When Opening Netflix Becomes A Moment Of Truth
Opening Netflix and seeing everything they're pushing on you can lead to a moment of paralysis and indecision. Suddenly, nothing looks good anymore! Well, you might not see these movies on the front page of Netflix, but they're worth digging for the next time you're looking for something to watch.
Woman Of The Hour
This new entry in the Netflix catalog is Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut. Based on a true story, she stars as a woman who goes on a dating game show only to realize there’s something really off about the man she’s matched with.
AGC Studios, Woman of the Hour (2023)
Easy A
This 2010 comedy came out of nowhere and blew audiences away, quickly becoming a modern classic, and one of the best takes on The Scarlet Letter in film. It's got a breakthrough performance by Emma Stone, and whether you've seen it before or not, it's just as delightful on rewatch as it is on first watch.
You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah
This coming-of-age comedy puts the Sandler family—as in Adam—front and center, with his wife and two daughters in starring roles. They’re backed up by comedy bona fides of all generations, from Jackie Hoffman to Sarah Sherman.
Netflix, You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah (2023)
Enemy
You really can’t go wrong with a Jake Gyllenhaal drama—and it’s directed by Denis Villeneuve of Dune fame to boot. This 2013 thriller has high ratings from both critics and audiences, yet seems to have been criminally under-watched.
Featuring a stellar performance from Gyllenhaal as a man who discovers he has an exact lookalike, the movie's twists and turns will keep you glued to your couch.
Gerald’s Game
After the success of Mike Flanagan’s The Haunting of Hill House came this Stephen King adaptation with Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood in starring roles. Flanagan does great things with the claustrophobic premise, and while Gugino’s character may be stuck, the audience is never left bored.
Intrepid Pictures, Gerald's Game (2017)
The Karate Kid
Some classics are classics for a reason, and this 1984 gem sparked an entire generation of kids to get into martial arts. It's a heartwarming throwback and always a good time.
Columbia, The Karate Kid (1984)
21 Jump Street
On the surface, the premise may not seem that appealing. A comedy reboot of the classic 80s drama TV series? Plus, audiences weren't quite sure that Channing Tatum had the comedic chops to pull it off. But they were in for a surprise. Tatum more than pulled it off, and his chemistry with co-star Jonah Hill ended up making the film so full of laughs that it became a runaway hit.
The One I Love
The One I Love came out in 2014—when Mark Duplass was at the height of his indie darling-dom, and Elisabeth Moss was captivating audiences in the final seasons of Mad Men.
The twisty, mind-boggling plot, about a couple who tries to fix their marriage with a weekend getaway and quickly discovers that something is off about the house they’re staying in, is full of surprises.
Lady Chatterley's Lover
Period drama lovers may have missed this hidden gem when it came out in 2022, but it's got 87% on Rotten Tomatoes and killer performances by Emma Corrin of The Crown fame and Jack O'Connell, AKA Cook from Skins.
Netflix, Lady Chatterley's Lover (2022)
On Body And Soul
If you're one of those increasingly rare people who can stomach watching a movie with subtitles (most won't put their phones down), this Hungarian drama about two people who can communicate through dreams was lauded for its portrayal of love and loneliness.
Inforg-M&M Film Kft., On Body and Soul (2017)
1917
Can a blockbuster WWI action-drama be a hidden gem? If you didn't manage to see 1917 in theaters, with its wildly impressive effects, it's time to give it a try at home. Though it may not have the same jaw-dropping impact, this offering from director Sam Mendes has a lot to offer for home viewers, and an absolutely gripping plot.
About Time
This one takes a twisty plot and ups the romance quotient, as the ever-charming Domhnall Gleason and Rachel McAdams navigate a romance, while one of them grapples with an unexpected talent for time travel.
The Richard Curtis (Love Actually)-directed love story is at times heartwarming and others heartbreaking, and guaranteed to elicit a few tears. Plus, it features a wonderful performance by Bill Nighy.
Viva
Luckily, most kids love rewatching their favorites, but if you're in a pinch and they're demanding something new to add to the repertoire, this underrated animated pick from 2021 features voice work and songs by Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda. Miranda voices a kinkajou who plays music with his beloved owner, Andres, and who goes on a mission to unite him with his one true love. It's beautifully animated and the songs are catchy as heck.
The Kindergarten Teacher
This 2018 film is anchored by a career-high performance from Maggie Gyllenhaal, who plays a teacher with an unhealthy obsession for one of her students.
Pie Films, The Kindergarten Teacher (2018)
The Invitation
This suspenseful pick centers around a tense dinner party, where a man receives an invite to his former home from his ex-wife and her new husband. Michiel Huisman, who plays the new husband, gives a beautifully creepy performance, and the film features stunning camera work by cinematographer Bobby Shore.
