Since 2015, Netflix has been producing a large number of its own original movies, with estimates ranging from several hundred to over three thousand as per Google’s reliable AI. This figure supposedly includes both films and television series under the Netflix brand.
However many movies there may be, a substantial number catches your eye. And every now and then, you stumble upon a delightful indie film on Netflix that seems as if it’s been overlooked by the entire human race. A genuine gem. It’s like discovering a new world, only far more captivating. But Magellan never happened across an outstanding movie hidden away on Netflix, despite all those algorithms – certainly not!
It’s possible I might be underplaying my situation, but honestly, we’ve all found ourselves in a bind: scrolling through that long list of Netflix shows, each one represented by a tiny box, only to feel bewildered by the abundance of choices. Deciding what to watch among thousands of options, readily accessible at our fingertips, can sometimes be more challenging than enjoyable.
Let ScreenCrush help you by narrowing down the extensive list of over 6,000 titles to a more manageable 12. These handpicked choices are accessible on Netflix, but they don’t fit into the category of blockbusters that achieved global fame such as Kpop Demon Hunters, contenders for the Oscars like Roma or The Irishman, or films featuring mega A-list actors with enormous budgets like Red Notice and The Gray Man.
Here’s a suggestion for paraphrasing: You might discover some hidden gems in the nooks of Netflix’s collection – small films that have yet to receive the attention they truly deserve. Each one is worth a watch and could use a little more recognition.
12 Great Netflix Movies You Never Watched
The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) (2017)
For approximately two decades, Ben Stiller and Adam Sandler didn’t work together on any film; their last collaboration being “Happy Gilmore”. The chemistry between them in “The Meyerowitz Stories” is so remarkable that it leaves one questioning why there haven’t been more collaborations. Nonetheless, the wait was worth it as the duo delivers a compelling portrayal of half-brothers grappling with their complex relationships with their artist father Harold, played by Dustin Hoffman. Interestingly, they recently teamed up again for a Netflix movie named “Happy Gilmore 2”.
The main idea is preserved while simplifying the language and making it more reader-friendly.
The Other Side of the Wind (2018)
Netflix’s influence on the film industry is so significant that they seem to have even revived the work of deceased directors, such as Orson Welles who passed away in 1985. His name graces the screen at the start of a movie, and it’s an oddly captivating sight – “Netflix presents… An Orson Welles Picture.
Private Life (2018)
Triple Frontier (2019)
In a different time, this film could have been a Don Siegel B-movie, playing as the second feature in a gritty double bill. However, in today’s streaming era, it was one of many movies that appeared on Netflix in 2019 and soon became forgotten by the public. But if you missed Triple Frontier, it’s worth revisiting Netflix’s library to find it.
At first glance, the posters featuring all the tough guys in military gear made it appear like a standard war and action movie. However, Triple Frontier was more akin to The Treasure of the Sierra Madre – a noir film that serves as a warning about greed’s destructive influence on a group of veterans who come together to steal from a drug lord, only to find their meticulous plans unravel due to countless minor complications. (Have you ever pondered how heavy money is? Steal too much of it, and your helicopter won’t fly.) Ben Affleck’s recent acting performances hint that he may have some insight into the harmful effects of greed, which could account for his strong performance in this film compared to his more recent work.
Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese (2019)
The film “Rolling Thunder Revue,” directed by Martin Scorsese, is a fascinating compilation from the 1970s that doesn’t directly cover Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder tour but instead combines concert footage, clips, and outtakes from Dylan’s lesser-known fictional film “Renaldo and Clara,” made during the same period. The movie features new interviews with several participants, including Dylan himself, who humorously claims to have no memory of the Rolling Thunder tour due to its distant past.
In essence, “Rolling Thunder Revue” is a humorous take on myth-making within the realm of documentary filmmaking. It may not be as comical as “This Is Spinal Tap,” but it certainly shares similarities with that type of production. Viewers might find it tucked away in Netflix’s extensive library, if they ever happen to come across it.
