Netflix’s 3-Part Psychological Thriller Series Has One Of Its Best Casts Ever

This 11-year-old Netflix series still holds up nowadays for having one of the greatest ensemble casts on the streaming platform. Even though it was one of Netflix’s first-ever original series released back in 2015, this 3-season psychological thriller/family drama has a very good case for having the best Netflix ensemble cast of all time.

While massive Netflix shows like Stranger Things gave rise to an outstanding ensemble cast of previously lesser-known actors, this series put together some of the best working actors in the business who have only gotten better and better over the past decade. What’s even more impressive is that most of these actors all appeared in the first season together, which is why it has my vote as the best Netflix cast ever assembled.

Netflix’s Bloodline Has An Incredibly Stacked Ensemble Cast

Bloodline has one of the most stacked casts out of any Netflix original series. It includes Kyle Chandler, Ben Mendelsohn, Linda Cardellini, Sam Shepard, Sissy Spacek, Jamie McShane, Owen Teague, Chloë Sevigny, John Leguizamo, David Zayas, Beau Bridges​​​​​, and more. Chandler and Mendelsohn lead the cast as the Cain and Abel-type brothers, John and Danny Rayburn. Cardellini plays their sister, Meg, Spacek plays their mother, Sally, and Shepard plays the family patriarch, Robert, in his final TV performance.

Bloodline often gets swept under the rug due to its less celebrated second and third seasons after its Emmy-winning first season. It does, however, feature a career-best performance by Mendelsohn, who earned three Emmy nominations and one win for his role as the wayward black sheep of the seemingly perfect Rayburn family. Set in the Florida Keys, Bloodline possesses an exceptional “trouble in paradise” contrast that is only enhanced due to its formidable, talented, and perfectly cast ensemble.

Bloodline’s ensemble goes even deeper than those already named – Norbert Leo Butz is a standout as the other Rayburn brother, Kevin, while Enrique Murciano shines as Marco Diaz, a detective and Meg’s romantic interest. Jacinda Barrett and Katie Finneran both play women married into the dysfunctional Rayburn family, and Landman star James Jordan even appears in a late Bloodline episode.

A deeply character-driven show like Bloodline is almost completely dependent on its casting choices, which is why the series still remains compelling even though critics would attest that the quality of the writing dropped severely after season 1. What Bloodline achieves so effectively is a distinct tone and feel that becomes contagious. Even though the characters are messy, flawed, and prone to making enormous mistakes, the tropical backdrop still sets the tone that everything can turn out fine, concealing a true sense of doom and despair.

Bloodline’s Outstanding Actors Make It Worth Watching Today

If you love complex and contentious family dramas like Succession or even Shameless, Bloodline is still worth watching nowadays, mainly because of its outstanding performances. It’s one of those shows that you end up wanting to follow the characters anywhere, which is a telltale sign of effective casting choices. While it can become soapy at times, Bloodline balances its degrees of violence and melodrama, utilizing the past through various flashbacks and eventually a haunting spirit, to tell its engaging story.

Chandler, who earned two Emmy nominations for his role as the Rayburn golden boy, is perhaps the main draw out of the incredible ensemble, as he takes up a majority of the screen time. The main dilemma and conflict are entirely his character, John’s, as he becomes the last line of defense in trying to maintain his prominent family’s public image, covering up a history of dark secrets.

Bloodline has a similar feel to last year’s new series, The Waterfront, which failed to pick up a second season, but created a memorable landscape. Netflix viewers who want to make the most of their subscriptions should absolutely check out Bloodline, if not for its thrilling first season and tropical vibes, then for its remarkable ensemble cast.