Not A Stranger: Netflix’s New 8-Part Thriller Is #3 Worldwide In Just 4 Days & It’s A Must-Binge

Published Sep 21, 2026, 6:53 PM EDT

Greg is a Lead TV Writer & Critic at Screen Rant with expertise in new streaming releases. He's published over 3000 articles at SR, including weekly recommendation guides and dozens of reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. He previously worked in Development at ABC Television & Lawrence Bender Productions.

Greg majored in Film Production at Chapman University's Dodge College. Greg also has years of broadcast TV production experience at major networks such as NBC, TNT, and ESPN. He currently lives in Greater Boston.

Just four days after its release, Netflix's new 8-part psychological thriller series is a massive surprise streaming hit, landing #3 on worldwide charts. As one of ScreenRant's top selections for the five best shows to binge-watch on Netflix this week, this new series was quietly released on Netflix last Thursday, September 17, only to become one of the most-watched Netflix shows of the entire weekend. To accomplish this, it competed against anticipated new releases like Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story and Stranger Things: Tales From '85.

At the time of writing, Netflix's thriller series Not a Stranger continues to surge in early window viewership, climbing to #3 worldwide and #4 in the United States. The new Turkish series sits only behind Monster season 4 and Crew Girl currently, having surpassed other recent global Netflix hits like The Perfect Lie and The Gentlemen. With its short 8-episode length and an intriguing psychological thriller premise reminiscent of the hit movie The Housemaid, Not a Stranger is one of the best shows to binge on Netflix this week.

Not A Stranger Reaches #3 Worldwide On Netflix – What It's About

Not A Stranger is enjoying an impressive early streak on Netflix this week even though there was virtually no press or anticipation about the series ahead of its quiet release last Thursday. The series follows a struggling mother named Funda (played by Elçin Sangu) who, despite loving her transition to motherhood, wishes to return to her independent life as a painter. Overwhelmed by the demands of her newborn's routine, Funda hires a nanny named Nazli (played by Melis Sezen) who appears to be a saving grace and instantly connects with the baby.

Although Nazli initially seems to be well worth the investment, Funda realizes that having her around the house and her child so much has actually made her feel strangely worse. She also begins to sense an eerie dynamic between Nazli and her husband, Ilker (played by Ozan Dolunay), which makes matters much worse. Eventually, even though Funda's art career starts to find its spark, she discovers a web of secrets that completely shatters everything she thought she knew about Nazli and her world, especially having to do with Nazli's boyfriend, Emre.

Not A Stranger features a talented cast of celebrated Turkish actors and was created by Tugba Dogan. As a mysterious psychological thriller, the series centers on themes of how motherhood can change or overtake one's identity, as well as darker aspects between couples such as gaslighting, obsession, and a toxic need for control. The series essentially asks viewers the question: What if the life you thought you wanted to build is not what you really wanted, and what would you do if it all came crashing down?

Why Not A Stranger Is Worth The Binge Beyond Its Netflix Ranking

Netflix

Not A Stranger is certainly not a fluke when it comes to its impressive viewership numbers, as other entertainment sites like Decider have given it a "Stream It" designation as well. Interestingly, the series was released so under the radar that a Rotten Tomatoes page doesn't even exist for it, adding to the remarkable irony of its #3 worldwide viewership status.

What's more, the 8-part thriller flows as a tightly paced limited series with a complete beginning, middle, and ending. Each episode is between 42 and 58 minutes long, and the series has an overall runtime of 6 hours and 42 minutes. While not quite built for a one-night binge, the series is perfect to start and return to over the course of a week.

Not A Stranger is perfect for fans of Turkish thrillers like Fatma and other psychological thrillers in domestic settings such as Beef, Fool Me Once, and Behind Her Eyes. Thanks to its polished visual style, great performances, and exceptional viewership in its first four days, you can safely consider Not A Stranger as one of the top new shows to binge-watch on Netflix this week.