Always one of the best shows to binge-watch on Netflix in any given week, this groundbreaking series combines conspiracy elements and political intrigue, as well as crime, mystery, and thriller. Its star, Richard Madden, who may be best known for his iconic role in HBO’s Game of Thrones, delivers one of his all-time great performances in this Netflix series, making it a must-binge for all subscribers and crime thriller fans.
Bodyguard Is Still One Of The Best Crime Thrillers On Netflix
Some 8 years later, Bodyguard remains one of the best crime thriller series on Netflix, and with good reason. The series earned a 93% Rotten Tomatoes score and 2 Emmy nominations in 2019 for Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. Somewhat remarkably, despite the buzz and acclaim, Bodyguard season 2 never came to fruition, which in retrospect seems like a no-brainer for Netflix.
Bodyguard walked so that series like The Night Agent, one of Netflix’s most-watched thriller series of all time, could run. The story follows Madden’s protagonist, David Budd, a war veteran who becomes a police sergeant in the Royalty and Specialist Protection branch. Set in present-day London, David is assigned to protect the home secretary, Julia Montague, who is considered to be a controversial and ambitious politician.
What emerges throughout Bodyguard’s six episodes is an action-packed conspiracy involving a powerful political conflict and a severe terrorist threat. Tossed into the center of it all, David must fulfill his duty to the home secretary and his country while also trying to hold onto his beliefs. Completely enthralling from start to finish, Bodyguard will keep viewers on the edge of their seats and still holds up in 2026 as one of Netflix’s very best thrillers.
Bodyguard’s Success Paved The Way For Other Netflix Greats
During the 2010s, one of Netflix’s biggest aims was to legitimize itself as a home for prestige TV content, which it was able to achieve thanks to successful original series such as House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, and The Crown. As the decade came to an end, and the COVID-19 pandemic made producing new series next to impossible, Netflix altered its approach from focusing primarily on multi-season epics to making shorter miniseries that could be binged from start to finish in just a few sittings.
The Queen’s Gambit, for example, became an enormous streaming hit during the pandemic and the winner of 11 Emmys, which paved the way for more outstanding limited series such as Baby Reindeer and Adolescence. While Netflix still has plenty of major franchises, it has shifted its production emphasis to prioritize shorter-form content, which it has been dominant in during the 2020s.
That said, 2018’s Bodyguard was among the first Netflix original miniseries to be nominated for an Emmy, even though it was curiously considered a drama series back then. Still, along with 2017’s Godless, it became one of Netflix’s first limited series to receive such critical acclaim and change how the streamer produced content moving forward.
Years later, Bodyguard deserves all of its accolades and should be considered among the very best Netflix original thriller series and limited series. Between its sharply written script, its well-crafted tension, and a phenomenal performance by Madden, it’s truly one of the few Netflix original series that is worth watching for all subscribers. Plus, it’s the perfect length for a short weekend binge on Netflix.