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Sherman Desrosiers
You can put the secret Netflix menu to work to get full control over what kind of content you devour. It's all dependent on a code-based system. Different numeric codes on the service let you browse and select from thousands of niche genres and subcategories, whether you're into horror or rom-coms.
Typically, you're constrained to the genres available to you via the main Netflix menu. There's no way to choose by specific category other than what's been chosen for you when you log on. Using these codes opens up an entire library of options for you to choose from that can help you better settle on what to watch for the night. It can even help you discover new shows and movies you've never heard of.
Adding these codes to the ends of Netflix URLs lets you directly access collections of movies and TV shows that fall under your chosen category. For example, if you're short on time and want to queue up a shorter movie, you could check the 90-Minute Movies category with the code 81466194. Looking for something for your entire brood to enjoy? The "Family Movie Night" collection, accessed with code 2013975, is chock-full of favorites even Grandma can get into.
There are well over 36,000 codes to choose from, so don't worry about memorizing them or trying random sequences. Resources like Netflix-Codes.com have an entire directory to sift through, so you can search for what you'd like to watch there and find corresponding codes in no time.
Netflix-Codes.com has a comprehensive list of the streaming platform's hidden genre categories and subcategories. In total, there are around 20 top-level categories covering genres like animation, foreign films and classic movies. Within those main genres are many more hyper-specific subgenres denoted by numeric codes.
The entirety of the categories available on Netflix starts with broad main genres like Action, Comedy and Drama, but they get more specific as you dive even deeper. There are straight-to-the-point collections like Movies Directed by Women (code 2974953), or more specifically targeted curated lists, like Supernatural Soaps (code 81238162), just in case you like your werewolves with a side of angst and romance.
Are you a huge Swiftie? Is there another celebrity you want to learn more about? The Pop Culture Icons category (code 81278963) includes picks like the Taylor Swift-centric documentary Miss Americana or the Whitney Houston biopic I Wanna Dance with Somebody.
Maybe you've been told time and time again that you should really get into Korean TV and don't know where to start. Hit up the K-Dramas for Beginners menu (code 2953105) for a selection of hit K-Drama series like Squid Game and Boys Over Flowers.
Rather than relying solely on the standard homepage categories or Netflix's algorithm, you can use these secret codes to pinpoint and explore different nooks and crannies of the catalog to find hidden gems.
If you're not comfortable with editing Netflix URLs, you can use a browser extension to access the secret menus. The Better Browse for Netflix extension for Chrome is a great choice. Here's how to use it:
If the extension is installed, you'll see a Browse All option at the top of your Netflix home screen next to My List. Click it to scroll through the subgenres or to search through specific categories.
Alternatively, you can use the FindFlix: Netflix Secret Category Finder browser extension for Chrome or Firefox. This add-on will create a drop-down menu complete with Netflix categories for your browser that you can scroll through by clicking on the FF icon that will appear on the top right of your screen. There's no need to scroll Netflix natively with this add-on, and it features 7,500 categories alphabetized for your convenience.
4. If you're on a device that has the Netflix app installed, the app should open and take you directly to the genre or subgenre you chose. If you don't have the app installed, it'll open Netflix through the browser and you can view the specific movies and shows available.
This list is weighted toward the best shows to watch on Netflix right now, which means recently released Netflix Originals take priority, though you'll find legacy Netflix shows further down the list. These are only the most relevant and worthwhile shows to watch on Netflix.