Fair Play
This under-the-radar 2023 film about two lovers competing in the workplace at a cutthroat hedge fund hearkens back to the erotic thrillers of the 80s and 90s. After the film premiered at Sundance, Netflix actually got into a bidding war to pick it up—just one piece of proof showing how good it is.
Society Of The Snow
This retelling of the 1972 Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 disaster is a fresh take on a well-known story, and is boosted by impressive cinematography and visual effects.
Netflix, Society of the Snow (2023)
The End Of The Tour
The End Of The Tour didn’t really get a lot of love when it came out due to its somewhat niche subject. It’s based on writer David Lipsky’s memoir of a five-day road trip he took with author David Foster Wallace. Foster Wallace’s megafans took umbrage with the subject, casting, and basically everything else about the film.
However, if you approach it like a normal person, it’s intensely enjoyable to watch the fictionalized versions of Lipsky and Foster Wallace discuss and debate.
The performances, especially Jason Segel’s turn as Foster Wallace, are worthy of more praise than they received at the time of the film’s release.
Kilburn Media, The End Of The Tour
Beasts Of No Nation
Looking back, it was clear that the crew behind True Detective season 1 would have trouble topping what they’d done with the show…or breaking out from under the weight of expectations. One of Cary Joji Fukunaga’s follow-ups was Beasts of No Nation, about the Civil War in Africa. Though it went under-appreciated in its time, it’s nevertheless a compelling look at the tolls of war.
Red Crown Productions, Beasts of No Nation (2015)
The Breaker Upperers
Sure, getting dumped sucks. But getting up the courage to dump someone can sometimes suck even more. That's the premise behind this comedy about two cynical friends who start a business to help people dump their partners. It's a buddy comedy filled with dry wit and humor and great performances by its stars, Jackie van Beek and Madeleine Sami.
Piki Films, The Breaker Upperers (2018)
Field Of Dreams
If you haven't revisited this heartwarming 1989 sport/fantasy film recently, what are you waiting for? The blend of baseball and fairy tale makes it the ultimate comfort watch. Especially with Thanksgiving coming up, it's the perfect film to tune into during downtime with family.
Universal, Field of Dreams (1989)
Green Room
Jeremy Saulnier is a beloved if under-watched director of indie horror fare. His newest, Rebel Ridge, came out on Netflix in September. If the trailer piques your interest, his earlier films are worth a look, particularly Green Room.
The premise—about a punk band who have to escape a group of skinheads after they witness them committing a crime at a remote venue—is about as taut as it comes, and the movie is full of twisted surprises. It also features one of Anton Yelchin’s best performances.
Broad Green Pictures, Green Room
Like Crazy
Speaking of Anton Yelchin, the gone-too-soon star shines in this tearjerker of a romantic drama with Felicity Jones, about a couple trying to keep their relationship going in spite of the barriers created by distance and immigration status.
Director Drake Doremus wrote the screenplay with Ben York Jones, basing much of the premise on their own experiences in long-distance relationships.
Fear Street Part Two: 1978
It would be easy for any horror fan to write this one off. After all, it's a sequel to a Netflix original based on a teen horror series from the 90s. However, this Fear Street has some pretty serious horror bona fides. Starring Stranger Things' Sadie Sink, it's directed by Leigh Janiak, who co-wrote and directed the wildly underrated 2014 horror Honeymoon. With this one, Janiak pays tribute to 70s slashers like Friday the 13th.
Netflix, Fear Street: Part Two - 1978 (2021)
All Quiet On The Western Front
The book of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque is a classic for a reason, and this thoughtful adaptation comes through with impressive performances by its cast.
Netflix, All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Though it may not have lived up to the premise of the original, it’s hard to deny the charms of the Benoit Blanc character, the updated setting, and the absolutely star-studded cast, including Ed Norton, Dave Bautista, and Kate Hudson.
1922
Among the many adaptations of Stephen King books, there are the hits (The Shining), and the very many misses (Thinner, various Children of the Corn). For that reason alone, 1922 is a pleasant surprise. It tells the tale of a man who plans to off his wife for money, and attempts to enlist the help of his teenaged son.
Paddleton
No, not Paddington. This is Paddleton: a 2019 comedy-drama about two best friends played by Mark Duplass and Ray Romano who share many hobbies and passions, including a made-up game called Paddleton. After Duplass' character is diagnosed with terminal cancer, he decides to end his own life, and the film shows their final days together.
While certainly not uplifting, the touching portrayal of the pair's friendship keeps the movie from becoming too depressing.
