Hayley Atwell's 2-Part Fantasy Epic Is One Of Netflix's Most Underrated Shows

Netflix has become one of the biggest destinations for fantasy adventure television, with an impressive catalogue that spans live-action and animation alike. From the swashbuckling spectacle of One Piece to the breathtaking world-building of Arcane, Netflix has repeatedly proved it understands what makes fantastical adventures on the small screen so compelling. Whether aimed at younger audiences or longtime fantasy fans, the streamer’s offerings in the genre all seem to gain a devoted following. That makes it all the more surprising that one of Netflix’s strongest fantasy adventures has never received the recognition it deserves.

Hidden behind the popularity of One Piece, Arcane, and The Witcher is a two-season animated adaptation of one of gaming’s most iconic franchises. Starring Agent Carter’s Hayley Atwell in the titular role, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft arrived across 2024 and 2025 to far less fanfare than it deserved. Despite carrying one of entertainment’s most recognizable names, the animated series has remained criminally underrated, even as it quietly established itself as one of Netflix’s most enjoyable fantasy adventure offerings.

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft follows Lara as she travels the globe recovering dangerous artifacts while confronting ancient myths, supernatural forces, and the emotional weight of her past. The series fits naturally alongside the rebooted timeline of the most recent Tomb Raider games, though knowledge of them isn’t at all necessary. Its compelling action, rich mythology, engaging character work, and globe-trotting sense of discovery give it an appeal that extends well beyond dedicated Tomb Raider fans, making it an entertaining fantasy adventure saga that easily stands on its own.

Tomb Raider: The Legend Of Lara Croft Is Pitch-Perfect Fantasy Adventure

Lara Croft running past molten lava in a tomb in Tomb Raider The Legend of Lara Croft

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft deserves far more attention as one of Netflix’s best fantasy adventure series. It embraces everything that makes the genre so entertaining, combining ancient legends, mystical artifacts, dangerous ruins, and globe-spanning expeditions into a consistently exciting story. Every episode balances spectacular action with genuine mystery, giving Lara’s adventures the same sense of wonder that defines the very best fantasy franchises.

The Legend of Lara Croft also benefits from harnessing its central character incredibly well, as it uses Lara as more than just a stereotypical action hero. Hayley Atwell delivers an outstanding performance. She manages to capture Lara’s intelligence, determination, vulnerability, and dry humor with equal conviction, ensuring she’s the same well-rounded heroine that became a videogame icon. Atwell’s performance gives Lara the emotional depth needed while maintaining the fearless confidence fans expect from gaming’s greatest adventurer.

Animation also proves to be the perfect medium for the kind of adventure Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft offers. The series can freely embrace its elaborate ancient temples and cinematic action sequences without feeling restricted by practical limitations. The result is a pulse-pounding 16 episodes of pure adventure that never loses sight of its characters, making it an accessible fantasy epic regardless of whether viewers have ever played a Tomb Raider game.

Netflix’s Tomb Raider Show Did What Hollywood Couldn’t

Lara Croft looking fierce in an active kneeling stance in Tomb Raider The Legend of Lara Croft

There’s another reason that Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft deserves to be celebrated. It’s perhaps the first successful adaptation of Tomb Raider after the somewhat lackluster feature-length attempts in 2001 and 2003 starring Angelina Jolie and the 2018 Alicia Vikander film fell flat. While the live-action Tomb Raider films delivered memorable moments, neither fully recreated the feeling of actually playing the games.

Netflix’s Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft succeeds where Hollywood struggled because it understands that exploration is just as important as Tomb Raider’s action. Every forgotten tomb, elaborate puzzle, and well-hidden mythical artefact contributes to the excitement of discovery that defines the franchise. While they had their merits, these essential elements are something the live-action Tomb Raider movies simply lacked.

The animated format also captures the rhythm of the Tomb Raider games remarkably well. Instead of relying purely on large-scale set pieces, the series mixes tense exploration with clever problem-solving and supernatural encounters, throwing in fast-paced combat when necessary to create an experience that mirrors the excitement of the Tomb Raider videogame franchise.

Perhaps most importantly, the Netflix series fully embraces both sides of modern Tomb Raider. It preserves the grounded emotional journey introduced by the game’s reboot trilogy while confidently leaning into larger fantasy concepts that have always been part of the franchise’s identity. That balance makes The Legend of Lara Croft not only an excellent adaptation but also one of the strongest examples of how to translate a beloved video game into a TV show, delivering an adventure that feels authentic to longtime fans while remaining accessible to newcomers.