Animal Kingdomis a highly underrated crime drama now available on Netflix, and with six seasons, it offers plenty of thrilling episodes for people looking for something new.Animal Kingdomhas finally come to Netflix in the summer of 2025, andthere’s never been a better time to catch the gritty drama.
Based on the movie of the same namethat came out in 2010, the TNTAnimal Kingdomsix-season seriesmoves the setting from Melbourne, Australia, to Oceanside, California, but expands the lore of the series. It’s a show that’s gone by unremarked but is well worth watching all the way through.
Don’t Sleep On Animal Kingdom Now That It Is On Netflix
All Six Seasons Are Available To Stream
Animal Kingdomis not a TV show that’s gotten a lot of press. The series doesn’t even have a critics' score onRotten Tomatoes, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth tuning into. The series tracks the doings of the Codys, a criminal family enterprise headed by the matriarch, Janine “Smurf” Cody (Ellen Barkin).
We see the family through the eyes of Joshua “J” Cody (Finn Cole), Smurf’s grandson, who starts the series new to the criminal aspects of the family after his mother dies.J comes to find that he has a knack for crime, and learns more about his estranged uncles and other family members in the process.
With only 13 episodes in each season (and 10 in the first season),Animal Kingdomdoes not require as much of a time commitment as you would guess for a series with six seasons. It’s intelligent, intriguing, and dark, with the family drama as important as the heists and kills, of which there are many.
What Makes Animal Kingdom Different From Other Crime Dramas
Animal Kingdomhas a different feel from other crime shows. That Oceanside, California setting meansthe series has the same bright and cheery atmosphere that the movie also had. This makes for an interesting juxtaposition between the scenic world of the Codys and the harsh lives they choose to live.
It’s also a rare thing to have a female character not just be one of the co-stars, but be a more ferocious gang leader than anyone else.Ellen Barkin is doing some of her best work, and there are so few characters like her that it’s hard to come up with a comp for the intelligent, charming, and vicious mother.
Finally,Animal Kingdomlets the audience slowly get to know the Codys with J, the audience surrogate. He is mostly new to this world, as are we, and it’s a helpful and satisfying way for you to gain a foothold into what the show’s about. Don’t let the lack of recognition scare you;Animal Kingdomis worth your time.
