slowly but steadily creeps on you instead of acting as passing jump scares, Archive 81 is an excellent choice on Netflix. The psychological mystery story is based on a found-footage podcast that diverges between two timelines. The story follows a modern-day archivist, hired by a wealthy, mysterious businessman to restore severely burned 1994 videotapes, which require him to work in a secluded research facility with a lack of reliable communication.

While the premise might sound unsuspecting, what we need to warn you about before moving ahead is predictions, since they’re bound to fail at every step. What the archivist uncovers is not only the content of the tapes but also the maker, who documented the eccentric tenants of a quirky New York City apartment as part of her history project. But if you’re curious about how that happens or how it matters or if that’s even possible, Archive 81 will take you in for a twisty ride.

Dark (Baran bo Odar, 2017–2023)

Dark, the critically acclaimed sci-fi mystery thriller currently streaming on Netflix, was a pandemic favourite for a reason. It was proof that viewers were ready to invest in exciting storytelling, even if the story arcs over several seasons. The story commences with a child’s disappearance in the local caves in the gloomy town of Winden, prompting a frantic search that unexpectedly reopens old wounds townsfolk thought they had buried.

Decades ago, another child disappeared from the same place under similar mysterious circumstances, and now it seems like the ghosts of the past have returned to haunt them. What begins as a mystery surrounding a missing child quickly evolves into a mind-bending exploration of time travel, alternate dimensions, intergenerational conspiracy, long-held secrets, and family paradoxes, that will ensure you come around a second time to make sure you got it right the first time around.

Manifest (Romeo Tirone, Dean White, David Frankel, Michael Smith, Tawnia McKiernan, Craig Zisk, and Bosede Williams, 2018–2023)

Finally, to wrap up the Netflix marathon of crazy plot twists, we recommend Manifest, a highly underrated supernatural mystery drama that will inevitably leave you craving more. The gripping plot centres on the passengers and crew of a Montego Air Flight 282 travelling from Jamaica to New York City in 2013, who land safely after experiencing a brief turbulence midair, only to find that five and a half years have passed since they boarded the flight.

Having had no information about these individuals, they were presumed dead for so long. If you think that’s mind-boggling, well, Manifest is built on twists which will leave you looking over your shoulder at all times. The show primarily follows the passengers and crew who find ways to adjust to their new reality while experiencing a phenomenon called ‘Callings’, which they cannot and must not ignore.