As the most popular streaming service in the world,Netflix’soriginal movies can often be big deals that garner millions of streams upon release. FromBird Boxto thestar-studdedGlass Onion: A Knives Out MysterytoEnola Holmes(which is now getting a third entry), there are huge hits on the platform.
Then there’s alsoNetflix films likeAll Quiet on the Western FrontandThe Irishman, which were hits on top of being Oscar contenders. However, since the streaming service puts out so much original content, there are plenty of fantastic movies that have flown under the radar.
These are the films that didn’t get a ton of marketing, have intriguing premises, or deserved a better chance to succeed. In some cases, the film was a hit but has been forgotten in a way that other Netflix originals haven’t. Regardless, giving these movies a chance gets you the most out of your subscription.
There have been plenty of Stephen King novels turned into movies over the years and it’s often done to mixed results. One of the best is Netflix’s originalGerald’s Game, even though a lot of people have never actually seen it.
Released in 2017, this wasn’t a movie that saw a lot of marketing and hype it, so it largely went unnoticed. However, those who saw it can attest to how good it is, as evenStephen King himself is a big fan of the disturbing adaptation. It helps that director Mike Flanagan has cemented himself as a horror master.
The film follows a woman (Carla Gugino) who gets left handcuffed to a bed at an isolated home after her husband dies from a heart attack before they have sex. With nowhere to go and no help coming, Gugino’s Jessie must figure out how to survive. What follows isas harrowing a tale as you’ll find on the streaming service.
Though it’s not to be confused with theJohn Wickspin-off from 2025, thisBallerinaalso features abadass female assassin. Another great South Korean film,Ballerinafocuses on a woman named Jang Ok-ju who discovers her best friend has been murdered, so she embarks on a violent quest for revenge.
Given her background as an ex-bodyguard, Jang Ok-ju is incredibly skilled as a fighter and uses that to take down enemies everywhere. While this kind of story has been told many times over,Ballerinastands out because of the lead performance by Jeon Jong-seo and the stylish action sequences.
Ballerinais another in a long line of female revenge movies, yet it’s also one of the best in recent history.
Jeon Jong-seo is completely believable as the lead and the film is energetic from the opening scene.Ballerinais another in a long line of female revenge movies, yet it’s also one of the best in recent history.
When it initially hit Netflix,Holidateperformed rather well and cracked the list of the most-viewed films for that given week. However, plenty of people have unjustly overlooked the film, likely because of the subject matter. On paper, it sounds like it could be a feel-good Hallmark movie.
As is the case with the best rom-coms, this one received a big boost from the chemistry between its leads, Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey. Their romance is belivable, the antics they get into are a blast, and thefact thatHolidatespans several holidays makes it perfect to watch at any time of the year.
Madeline Brewer may not be a household name but her career is loaded with hits fromYoutoThe Handmaid’s TaletoOrange is the New Black. Her work in film is less noteworthy but there are some hidden gems in there and none is more impressive than 2018’sCam.
InCam, Brewer portrays Alice,a woman working as a camgirl, only to one day find herself replaced with an exact replica of herselfon the website. What follows are some mind-bending sequences that leave you questioning what’s real and what isn’t.
Camwas met with strong critical acclaim and holds a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Although it flew under the radar,Camwas met with strong critical acclaim and holds a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Praise went to the atmosphere and Brewer’s lead performance, as well as Isa Mazzei’s screenplay, which was born from her own experience as a camgirl.
It’s actually quite surprising thatHis Three Daughterswasn’t a bigger deal upon its release. The film features a trio of incredibly talented ladies at the forefront inElizabeth Olsen, Natasha Lyonne, and Carrie Coonas they portraythe titular siblings dealing with the impending passing of their sick father.
His Three Daughtersdid get a lot of views when it first hit the platform but was somehow quickly forgotten afterward. That’s a shock given the widespread acclaim for it and the talent involved. The film currently sits at an outstanding 98% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Most of the praise went to the relatable story, the performances of the three leads, and the well-written relationship between the sisters. Simply seeing these three powerhouse ladies share the screen is enough but once the emotional aspects of the story really kick in, the film is captivating.It should’ve been bigger come awards season.
