Netflix’s new hit series is currently contending to be ranked among the best of the streamer’s original family crime drama shows, such asOzarkandBloodlinebefore it.Bloodlinewas one of Netflix’s first-ever original TV drama series, releasing season 1 back in 2015, following only the premieres ofHouse of Cards,Orange Is the New Black, andMarco Polo.Ozark, which debuted in 2017, was far from the first Netflix drama series but continues to be considered one of its all-time greats, rivaling the streaming platform’s other celebrated early crime shows likeNarcosandMindhunter.
SinceOzarkended after four seasons in 2022 and won 4 Emmys, Netflix hasn’t quite found a modern signature crime drama series replacement.Ozarkwas a bit of a replacement forBloodline, which, after a remarkable first season starring Kyle Chandler, Ben Mendelsohn, Sissy Spacek, Linda Cardellini, and Sam Shepard, struggled to maintain its critical acclaim.Bloodlineended in 2017 after a disappointing third season, but managed to earn Mendelsohn a Supporting Actor Emmy for his role in season 2. Netflix’sMonstersseason 1, a crime drama about serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, became a massive streaming hit in 2022, but it missed the familial element at the heart ofOzarkandBloodline.
The Waterfront Feels Like A Combination Of Ozark & Bloodline
It Has Crime Elements Like Ozark In An Oceanside Paradise Like Bloodline
Netflix’s new crime drama seriesThe Waterfronthas become a streaming hitsince premiering on Thursday, June 10, 2025.The Waterfront, featuring an ensemble cast led by Holt McCallany, Jake Weary, Melissa Benoist, Maria Bello, Rafael L. Silva, Humberly González, and Topher Grace, feels like a combination ofBloodlineandOzark. The series shares similar themes ofprivilegedfamily drama with an underlying crime element set in an idyllic coastal/lakefront setting. While there are clear differences in tone and direction between all three series, fans ofBloodlineandOzarkshould find something to like aboutThe Waterfront.
The Waterfronthas maintained its status as the most popular English-language TV show on Netflix since its debut. It has currently amassed 8.3 million views in its first week while earning aRotten Tomatoes critic score of 70%, the same exact RT score thatOzarkseason 1 earned.
Ozarkfans may be quick to defend the beloved Jason Bateman series, which grew to become one of Netflix’s greatest shows of all time. It should be considered thatThe Waterfront’sjourney has only just begun.
Bloodlineseason 1 debuted with a higher score of 81% on RTbefore nosediving to a score of 53% with seasons 2 and 3.Ozarkfans may be quick to defend the beloved Jason Bateman series, which grew to become one of Netflix’s greatest shows of all time. It should be considered thatThe Waterfront’sjourney has only just begun, andseries creator Kevin Williamson already has two more seasons planned out.
How The Waterfront Compares To Ozark & Bloodline
It’s Not Quite As Captivating But Still Has Plenty Of Room To Grow
In fairness,The Waterfronthas a long way to go to truly stack up against the brilliance ofOzarkandBloodlineseason 1. In terms of cast and story,The Waterfrontranks lowest out of all three and will need to improve in both story and character developmentin a potential second season and beyond.Ozarkwas able to improve in its second and third seasons, soThe Waterfrontshould still be given the benefit of the doubt.
In myreview ofThe Waterfront, I describedthe new Netflix series as a watered-down version of Ozark in its current form. There are plenty of soapy elements between characters inThe Waterfront, which mark a clear tonal difference between the more tenseOzarkandBloodline, but appease fans of other Netflix series such asRansom Canyon.
That said,The Waterfrontalso includes unexpectedly gory instances of violence and death, which makes sense once you realize thatWilliamson is the mind behind 1990s slasherslike the originalScreamandI Know What You Did Last Summermovies.The Waterfrontstill needs to find its footing, but it genuinely has the potential to improve into Netflix’s trueOzarkreplacement if it returns for a second season.
