Best Sci-Fi Series On Netflix With Female Leads

The sci-fi drama series Away stars Hilary Swank as Emma Green, a NASA astronaut commanding a mission to Mars. Created by Andrew Hinderaker, the series focuses on the sacrifices made by a group of astronauts from around the world as they embark on the first crewed mission to the Red Planet. The journey will require them to be away from their homes and families for three years.

Along with Green, The Mars Joint initiative includes a Jewish British-Ghanaian botanist (Ato Essandoh) who has never been to space, a Russian cosmonaut (Mark Ivanir), a Chinese chemist (Vivian Wu), and an astronaut from India (Ray Panthaki) who is both second in command and the chief medical officer.

Green’s husband, Matt Logan (Josh Charles) is a NASA astronaut who was grounded because of a medical condition, but supports the team from NASA’s mission control center in Houston.

Launching from the Moon, the mission encounters early trouble as some members express doubts in Green’s leadership. Ultimately, the series was intended to provide a hopeful perspective on humanity and explore the theme of interdependence. It only lasted one season, but it is well worth watching for excellent performances by Swank and the entire cast.

Fans of Katee Sackhoff from Battlestar Galactica and The Mandalorian will want to see this Netflix sci-fi series which also stars Selma Blair, Justin Chatwin, Samuel Anderson, Elizabeth Ludlow, Blu Hunt, and A.J. Rivera.

Created by Aaron Martin, the series focuses on the events following the appearance of an oddly-shaped unidentified flying object that lands on Earth and grows a crystal-like tower.

In Another Life, Sackhoff stars as Niko Breckinridge, an astronaut who commands a vessel called the Salvare, which is seeking out the origins of the alien object. Her husband,  Erik Wallace (Justin Chatwin) is a scientist working for the United States Interstellar Command which is seeking intelligent extraterrestrial life. He works on Earth to study the crystalline structure.

The series features advanced technology, with Breckinridge’s ship capable of faster-than-light travel and a sentient artificial intelligence with a holographic interface character, William, played by Samuel Anderson.

Premiering on Netflix on July 25, 2019, the sci-fi series was renewed by the streamer and the second season was released on October 14, 2021. Though it was canceled the following February, the series features an intriguing story and characters who are placed in extraordinary circumstances that require them to explore a fascinating new frontier.

Emma Stone stars in Netflix sci-fi psychological comedy-drama miniseries Maniac as Annie Landsberg, whose borderline personality disorder causes her to have unhealthy thoughts and feelings about her relationships.

She becomes part of a high-risk pharmaceutical trial with twelve other people. The psychologically intensive trial, conducted by Neberdine Pharmaceutical Biotech (NPB), causes hallucinatory fantasies. 

In these fantasies, Landsberg develops an array of other personas, including Linda Marino, Arlie Kane, Annia, and Ruth, all portrayed by Stone.

The story centers on Landsberg’s connection with Owen Milgrem (Jonah Hill), a person from a wealthy family who might have schizophrenia and has joined the trial in an effort to make it on his own, without help from his family. He also develops alternate forms, Bruce Marino, Oliver “Ollie” Hightower, and Snorri.

Created by Patrick Somerville and directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, the story is very loosely based on a 2015 Norwegian television series, also called Maniac. The 10 episodes are set in a retro-future New York City where the trial takes place. Critical response was positive and the series garnered multiple nominations and awards.

Stone was nominated for her performance by both the Satellite Awards and the Screen Actors Guild Awards, The Netflix sci-fi series was also nominated for WGA Awards for its writing.

Venturing into the action and horror side of sci-fi, the Netflix series Resident Evil was developed by Andrew Dabb, based on the synonymous video game series.

Following both the successful Milla Jovovich-led film series, the 2021 animated series. Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness, and the reboot movie Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, also released in 2021. Though the premise and backstory are carried over from the video games, the series otherwise stands on its own.

The story follows fraternal twins Jade and Billie Wesker, both as adults and children, switching between two storylines set 14 years apart. Their father, Dr. Albert “Al” Wesker, is played by Lance Reddick, who also portrays several clones of Dr. Wesker.

The younger twins (Tamara Smart and Siena Agudong) are seen in their early days in New Raccoon City, where they begin to uncover the secret truth of the Umbrella Corporation. In the future, the older versions of the sisters (Ella Balinska and Adeline Rudolph) try to survive in the growing zombie crisis.

Lasting only one season, the series’ intriguing premise of bouncing back and forth between 2022 and 2036, plus the various clones of Dr. Wesker, offer a new take on the successful sci-fi/horror franchise. Catch it now on Netflix.