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)
Here’s an attempt at paraphrasing:
Despite the complex title or the fact that the story is based on a popular European singing competition not widely known in the U.S., this film is worth watching as it marks one of Will Ferrell’s funniest performances in a decade. He shares great chemistry with Rachel McAdams, exchanging clever, humorous lines effortlessly. They portray a pair of Icelandic friends, who unexpectedly find themselves representing their country in the annual Eurovision Song Contest. The show is entertaining, the songs are amusing and catchy, and both Ferrell and McAdams deliver standout performances. If you don’t enjoy it, you might just be a party pooper!
High Flying Bird (2020)
Enjoying movies with intelligent characters is engaging, as their unpredictable actions keep us guessing. Generally speaking, intelligent characters are featured more in captivating films, as less skillful directors may struggle to create them. The film “High Flying Bird,” directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Tarell Alvin McCraney, is one such movie, brimming with shrewd characters. In this production, André Holland from “Moonlight” portrays basketball agent Ray Burke, who’s navigating a solution to an NBA lockout that jeopardizes his top client. The outcome resembles an “Ocean’s” film set in the realm of sports business – and it’s remarkably smart!
Descendant (2022)
Documentary filmmaking involves both observation and questioning, and Margaret Brown excels at both. She poses the right questions to the right individuals and skillfully combines their responses into a comprehensive examination of an Alabama community grappling with the discovery of the Clotilda’s wreckage, the last ship known to have brought enslaved Africans to America. Additionally, Brown understands when to merely point a camera at someone and let events transpire naturally. Unlike many Netflix documentaries that are rushed to capitalize on trending news stories, Descendant is not one of them.
Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood (2022)
Richard Linklater’s latest animated film, released after 15 years, explores the thin line between dreams and memories, often making dreams seem more tangible than reality. The movie, titled Apollo 10 1/2, takes us on a journey through Linklater’s childhood in Houston, surrounded by NASA, and his fantasies of being the first boy to travel in space due to an Apollo capsule that was too small for adult astronauts. By capturing the atmosphere, style, sights, and sounds of the late 1960s and popular culture, Apollo 10 1/2 provides a fascinating exploration into Linklater’s creative mind and formative years.
Leo (2023)
Adam Sandler was one of the early Hollywood celebrities to join Netflix, and he’s created many of their top-viewed shows, such as “Murder Mystery” and a sequel to “Happy Gilmore”. He’s also utilized his fame for projects like “The Meyerowitz Stories” directed by Noah Baumbach and voiced the character in the lesser-known animated film “Leo”, about an old classroom pet who tires of spending his days in school and decides to explore the world before he passes away. The movie could have been overly sentimental or foolish, but “Leo” is genuinely touching and amusing (and even includes music!), plus it offers the most authentic portrayal of kindergarteners I’ve ever seen in a film (basically, a non-stop flood of big-headed, energetic chaos).
Rebel Ridge (2024)
In a captivating performance, Aaron Pierre shone as an upright Marine who finds himself entangled with corrupt police officers in the film “Rebel Ridge.” Despite being one of numerous new films that premiered on Netflix in September 2024, Pierre’s exceptional acting skills didn’t seem to generate much buzz. However, this doesn’t diminish his performance or the fact that Jeremy Saulnier, an acclaimed director known for movies like “Blue Ruin” and “Green Room,” once again delivered a gripping action film. The movie is reminiscent of “First Blood,” but with a contemporary twist.
The Greatest Night in Pop (2024)
Initially, as a child, I was captivated by the creation process of “We Are the World” and would repeatedly watch the documentary about it titled “We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song“. A recent documentary has been released that incorporates contemporary interviews with Lionel Richie and several other key figures from “We Are the World”, along with captivating archival footage taken from “The Story Behind the Song“. Now that I know all the participants, listening to “We Are the World” feels like a glimpse into the ’80s era of pop, rock, and fashion (Lindsey Buckingham’s hair! It was so extraordinarily large and geometric!). Additionally, it’s fascinating to observe the interpersonal relationships between such numerous well-known individuals in a room with minimal handlers or assistance. Who emerges as the leader, who appears anxious, who might have indulged in alcohol, who walked out when they were asked to sing in Swahili? If you enjoy delving into the dynamics of famous personalities, you’ll find this film intriguing, even if you aren’t a fan of “We Are the World”.