Set It Up
Set It Up hearkens back to the rom-coms of the late 90s and early 2000s like The Proposal, but updated with fresh voices and even fresher cast, like Zoey Deutch and the ever-charming Glen Powell.
The Squid And The Whale
Noah Baumbach’s more recent efforts, like 2022’s White Noise, have divided audiences, but his breakout 2003 drama The Squid and the Whale serves as a reminder at what he’s best at: portraying complicated family dynamics.
Sony, The Squid and the Whale (2005)
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
By the time this follow-up came out, many Breaking Bad fans may have moved on from their attachment to the show, but anyone who skipped it missed out on an absolutely gripping performance by Aaron Paul.
High Flying Bird
Now solidly in the fourth decade of his filmmaking career, no one can turn out a quick, satisfying, tightly-wound film quite like Steven Soderbergh. Here he departs from the usual thriller and gets into the world of sports, setting this drama during a NBA lockout.
Netflix, High Flying Bird (2019)
The Rugrats Movie
Many of us grew up with Rugrats, but the 1998 film was largely overshadowed in many of our memories by flashier Disney fare.
However, as movies based on TV shows go, this is a solid and entertaining entry in the micro-genre.
I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore
I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore is one of those films that's consistently included in lists about underrated Netflix originals...so why haven't you watched it yet? The 2017 dark comedy/thriller starts with two neighbors going on a bit of a vigilante hunt after one is robbed, but goes a whole lot of other places in its tight 96-minute runtime.
Netflix, I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017)
The Willoughbys
It’s easy to elide kids' movies when putting together lists like this—after all, so many are not that fun to watch as an adult. The Willoughbys is the rare exception. It’s wildly funny and has incredible voice work by Will Forte and Maya Rudolph.
Netflix, The Willoughbys (2020)
Obvious Child
Obvious Child came into the world as a 2009 short film starring Jenny Slate, who stayed on for the feature film version in 2014. The romantic comedy-drama tells the story of a comedian who finds herself pregnant after a one-night stand, and the difficult decisions that ensue.
Rooks Nest Entertainment, Obvious Child
I Am Mother
This sci-fi starring Hilary Swank probably would've been a big deal in theaters before the streaming era, but it was released to relatively little fanfare in 2019, despite it's intriguing premise about a teenage girl raised by a robot meeting another human for the first time in her life.
The Penguin Empire, I Am Mother (2019)
The White Tiger
Before his death, Roger Ebert called Indian writer and director Ramin Bahrani “the new director of the decade”. Though the success of his early feature Chop Shop put him in Hollywood’s crosshairs, his American films didn’t get as much love. Then, in 2021, he adapted the Man Booker prize-winning novel of the same title to great acclaim.
Netflix, The White Tiger (2021)
The Autopsy Of Jane Doe
Emile Hirsh and Brian Cox playing father-and-son coroners? Say no more. It seems implausible in this post-Succession world to imagine a horror starring Logan Roy, but it exists. In this film, the father-son duo are tasked with finding the cause of death of a Jane Doe, only for supernatural hijinx, to put it lightly, to ensue.
Fear Street: Part 3 - 1666
Another installment of the trilogy directed by Leigh Janiak, this one doesn't pay homage to an era in slasher films, but instead to Terrence Malick's The New World, which depicts the founding of the Jamestown colony. Set in the same era, it starts where Part 2 left off, then features a colony torn apart by accusations of witchcraft, before flashing forward to the 90s, serving as a "Part 2" for the first film in the series. A bit convoluted, yes, but there's payoff and a lot of fun to be had along the way.
Netflix, Fear Street: Part Three - 1666 (2021)
Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical
Whether or not you’re a fan of the source material or of musicals, this one is worth a watch. It augments the classic tale with some absolutely frenetic choreography and “dance for your life” performances, the likes of which haven’t been seen since Annie.
Netflix, Matilda: The Musical (2022)
Can’t Hardly Wait
Of the wave of teen comedies of the late 1990s, some are well-remembered and many were rightfully forgotten—but people don’t talk enough about Can’t Hardly Wait.
While it features some of the tired clichés and stereotypes (nerd loves popular girl who loves jock) of teen romances that came before it, the charming performances by the ensemble cast make up for its faults.
Always Be My Maybe
Speaking of rom-coms with utterly charming leads, Ali Wong and Randall Park shine in this story about childhood sweethearts who reunite after a falling out.
Netflix, Always Be My Maybe (2019)
Cam
This 2018 techno-thriller with a doppelgänger premise and themes of identity is a compelling and captivating option for horror fans who may be tired of characters getting punished for their bedroom life.
