The 5 Best Darren Barnet Movies And TV Shows To Binge If You Loved Never Have I Ever

Paxton Hall-Yoshida in "Never Have I Ever" was not Darren Barnet's first role, but it's the one that put him on the map. The popular swimmer captivated Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), her friends, and just about everyone who watched the Netflix series from the first episode. Over the course of the series, audiences see Paxton grow as a person, first in figuring out his life direction after he can't go to college for swimming and then again when he realizes college isn't for him right after high school and he returns to his hometown.

"Never Have I Ever" may be one of the largest projects on Barnet's resume, but there are other things to see him in, especially for fans of the Netflix show. He's played episodic roles in popular series like "Criminal Minds" and "This Is Us," popped up in genre-defining movies like "Anyone but You," and joined big franchises with "Jurassic Park: Chaos Theory" and "Skull Island," so the actor has something in his career for everyone. There are plenty of series like "Never Have I Ever" to watch, but if you're looking for something similar that also features Barnet, we've got you covered. Here are the Darren Barnet movies and TV shows to binge if you love the teen drama "Never Have I Ever."

"Untitled Horror Movie" is on the completely opposite side of the genre scale from "Never Have I Ever," but Darren Barnet's character may seem familiar to fans of the Netflix series. The screenlife horror movie follows six actors trying to make a film after realizing the show they've all starred in for years is probably getting canceled. What starts as a fun, at-home project turns into something more sinister when a séance causes something very real to go after one of the actors.

Barnet portrays Max. The in-movie series "Belle" was his second audition ever, so the prospect of doing other projects is a chance for him to show the acting chops he thinks he has. Max is like a combination of Paxton and Trent (Benjamin Norris), Paxton's best friend. He has the attention span of Trent, randomly bringing up podcasts and going off on unrelated tangents, and the charm and one-liners of Paxton. Also like Trent, Max is the butt of several jokes, including because of where he trained as an actor.

"Untitled Horror Movie" is great for "Never Have I Ever" fans that want to see Barnet play someone similar to Paxton with a slightly different vibe. Max has his witty moments where he shuts people down, but also a hilarious sequence with his acting coach that feels exactly like something Trent would be finishing up as his friends arrive for a party. There's more to the movie than the scary scenes, which are pretty lowkey because of the screenlife nature of the production, meaning even those who usually avoid horror can enjoy it and Barnet's performance.

• Starring: Luke Baines, Darren Barnet, Timothy Granaderos
• Director: Nick Simon
• Year: 2021
• Runtime: 1h 27m
• Rating: Unrated
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 82%

"Chicago Med" started in 2015, and since then, a variety of doctors have rotated into the series. Darren Barnet joined the cast in Season 10 (along with three veterans returning to the show) as Dr. John Frost, a new emergency pediatric resident. He joins the team at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center after his previous hospital closed and he's approved for a transfer.

John and Paxton are incredibly similar characters. They are both charming individuals that use this fact to their advantage. In Paxton's case, it is typically to get what he wants, whether that's someone to do his homework or to get off the hook for something. John uses it to advocate for his patients, who can't always do that for themselves. John is where Paxton could be later in life if the teen swimmer had an interest in medicine. Paxton's protectiveness of his sister Rebecca (Lily D. Moore) and John's dedication to his young patients are one and the same.

"He definitely, I think, uses his ability for charm to get his way, but his connection with kids and his care for his job and what he does is touching to me, and it's really an honor to play," Barnet said in a featurette on the new doctor on the One Chicago YouTube channel. Though Barnet doesn't appear until the tenth season, there is plenty of "Chicago Med" for "Never Have I Ever" fans to binge watch in the lead up to his appearance that will give them the lowdown on the hospital he joins.

