It’s been hailed by man viewers as the most binge-worthy show on the streaming platform, with fans repeatedly recommending the original Netflix series.
The coming-of-age period drama is based on a popular novel (Image: Phil Bray/Netflix)
A Netflix series has managed to seize everybody’s attention, with vast numbers of viewers putting it forward as the ultimate recommendation for ‘binge-worthy shows to watch’ on the streaming platform.
Many people have taken to Reddit to champion a particular Netflix series, with the show having successfully captivated audiences across the globe.
Across several viral Reddit threads, one show consistently emerges as the common denominator, with countless individuals listing it as a ‘must-see’ suggestion. That series is none other than The Queen’s Gambit.
Starring Anya Taylor-Joy in the lead role, the series landed on Netflix during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, propelling Anya to stardom and transforming her into a household name.
The coming-of-age period drama — based on Walter Tevis’ 1983 novel of the same name — soared to extraordinary prominence during the devastating pandemic, offering an absorbing and compelling escape for viewers the world over, reports Wales Online.
The binge-worthy limited series is available to stream on Netflix (Image: Ken Woroner/Netflix)
Since its launch on October 23, 2020, the Netflix original series has continued to accumulate ever-growing affection and admiration from audiences with each passing year.
So much so, that countless recommendations on viral Reddit threads persistently cite it as the most binge-worthy series available. As someone who devoured the series herself the moment it was released, I can wholeheartedly vouch for the merit of that recommendation.
In the Netflix subreddit, one hugely popular post with 1.9k comments asks: “The most binge worthy Netflix show or movie you’ve ever watched. You ever start a show or movie on Netflix thinking you’ll just watch one episode, then suddenly it’s 3am and you’ve watched the whole thing? Just curious what people’s recommendations are for ones that really had you hooked.”
One of the highest-rated comments simply reads “Queen’s Gambit” and the suggestion itself garnered 466 upvotes. Fellow Redditors appeared to wholeheartedly agree with the recommendation, as one wrote: “Watched in one night, rewinded after every microsleep. The book was also a great experience.”
It’s the top recommendation by numerous people (Image: Netflix)
Another user described it as ‘one of the best shows I’ve seen’, while a further Redditor said: “Me too! I’ve watched it three times so far!”.
The Queen’s Gambit takes its name from a chess opening, and follows the remarkable life and meteoric rise of fictional American chess prodigy Beth Harmon, portrayed by Taylor-Joy. It traces Beth’s journey as the ascending star of chess throughout the 1950s and 60s, all while she privately struggles with a drug and alcohol addiction.
The Queen’s Gambit was written and directed by Scott Frank, who co-created the series with Allan Scott, who owns the rights to Tevis’ book. From the outset, The Queen’s Gambit started receiving widespread praise, and in a groundbreaking achievement, the Netflix original series became the first streaming production ever to win a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series.
The Queen’s Gambit secured an impressive haul of 11 Primetime Emmys, alongside two Golden Globe Awards for Best Limited Series or Television Film and Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film for Taylor-Joy. She additionally claimed the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie that same awards season.
One Reddit user commented on the same thread: “I slept not a moment that night. A perfect show.” While another added: “Yep that was absolutely binge material!”.
A further user reinforced the show’s highly binge-worthy nature: “Damn, this is the only series here I have actually watched! And it was excellent, watched it all in 1-2 days, as I recall.”
Audiences are completely captivated with the original series (Image: Netflix)
In another viral Reddit discussion, one user posed the question: “What’s that one Netflix show you think is an absolute must-watch? The kind where you’d say, “I can’t believe you haven’t seen this yet. ” Looking for something great to start next, classics or hidden gems both welcome.”
Unsurprisingly, recommendations championing The Queen’s Gambit dominated the comments section once more, with one Reddit user noting: “Great show, one of those ‘I watched it because everyone said it was great’ and it really was!” Another viewer commented: “I watched it with two other friends and all of us have completely different TV viewing preferences. We all loved Queen’s Gambit!”.
While one fan of the series described it as ‘probably the best that I watched in the past decade’, a fellow Reddit user remarked, “I’d heard it was great but otherwise didn’t know what it was, my roomie put it on one day and I was hooked. Really well done.”
One Reddit user added: “If you only want one [recommendation], Queen’s Gambit.”
Taylor-Joy is joined by Bill Camp, Moses Ingram, Christiane Seidel, Rebecca Root, Chloe Pirrie, Akemnji Ndifornyen and Marielle Heller alongside a larger ensemble cast, all of whom have garnered widespread acclaim from both critics and audiences in equal measure.
The Queen’s Gambit is available to stream on Netflix.