Frida
Oscar-bait biopics can feel formulaic and dime-a-dozen—but the beautiful visual storytelling of Frida, starring Salma Hayek and based on the novel of the same name, a dramatized account of artist Frida Kahlo’s life, subverts those trappings.
Somehow, the team behind Frida managed to capture elements of Kahlo’s life as colorfully, beautifully, and viscerally as the artist did in her own artworks.
Handprint Entertainment, Frida
Oxygen
This 2021 sci-fi thriller is directed by Alexandre Aja, once a notable figure in the New French Extremity movement in horror cinema, and best known for his breakthrough film, Haute Tension. It stars Melanie Laurent of Inglorious Basterds fame and Mathieu Amalric, the beloved French star. It’s about a woman who wakes up in a cryo pod with no memories and has to figure out who she is and how she got there.
Baby Driver
Sharp and stylish, it felt like everyone went to see Baby Driver in 2017—yet very few have revisited it since then. Well, we’re here to tell you: it still holds up today and is absolutely worth a rewatch.
The Ravenous
Few people know, but Quebec has its own filmmaking and star system which acts like a microcosm of Hollywood—and it puts out some seriously good films each year. One of the best is The Ravenous, starring one of Canada’s most beloved and talented stars, Marc-Andre Grondin.
Put it side by side with any other entry in the zombie apocalypse genre and it absolutely holds its own.
La Maison de Prod, The Ravenous
The Two Popes
While The Two Popes cleaned up during awards season, it didn't get nearly the same amount of love from audiences, though it should have. Featuring career-high performances from Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce, this historical offers a fresh new take on one of the most pivotal moments in the history of the Catholic church.
Da 5 Bloods
A criminally underrated drama by legendary director Spike Lee, Da 5 Bloods is about a group of Black veterans who go on a journey back to Vietnam looking for the remains of their squad leader.
Hush
Before Mike Flanagan was THE Netflix horror darling with shows like The Haunting of Hill House and The Midnight Club, he was cranking out well-crafted and underrated horror flicks like Oculus and Hush, a slasher starring Katie Siegel as a writer who is terrorized by a masked killer at her house in the woods.
Due to the Siegel character being deaf-mute, the film is largely silent, which only adds to the tension.
Intrepid Pictures, Hush
The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs
An anthology Western is a hard sell, but this collection of short films is chock full of the dark humor that the Coen Brothers have become known for, and features incredible performances by a huge cast including Tom Waits, Tim Blake Nelson, James Franco, and David Krumholtz. Whether or not you enjoy Westerns, Ballad is one heck of a fun ride.
Annapurna Pictures, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)
The Meyerowitz Stories (New And Selected)
As mentioned earlier, director and writer Noah Baumbach truly shines when working with the topic of family dynamics, and this is yet another entry in the canon for him.
Netflix, The Meyerowitz Stories (2017)
Zombieland
Zombieland definitely overdelivered on its premise and promise, quickly becoming one of the better entries in the horror comedy genre. If you've seen and enjoyed the pairing of Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson in the Now You See Me series but have yet to check out Zombieland, what are you waiting for?
The Trial Of The Chicago 7
Early buzz for this Aaron Sorkin drama was big, but in the end, when it was released, it never really found its niche with critics or audiences. This is something of a shame, because for a certain type of viewers looking for drama, wit, and incredible performances, it might just be exactly what they're looking for.
Netflix, The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)
Stand By Me
One of the ultimate comfort watches of all time, Stand By Me is just as good today as it was five or 10 or 20 or, gasp, 38 years ago when it came out.
May December
One of 2023’s critical darlings, this Todd Haynes drama is incredibly tightly-wound and features captivating performances by Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman.
Killer Films, May December (2023)
Edge Of Tomorrow
It’s rare to get the pleasure of a non-franchise Tom Cruise flick—but when we do, it’s always a good time. This action thriller pairs him with Emily Blunt, and gives audiences a fresh and wildly entertaining take on a time-loop premise set in the middle of an epic battle between humans and aliens.
Warner Bros., Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
Phantom Thread
This enchanting drama by Paul Thomas Anderson features Daniel Day-Lewis as a fashion designer and Vicky Krieps as the woman he falls for. Though it was best seen on film stock in a theater, it’s nonetheless a breathtakingly beautiful watch no matter what size screen you see it on.
Focus Features, Phantom Thread (2017)
A Quiet Place: Part II
Though the original was a perfectly-wrapped package of horror, this sequel deftly expands on the premise of the first, putting its characters in new situations just as, if not more horrifying than its predecessor.
Paramount, A Quiet Place Part II (2021)
Uncorked
The “wine movie” is an under appreciated sub-sub-genre—but Uncorked is proof it doesn’t need to begin and end with Sideways.