The 10 Worst Netflix Sci-Fi Movies
1. Awake (2021)
After the remarkable success of Bird Box (which narrowly avoided making our list), Netflix was seeking innovative concepts for horror/thriller films involving individuals losing various physical abilities. In 2021, they released Awake, featuring Gina Rodriguez as a single mother of two children who, along with the global population, discovered they couldn’t sleep. However, this unusual sleep deprivation led to their brains and bodies being starved of rest and then apparently transformed them into violent psychopaths. While the premise is intriguing, in practice, it mainly consisted of observing characters transitioning from one action-packed chase or fight scene to another, with an ending that left viewers unsatisfied following two hours of intensity. In essence, a draining viewing experience.
2. The Cloverfield Paradox (2018)
The film titled “The Cloverfield Paradox” turned out to be disappointing, despite an aggressive marketing strategy that hyped its release during Super Bowl LII. Spectators anticipated a unique viewing experience, but instead were treated to a poorly crafted movie that left them feeling irritated due to the unexpectedly extended screen time.
The story revolves around a group of astronauts stationed on Cloverfield Station who are tasked with activating a particle accelerator. This device is said to create a tear in the fabric of space-time and merge several alternate universes. Unfortunately, this scenario unfolds as predicted, leading to chaos among the crew members, some of whom meet gruesome demises, and Chris O’Dowd’s character’s arm acts like the Thing from The Addams Family.
While the premise may sound intriguing, the overall tone was gloomy, making it unenjoyable for viewers. Trying to release a movie like Beyoncé drops an album failed when the quality of “The Cloverfield Paradox” was so poor. The film’s reception and the forced connection to the original “Cloverfield” (2008) were met with such negative feedback that plans to expand the “Cloverfield universe” were abandoned.
3. Don’t Look Up (2021)
In a less direct manner,
Adam McKay’s recent style of socio-political humor can be either captivating or off-putting, and his 2021 film, “Don’t Look Up,” unfortunately falls into the latter category. This movie uses the plot of a planet-destroying comet to critique the current media landscape, but its comments often come across as grating rather than insightful. The story follows two astronomers, played by Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio, who discover a comet on a collision course with Earth. Despite their attempts to alert the world, no one seems to care or take them seriously. Instead, the conversation around the comet is overshadowed by political scandals, corporate greed, and those asking questions without providing solutions, ultimately leading to the planet’s destruction. Even the presence of a rotating cast of A-list stars and unexpected appearances fails to make the rest of the film engaging.
4. IO (2019)
Many poorly made science fiction films seem more suitable as brief stories, and this is the impression given by “IO“, a predominantly gloomy post-apocalyptic narrative set in a future Earth where the atmosphere has turned toxic, forcing its inhabitants to reside on one of Jupiter’s habitable moons. One character, portrayed by Margaret Qualley, chooses to stay on Earth with the ambition of cultivating bees resistant to the poisonous air for the purpose of pollinating plants that replenish oxygen. This concept is intriguing, but unfortunately, the majority of the movie revolves around her and Anthony Mackie driving aimlessly in search of a spaceship to transport them away from the planet. The plot is too sparse, and it lacks sufficient events to make it engaging for viewers.
5. Mute (2018)
For enthusiasts of filmmaker Duncan Jones’ expansive filmmaking endeavors, the futuristic neon style and classic noir themes of Blade Runner, Paul Rudd sporting an oversized mustache, or any blend thereof, generated a lot of excitement for the movie Mute. However, the hype was overshadowed only by the sheer letdown that it turned out to be. Set in the same universe as his outstanding drama Moon, the film, oddly enough, centers around a mute bartender in a futuristic Berlin, who during his quest to find his missing lover, stumbles upon a complex murder mystery.
This movie seems almost impossible to derail as many times as Mute does, but it manages to do so! It delves too deeply into its own sleaziness, revealing rather revolting aspects about its unheroic main characters every now and then. After a certain point, there’s simply nothing left that can salvage the movie, and no reason to continue watching.
