These movies are worth your time! Thankfully, Netflix is currently streaming all of them. We chose lesser-known movies from a variety of genres and locations for this list of the top undervalued Netflix movies because we believe they deserve greater recognition. To be clear, several of these movies had excellent reviews when they first came out; they just haven’t attracted as large of an audience as we believe they should. We’ve included Netflix originals as well as big-screen releases in this list for 2022. From thrillers to horror, sci-fi to drama, comedies to family- and kid-friendly material, we cover it all.
Here are some underrated films that are now available on Netflix. As titles are added to and removed from the streamer, this list is continually updated.
Underrated Movies on Netflix
A Little Princess (1995)
The first English-language film from two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón is based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett about Sara Crewe, a young girl who pretends to be a princess to get through difficult times while in the care of a cruel boarding school headmistress.
A Monster Calls (2016)
J.A. Bayona’s breathtakingly beautiful and intensely emotional low fantasy, which is based on the eerie children’s book of the same name, is about a boy facing the unthinkable: the certain death of his terminally sick mother. In a creative, very moving film that made Bayona one of Hollywood’s most sought-after directors, Sigourney Weaver co-stars.
Alex Strangelove (2018)
This Netflix original film stars Daniel Doheny as Alex Truelove, a deeply closeted high school senior who loves his girlfriend Claire (Madeline Weinstein), but is overcome with confusion when he falls for a handsome, comfortably out boy named Elliot. The film is at once joyful, raunchy, and disarmingly poignant.
Bad Trip (2021)
Two friends on a road trip to New York are the subject of an impressively risk-taking blend of written humor and hidden-camera pranks à la Jackass, starring Eric André, Lil Rel Howery, and the peerless Tiffany Haddish. Prior to being purchased by Netflix, the film Bad Trip was delayed, unintentionally released, and online pirated. Since its contentious release window, it has acquired a sizable fan base and received favorable reviews.
Berlin Syndrome (2017)
Movies involving kidnapped women typically follow one of two paths because they are so prevalent that they could as well be their own genre: It’s either all about the suspense, trying to figure out whether and how she will escape, or there’s the nastier option, the low road, where certain movies make a spectacle out of a woman being tortured and degraded.
The movie adaptation of Melanie Joosten’s book, directed by Australian Cate Shortland, about a tourist who is imprisoned by a handsome teacher after a passionate one-night stand, is a thriller (quite heart-pounding at times), and much of the woman’s mistreatment is extremely difficult to watch. However, this highly absorbing psychological drama stands out because it is all about the characters and what is going on in their heads.
Australian-born Teresa Palmer, a star of the film Hacksaw Ridge, gives a powerful portrayal as a victim going through stages of agony similar to those experienced during a grieving process. This is Palmer’s film, and it gave the brilliant actress, who had previously been limited to portraying love-interest side characters, a serious calling-card in Hollywood. German actor Max Riemelt (Sense8) keeps up every step of the way as her frightening and multidimensional captor.
Cam (2018)
In this Daniel Goldhaber-directed Netflix original, an adult webcam performer learns that someone else has taken her position online. Cam has some very terrifying moments and thoughtfully and carefully examines the idea of sex employment. The Handmaid’s Tale’s Madeline Brewer turns in a stunning lead performance, frequently portraying several characters simultaneously on screen. Cam is frequently an investigation of shattered identity, something that is obviously not unique to the field of adult entertainment, thanks to a sharp script by real-life former cam girl Isa Mazzei. Cam fumbles a little bit at the conclusion, but Brewer just floored you with all the thought-provoking thoughts.
Crimson Peak (2015)
An underappreciated Del Toro romantic ghost story starring Mia Wasikowska as a newlywed who learns her new family’s terrible secrets is set in Victorian-era England. It features gorgeous Gothic imagery, generous acting, and true period goosebumps. Jessica Chastain and Tom Hiddleston are also featured.
The length of the candlesticks in the candelabras, the puffiness of the nightgown sleeves, and the intensity of the melodrama all increase as the plot develops. Crimson Peak is completely aware of who it is and has no desire to stray from the conventions of its genre. Additionally, it’s wonderful; wicked Chastain is the MVP here, extracting every last bit of fun, fear, and dark humor from the amiably ridiculous writing.
Dolemite Is My Name (2019)
In 2019, Eddie Murphy made a significant comeback. The legendary actor, TV host, and stand-up comedian was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance in the critically acclaimed Rudy Ray Moore biopic directed by Craig Brewer. He also won an Emmy for hosting Saturday Night Live. Many commentators claim that Murphy wasn’t given the proper Oscar nod.
