20 Underrated Sci-Fi Shows to Stream on Netflix in December 2023

While hyped-up series and fan-favorites often hog the spotlight, there's a galaxy of underrated sci-fi shows lurking in the shadows, waiting to be discovered. Here are just some of those series, deserving a second look:

1. "The One" (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 41%

Imagine a world just around the corner where you can pinpoint your soulmate with a simple DNA test – and then a dating app that helps you to do just that. Set in a not-so-distant tomorrow, the series paints an intriguing narrative of how your perfect soulmate could be discovered through a mere DNA test, instigating profound questions about love norms and the essence of human identity.

2. "Kiss Me First" (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 50%

A lonely young woman finds solace and escape in a virtual reality game, where she meets a group of friends that soon leads her into a world of dark secrets and dangers, both virtual and real.

3. "In From the Cold" (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 71%

An American single mother's life is turned upside down when the CIA forces her to confront her long-buried past as a Russian spy with extraordinary abilities, leading her into a dangerous game of espionage.

4. "Glitch" (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 80%

This series revolves around a young woman with the ability to see supernatural beings who teams up with a community officer to solve the mysterious disappearance of her boyfriend.

5. "Away" (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 59%

An American astronaut struggles with leaving her husband and daughter behind to command an international space crew embarking on a treacherous, year-long mission to Mars.

6. "The Barrier" (2020)

In a dystopian future where a totalitarian regime rules Spain, a family fights to reunite and regain freedom while uncovering government conspiracies and the truth behind "The Barrier."

7. "Black Knight" (2023)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 67%

Set in a post-apocalyptic world where the sun has become toxic, the series follows a man's survival journey and quest to find a mythical safe haven known as the "Black Zone."

8. "Rugal" (2020)

A police officer seeking revenge for his wife's death is recruited by an organization that equips him with artificial eyes and superhuman abilities, pitting him against a powerful criminal organization.

9. "Osmosis" (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%

In near-future Paris, a new dating app called Osmosis can decode true love, digging deep into its users' brain data, but the technology's implications on society and the nature of love are far-reaching and unpredictable.

10. "Memories of the Alhambra" (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes Audience score: 82%

A company CEO travels to Spain in search of the creator of a groundbreaking AR game, but finds himself entangled in a mysterious incident involving the game's special features.

11. "Alice in Borderland" (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 84%

A young man and his friends find themselves in an abandoned Tokyo where they must compete in dangerous games to survive, uncovering a complex web of challenges and conspiracies.

12. "Omniscient" (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes Audience score: 80%

In a future where each citizen is constantly monitored by a personal drone, a young woman discovers a murder unseen by the surveillance system and uncovers deeper secrets behind the technology.

13. "The Imperfects" (2022)

Rotten Tomatoes Audience score: 67%

After undergoing an experimental gene therapy, three young adults develop monstrous side effects and band together to hunt down the scientist responsible and find a cure.

14. "Zero" (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes Audience score: 61%

An Italian series about a shy African-Italian teen who discovers he has the power to become invisible and uses it to defend his neighborhood from gentrification and to pursue his art and love.

15. "Oats Studios" (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes Audience score: 45%

A collection of experimental short films from director Neill Blomkamp, exploring various sci-fi and dystopian themes with a focus on unique concepts and visual effects.

16. "The I-Land" (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 8%

Ten people wake up on a treacherous island with no memory of who they are or how they got there, and they set off on a trek to try to get back home, only to discover the world is not as it seems.

17. "Katla" (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%

One year after the violent eruption of a subglacial volcano in Iceland, the residents of the nearby town experience mysterious incidents and encounters, revealing secrets long buried under the ice.

18. "Better Than Us" (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%

Set in the near future, a family on the brink of splitting up becomes the owners of a cutting-edge robot being sought by corporations, homicide investigators, and terrorists.

19. "Another Life" (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 6%

An astronaut and her young crew face unimaginable danger as they go on a high-risk mission to explore the genesis of an alien artifact that appeared on Earth.

20. "Alien Worlds" (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%

A docu-series that blends science fact and fiction to imagine what life could be like on other planets, using CGI to visualize the possibilities of life beyond our world.