6. Outside the Wire (2021)
In the current streaming era, military science fiction has become incredibly popular, with almost every streaming platform featuring at least one title in this genre. One of the less impressive examples on Netflix is the action movie titled “Outside the Wire.” Despite its promising premise about the evolution of warfare, the film is marred by lackluster performances from the actors and repetitive action sequences. The story unfolds as an American drone pilot, who accidentally kills two of his troops, is reassigned to a Ukrainian combat camp. There, he works under a captain who is secretly an advanced android soldier testing a new experimental program. As they hunt down a villain aiming to misuse nuclear launch codes for nefarious purposes, the android reveals his own hidden motives. While the concept is intriguing and fittingly somber, the movie disappointingly lacks excitement, considering its robots engaging in combat, people dropping bombs, and drones everywhere.
7. Project Power (2020)
As a fan, I wasn’t expecting “Project Power” to blend seamlessly with “The Boys” or “Animorphs,” but the movie certainly tried. Set in a future New Orleans grappling with an opioid-like epidemic called Power, which grants temporary animal abilities for criminal activity, it falls short of the hype. The city’s residents are hooked, and our protagonist – a special forces operative – is no exception, despite its deadly side effects. However, the gritty depiction of a cartel-driven drug crisis detracts from the movie’s potential as a sleek superhero film. Starring Jamie Foxx, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Machine Gun Kelly, it’s an oddly fitting cast for an unlikely trio.
8. Rebel Moon Part One: A Child of Fire (2023)
In simpler and more engaging language:
The influence of “Star Wars” fan fiction in Zack Snyder’s “Rebel Moon” films is quite evident, and at times, it feels disappointing instead of innovative. The initial installment, titled “A Child of Fire, takes place on a moon named Veldt, under the rule of a totalitarian space empire called Motherworld. However, the soldiers’ obsession with filling their spaceships with grain is bizarre since the colony is struggling to feed themselves.
The newcomer in this story, who turns out to be a former soldier in hiding, knows a group of rebels and embarks on a journey to various planets to gather them all. This sets up a series of disjointed vignettes that resemble a trailer for the next film rather than a standalone movie.
Interestingly, both “Rebel Moon” films were released as “shorter cuts” of longer “Snyder cuts,” which are claimed to provide additional storyline details. This marketing strategy is unusual and might leave viewers wondering if the extended version will offer a more satisfying experience.
9. Rim of the World (2019)
A Critique on “Rim of the World”
The issue with “Rim of the World” is that it falls short in comparison to the iconic children-centric action-adventure movies from the 1980s it aspires to replicate, or even compared to “Stranger Things,” which accomplishes similar feats but with superior execution. The film revolves around four campers who discover Earth is being invaded by aliens, and they embark on a mission to deliver a crucial key to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, where it can be used to activate an alien defense weapon and save humanity.
However, the core plot elements that should propel the film forward instead impede its progress: The kids continuously exchange the key, misplace the key, recover the key, pass it off to an adult who then meets a tragic end before returning it to them, and this cycle repeats. This sequence is tiresome where it ought to be exhilarating, and unfortunately, it doesn’t appear destined to become a timeless classic.
10. Tau (2018)
In the realm of horror films, Maika Monroe is generally a delight, but Tau stands as a rare exception to this norm. Monroe portrays a character who is forcefully equipped with a computer chip linked to an AI program, used by an unscrupulous scientist for nefarious purposes. The AI, named Tau and voiced by Gary Oldman, develops empathy towards the woman’s situation and assists her in breaking free from her tormentor’s malevolent intentions. This film could be likened to a drawn-out episode of Black Mirror, though it lacks the same level of creativity and pessimism about our excessive reliance on technology, especially when the technology starts to bear an uncanny resemblance to ourselves. If you’re seeking a more compact and intense movie about AI invading someone’s mind, opt for Leigh Whannell’s Upgrade instead, which was released in the same year.
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2025-09-08 20:03