His House (2020)
The South Sudanese refugees in Remi Weekes’ critically acclaimed supernatural horror debut are adjusting to a dangerous existence in small-town Europe. This is horror as theatrical art rather than a collection of objects that spring out and go bump in the night, similar to The Babadook or Under the Shadow. The lead actors, Wunmi Mosaku and Sope Dirisu, deliver twisted and devastating performances of the real-world subject matter.
I Am Jonas (2018)
This potent, well-regarded coming-of-age drama is punctuated by some exquisite eye candy (look at those cheekbones on protagonist Félix Maritaud!). Tragic tragedy and young homosexual love are both important themes of the story. This story is beautiful, told non-linearly with some suspense and surprise, just like the bodies on show. It would be unfair to spoil it. Watch it already, please.
RRR (2022)
The three Rs stand for “rise, roar, revolt,” and this South Indian film that is currently streaming on Netflix has undoubtedly caused a revolt among foreign spectators. RRR is a humorous, gory, energetic epic buddy action musical about real-life Indian revolutionaries and their struggle against the Raj. It stars N.T. Rama Roa Jr. and Ram Charan in a sweet bromance. The VFX are absurd but really intricate and stunning. The entire 187 minutes of the movie are truly amazing.
The Green Inferno (2013)
Unquestionably effective, Eli Roth’s brave, nauseating homage to Cannibal Holocaust and other grindhouse material features some of the most memorable (gulp) gore effects you’re likely to ever witness. Avoid watching while you are full.
The Lost Daughter (2021)
Adapted on the novel by Elena Ferrante, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s first film as a writer and director is a superb psychological drama. As usual, Olivia Colman is outstanding in her role as a mother who, while on vacation, develops an obsession with another woman and her daughter. A strong cast is completed by Peter Sarsgaard, Dakota Johnson, and Jessie Buckley.
The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)
Michael Rianda’s animated sci-fi comedy, a breakout critical and box office success of the pandemic era, is about a road-tripping family who must defend one another and the entire Earth against invading technology. At the 94th Academy Awards, The Mitchells vs. the Machines received a nomination for Best Animated Feature. The movie has received praise for including Katie, an LGBTQ character, in a sympathetic and inspirational way.
The Shack (2017)
A faith-based drama starring Sam Worthington and Octavia Spencer is based on the 2007 novel about a grieving man’s encounter with God. Despite mixed to unfavorable reviews from critics, The Shack became a sizable box office success. Destin Cretton, who later directed Shang-Chi, contributed to the writing
Uncharted (2022)
How do I start with Uncharted? Why on Earth’s continental surface were its detractors so harsh? The box office smash features magnetic, humorous, and physically demanding performances from Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg, who are in a league of their own when it comes to this kind of thing. It is based on the long-running, critically acclaimed adventure game series about strong-willed everyman explorer Nathan Drake.
Since there is only one Harrison Ford, it seems unlikely that any adventure movie will ever compare to the best of Indiana Jones. Uncharted is happy to be a polished, absurd, and self-aware homage, and viewers enjoyed the enjoyable escapism. Holland’s face is more captivating than any visual effect, much as it was with Spider-Man: No Way Home (which was released just weeks after Uncharted and cemented Holland as maybe the biggest box office name in the world right now). This truly shines.
Under the Shadow (2016)
Few films you’ll ever see blur the border between supernatural dread and the horrors of the real world like Babak Anvari’s feature debut, a masterfully produced and intensely unsettling chiller. Shideh, a medical student who is denied admission to her studies because to her engagement in revolutionary politics, is played by Narges Rashidi in The War of the Cities, a drama set in 1980s Tehran that serves as the setting for Anvari’s own fear-filled adolescence. Shideh is tasked with guarding their small daughter Dorsa (Avin Manshadi) as the fighting and explosions intensify all around them after her husband leaves for the front. When it seems like things cannot get much worse, Shideh and Dorsa are tormented by a malicious genie.
It’s almost oppressive to behold as the film’s flawless direction and superb performers conjure up a war-torn Iran. Anvari was up in a society where VCRs and VHS recordings were forbidden, and his debut picture displays a passion for movies that is indescribable. Although the supernatural shocks are effective, Shideh’s reality is always more terrifying, and Anvari seems to be making this point. This intimate powerhouse was chosen the finest movie of 2016 by renowned British reviewer Mark Kermode, and it should not be missed.
One of the greatest live-action family movies ever, A Little Princess is a visually stunning and emotionally rich masterwork that received two Oscar nominations.