• Starring: Marlyne Barrett, S. Epatha Merkerson, Oliver Platt
• Creator: Dick Wolf
• Year: 2015-present
• Seasons: 10
• Rating: TV-14
• IMDb score: 7.6

"Anyone but You" blew everyone away at the box office, and it's also been credited with reviving the 2000s romantic comedy. The story is a loose retelling of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing," with Sydney Sweeney portraying Bea, a student who breaks off her engagement, and Glen Powell as Ben, a guy she meets during a night out. After what seemed like the perfect meet cute, the two end up more like enemies than lovers. They're forced to overcome that when they are in the same wedding party for Bea's sister Halle (Hadley Robinson) and Ben's best friend Pete's (GaTa) sister Claudia (Alexandra Shipp).

Fans of "Never Have I Ever" are sure to enjoy not only Bea and Ben's story, but the confidence and charm from Jonathan, Bea's former fiancé, who is played by Darren Barnet. He shows up at the wedding, unbeknownst to Bea, in something arranged by her parents. He is the picture of the ideal gentleman, getting along well with Bea's parents and hoping to reconcile with her. Though a secondary player, Barnet exudes energy and charisma. Jonathan handles everything, even the idea that Bea is with someone else, with grace, laughing as her parents awkwardly try to set them up and always acting as cool as a cucumber.

• Starring: Sydney Sweeney, Glen Powell, Alexandra Shipp
• Director: Will Gluck
• Year: 2023
• Runtime: 1h 43m
• Rating: R
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 54%

"Never Have I Ever" isn't the only Netflix show featuring Darren Barnet. "Blue Eye Samurai" is an animated series following Mizu (Maya Erskine), a 17th century Japanese warrior on the hunt for four individuals who stayed in Japan after the borders closed during the Edo period. Mizu has long been discriminated against because she is half-white, half-Japanese, causing her to have blue eyes and look different than her peers. She appears physically as a male to disguise herself, similar to Mulan, originally at the request of her mother, though she maintains the façade as an adult. The character is inspired by the "real" blue eye samurai, William Adams. 

Barnet voices Taigen, a male warrior that is at odds with Mizu. He blames her for the breaking off of his engagement with Princess Akemi (Brenda Song). He and the Princess love each other, but after losing a duel against Mizu, the Princess' father ends the arrangement. This is the final straw, as Taigen and Mizu have had a difficult relationship since they were children.

While Paxton can be antagonistic at times in "Never Have I Ever," particularly with how he treats Devi after she cheats on him, Taigen is a true antagonist, giving fans the chance to see the actor play a different type of character. Other roles on this list feature Barnet as a good guy, albeit someone who uses his charm liberally to achieve his goals. Taigen is on a mission, all to win over the father of the woman he loves, and he will do anything to achieve it, placing him as one of Mizu's main opponents in the series.

• Starring: Maya Erskine, George Takei, Masi Oka
• Creators: Amber Noizumi and Michael Green
• Episodes: 8
• Year: 2023
• Rating: TV-MA
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

"Gran Turismo" is based on the true story of Jann Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe), a gamer-turned-professional racing-driver. The movie follows his path from the GT Academy to racing in a real car and all the physical preparation it requires. He's mentored by Jack Salter (David Harbour), a former driver who now does training and mechanic work.

Darren Barnet is Matty Davis, a driver Jann is competing against in the GT Academy. Matty is the driver that exudes the most confidence, especially compared to Jann, who is a bit quieter and more unsure when it comes to press interactions. Ultimately, Matty becomes Jann's co-driver after Jann is selected as the Academy winner over him. While Matty starts as an antagonist, over the course of the film the two end up working together because they have the same goal: to race.

In "Never Have I Ever," much of Paxton's identity is rooted in his ability as a swimmer. That's how he's planning to pay for college, and he's confused when that option is out of the picture after he injures his shoulder. "Gran Turismo" gives "Never Have I Ever" fans a chance to see Barnet play another character dedicated enough to a sport that it changes his life.

• Starring: David Harbour, Orlando Bloom, Archie Madekwe
• Director: Neill Blomkamp
• Year: 2023
• Runtime: 2h 15m
• Rating: PG-13
• Rotten Tomatoes Score: 65%