Another fantastic movie from South Korea,The Callnever really caught on with Netflix audiences, even though it deserved to. The movie starts as a sci-fi buddy tale of two women who connect over the phone across time, as both lived in the same house at different time periods.
However,things turn sinister when something goes wrong and this ends up as a harrowing, tragic tale involving a serial killer. It’s the kind of thing that nobody sees coming, yet makes perfect sense once the truth is revealed. It’s an expertly crafted, unforgettable experience.
The Callgrabs a viewer and never lets them go, leaving every twist and turn to hit that much harder. It hasn’t been reviewed a lot on Rotten Tomatoes but it holds a 100% rating there. On top of that, it stars Jeon Jong-seo ofBallerina, giving the actor two underrated Netflix movies.
WhileOver the Moonwas ultimately nominated for Best Animated Feature at both the Academy Awards and Golden Globes, the film remains something that has been overlooked. Given the talent involved, the musical numbers, and the animation style, it should’ve been a bigger deal.
The cast list is impressive, featuring Cathy Ang, Ken Jeong, Sandra Oh, Kimiko Glenn, John Cho, and more.
Over the Mooncenters on a young girl named Fei Fei who builds a rocketship to head to space and meet the goddess on the Moon, Chang’e, who she idolizes.The adventure starts as simple animated fun but turns into a more emotional journey with heartfelt moments.
The cast list is impressive, featuring Cathy Ang, Ken Jeong, Sandra Oh, Kimiko Glenn, John Cho, and more. However, the real selling point is hearing Phillipa Soo as Chang’e because her song “Ultraluminary” is one of the best original tracks from a movie in recent memory.
With a lot of these Netflix movies that nobody talks about, it’s a case where the premise isn’t anything overly intriguing or fresh that exceeds expectations. That’s how it is with theunderrated masterpiece20th Century Girl, as the setup sounds basic and like the kind of thing that a viewer might simply scroll past without a second thought.
20th Century Girl(yet another South Korean film on this list) focuses on Na Bo-ra, who is tasked by her friend to keep tabs on a boy she likes while she’s away for a major surgery, only for Na Bo-ra to fall for the guy herself. It’s where the story goes that makes this movie so special.
The romance that blossoms is rife with strong chemistry, while the friendship between the two girls is also handled delicately.The movie also ends with a bang, moving things to 2019 and hitting the audience with a twist they never saw coming.
When it was first conceptualized,Entergalacticwas designed to be a television series but it was reworked into a “TV special” that’s actually a 92-minute movie. From the mind of rap star Kid Cudi (who helped write the film and voices the lead character),Entergalaticis unlike anything else on Netflix.
Clearly inspired, from a visual standpoint, bySpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the animation style inEntergalaticis gorgeous.With Kid Cudi behind it, there’s also incredible music involved as the soundtrack doubles as the rapper’s eighth studio album.
Any fan of animated films and hip-hop is sure to love this.
Entergalaticis a love story following artist Jabari (Cudi) and his new neighbor Meadow (Jessica Williams), told with impressive visual and audio flair.The supporting cast is also phenomenal, featuring Timothée Chalamet, Vanessa Hudgens, Laura Harrier, Keith David, and more. Any fan of animated films and hip-hop is sure to love this.
There is certainly no shortage of Christmas movies out there, so it’s easy for one to get lost in the shuffle. That seemed to be the case withKlaus, even though it made history as Netflix’s first original film to be nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards.
Klausfollows a postman sent to work in a miserable, isolated town, only to befriend a toymaker named Klaus and together, they manage to bring toys to everyone, potentially improving the town’s morale. In that way, it works as an origin story for Santa Claus.
The visual style stands out even at a time when so many animated movies get released each year. The cast is even better with J.K. Simmons, Jason Schwartzman, and Rashida Jones leading the way.Klauswas met with widespread acclaim, won several Annie Awards, and is one of the best Christmas films ever made.
