As Netflix has become the world's most popular streaming platform, it has produced impressive crime thriller series over the last 10-15 years. Among the first major crime series that come to mind is the epic drug thriller Narcos, starring Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian) and Wagner Moura (Civil War). The series aired for three seasons between 2015 and 2017, and a year after its conclusion, Netflix released the first season of the Narcos: Mexico spin-off starring Scoot McNairy. Netflix kicked off 2026 with The Rip, a fantastic crime thriller featuring Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, which held the title of the platform's most-watched film until War Machine (Alan Ritchson) was released.

However, long before The Rip, Netflix premiered the first season of Ozark (Jason Bateman), which many consider one of Netflix's best offerings to date. The crime thriller began airing in 2017 and quickly gained success, but Ozark's ascent to stratospheric heights had to wait until the arrival of Season 2. Season 3 premiered at the end of March 2020, just a few weeks after the world was first shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While it took a few seasons for Ozark to get going, the third and fourth seasons are among the best seasons of any series ever made.

Although it has been over four years since a new episode of Ozark was released, the series remains one of Netflix's most popular binge-worthy shows. Written by writers and producers Bill Dubuque and Mark Williams and adapted for television, the official synopsis of Ozark is as follows: "Ozark follows Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman), a financial advisor who relocates from Chicago to the Missouri Ozarks, as he navigates a complex series of events while secretly laundering money for a Mexican drug cartel. To appease the cartel and save his family, Marty must set up a larger money-laundering operation in the Ozark Lake area, involving local criminals and the Kansas City mafia in the process."