This South Korean sci-fi horror TV series from Train to Busan director Yeon Sang-ho is a live-action spin-off of the manga by Hitoshi Iwaaki, and depicts all the awful things that happen when parasitic organisms from outer space come to Earth and turn humans into killing machines. What's more, all sorts of disgusting tentacles and tendrils pop out of the host bodies' heads like jack-in-the-boxes. The story isn't too complicated, but the action sequences will keep you glued to the screen. -Tim Surette [Trailer]
What if the story of The Talented Mr. Ripley was depicted as it truly is: a chilling tale of a sociopath whose lust for deviancy leads to a murdering spree? Creator Steven Zaillian takes Patricia Highsmith's story and turns it into a polar opposite of the popular 1999 Matt Damon and Jude Law movie, filming everything in stark black and white and spending more time getting in the head of con man Thomas Ripley (played exquisitely by Andrew Scott) while he heads to Italy to convince a wealthy layabout to return home to America at the request of the father. Ripley has divided viewers, with some saying Scott is too old and the pacing is too slow, but I loved the tension and the careful character examination. -Tim Surette [Trailer]
Netflix's biggest new series in a long time is this adaptation of Cixin Liu's epic sci-fi novel from Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss and True Blood's Alexander Woo. Set across multiple timelines and in different countries, 3 Body Problem is a global thriller about scientists attempting to thwart an impending alien invasion. Unlike its peers in the genre, 3 Body Problem is heavily rooted in science, and the invasion will take 400 years to arrive, so it plays with theoretical solutions rather than building a big gun. Though its heady approach is not for everyone, you should at least watch through Episode 5 to see what happens to a boat carrying pro-alien cultists. It's rad. -Tim Surette [Trailer] [Review]
Warrior is a breakthrough in Asian representation on the screen, but that's just a bonus of this action drama that's reaching a new audience on Netflix after a quiet life on Cinemax and Max. Based on the writings of Bruce Lee and brought to the screen by his daughter Shannon, Warrior's depiction of the Tong Wars in San Francisco in the late 1800s is appropriately gruesome and takes more turns than Lombard Street, showing a time, place, and people that television somehow always overlooks. It's Peaky Blinders with an added layer of racial issues. It's Gangs of New York with more flying kicks. But it's also wholly original as a story of immigrants making their way in a country that only barely tolerated them and fighting back against that hatred. -Tim Surette [Trailer]
True love doesn't happen overnight, despite what romantic dramas would lead you to believe, and in this adaptation of David Nicholls' book, it takes decades. Leo Woodall and Ambika Mod will make you believe in love at 1000th sight, as we follow Dexter (Woodall) and Emma (Mod) on one day each year from the late '80s to the '00s, with all the ups and downs in between. The 14-episode limited series may seem intimidating at first, but the abbreviated run times (about 30 minutes each episode) make this a breezy binge. -Tim Surette [Trailer]
This heartwarming series is an American edition of the Australian reality documentary series following the dating lives of people on the autism spectrum. Like the original, the U.S. version is empathetic and deeply moving as it follows these lovable young people on their journeys to find love. It won the Emmy for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program in 2022. In Season 2, the show catches up with many of your favorites from Season 1 as they continue to look for love or take the next step in their new relationships. -Liam Mathews [Trailer]
Australian author Trent Dalton's debut book Boy Swallows Universe gets adapted for Netflix in this seven-episode limited series that's for anyone looking for a coming-of-age story with a dash of crime and a warm heart. It follows Eli Bell, a young teenager whose mom is a former drug addict, stepdad is a heroin dealer, brother is mute, and father is in prison, as he stumbles into a life of crime to help out his family. Despite that setup, it's a warm family drama with plenty of humor to keep it humming. Look out for strong performances from Travis Fimmel and Phoebe Tonkin, as well as a star-making turn for young Felix Cameron. -Tim Surette [Trailer]
The biggest headline surrounding Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, the upcoming anime adaptation of Bryan Lee O'Malley's graphic novels, is that the entire cast from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Edgar Wright's 2010 cult favorite film, reassembled to reprise their roles. Everyone from Michael Cera as the titular lovelorn slacker to Chris Evans as pompous "pretty good actor" Lucas Lee is back for the series, which O'Malley and co-creator BenDavid Grabinski promised is neither a direct adaptation of the movie or the books, but its own thing entirely. -Allison Picurro [Trailer]
Netflix might not care if you watch this gorgeous, thought-provoking anime, but we do. This adaptation of Naoki Urasawa's acclaimed manga spins off from the ultra-popular Astro Boy franchise, following a series of murders of specific robots around the world. The deaths aren't random; the targeted robots possess a certain amount of power, and Urasawa tells the story as a slow-burning murder mystery taken on by a detective who just so happens to be a robot. As the robots fall victim episode by episode, their stories are told, asking questions of artificial intelligence, robot rights, sentience, and, naturally, what it means to be human. What makes the series more than the sum of its parts is the emotional bombs its drops. There are moments of robo-sadness that will stick with you for a long time. -Tim Surette [Trailer]
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