60 Underseen but Excellent Netflix Original Movies Now Streaming

“Pieces of a Woman” (2020)

Hungarian husband and wife team Kornél Mundruczó and Kata Wéber adapted their own 2017 stage play “Pieces of a Woman” in 2020, making their English language filmmaking debuts in the process. Mundruczó directs and Wéber writes the screenplay for the Venice International Film Festival premiere, which stars Vanessa Kirby as a woman who undergoes a traumatic homebirth and the loss of her child, and the painful legal battle between her family and the midwife Eva (Molly Parker). Critics were divided on the film, but the stress-inducing one shot birthing sequence that opens the film received acclaim, as did Kirby’s performance as a grieving Martha; for her work, the star of “The Crown” received BAFTA, Oscar, Critics’ Choice, and SAG award nominations. —WC

“The Forty-Year-Old Version” (2020)

Radha Blank wrote, directed, produced, and starred in “The Forty-Year-Old Version,” a wonderfully sharp and insightful comedy loosely based on her own life. Blank plays a version of herself, a New York playwright and teacher struggling to get her work produced. Nearing her 40th birthday, Blank decides to channel her career frustrations into beginning a rap career, teaming up with hip hop producer D (Oswin Benjamin) to develop music. The film is Blank’s feature directorial debut, but it’s incredibly confident in its voice, perfectly parodying the suffocating whiteness of the theater world as it sends its lead on a funny, sad, romantic and deeply satisfying journey to find herself. The film flew somewhat under the radar during its October 2020 Netflix debut, but Blank picked up a directing prize at its earlier Sundance premiere that January. —WC

“Crip Camp” (2020)

A 2020 Oscar nominee for Best Documentary Feature, “Crip Camp” tells the extraordinary story of Camp Jened — a New York State summer camp dedicated to teens of disabilities — and a group of campers from the ’70s who went on to become leading figures in the disability rights movement. Former Jened camper James LeBrecht co-directed the film with Nicole Newnham, and the documentary is a stirring document of a movement often ignored in American history, featuring incredible archival footage and great interviews with former campers, including the legendary Judith Heumann. —WC

“The Guilty” (2021)

A remake of a 2018 Danish film from Gustav Möller, “The Guilty” is a tense thriller that focuses on Joe Baylor (Jake Gyllenhaal): a 911 call operater attempting to help a young woman escape an abduction situation remotely from his desk. Gyllenhaal is the only person on screen for the majority of the film, which features voices from Ethan Hawke, Riley Keough, Eli Goree, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Paul Dano, and Peter Sarsgaard as the various people he calls throughout the night. The 2021 Antoine Fuqua film received positive reviews upon release, with IndieWire’s Kate Erbland calling it a “snazzy, Americanized update that will likely thrill newcomers to the story and satisfy fans of the original.”

“I Care a Lot” (2020)

Rosamund Pike channels her all-time great “Gone Girl” performance in “I Care a Lot”: a 2020 black comedy thriller from director J Blakeson. Pike plays Marla Grayson, a con artist who takes advantage of elderly citizens and scams them out of their money. But her modus operandi places her in the crossfires of Roman Lunyov (Peter Dinklage), a crime boss who goes to war against her. Eiza González, Dianne Wiest, and Chris Messina also star in the film, a savage satire of conservatorships. —WC

“White Noise” (2022)

Noah Baumbach’s “White Noise” never quite picked up the awards momentum that many expected it would when the project was first announced. Baumbach directing Greta Gerwig and Adam Driver in an adaptation of the classic Don DeLillo novel with the largest budget of his career was certainly an enticing proposition, but the apocalyptic satire was too out there for many fans and critics. While it may not be a classic, it’s still an enjoyable take on a novel that many thought was unfilmable, and it’s worth a watch for the LCD Soundsystem song alone. —CZ

“Sr.” (2022)

Robert Downey Jr. pays tribute to his father, legendary countercultural filmmaker Robert Downey Sr., in this moving documentary from director Chris Smith. The film follows Downey Sr. as he attempts to finish an experimental documentary about his own life (part of which is shown in the film) while his son talks with him in more traditional documentary segments. The end result is a fascinating look at an artist who influenced a generation of indie filmmakers and whose comedic sensibilities continue to pop up in the zeitgeist. —CZ

“Apollo 10 1/2” (2022)

“Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood” introduces itself as a fantastical adventure about a Houston fourth-grader who’s plucked out of school for a confidential NASA mission in the spring of 1969 (those wacky scientists accidentally built the lunar module too small for an adult), but Richard Linklater’s first animated feature since “A Scanner Darkly” isn’t really a story about a kid who secretly paved the way for Neil Armstrong, or even a story about a kid who had any special interest in the stars above. In fact, this semi-autobiographical sketch isn’t really a story at all so much as a sweetly effervescent string of Kodachrome memories from the filmmaker’s own childhood — the childhood of someone who was born in a place without any sense of yesterday, and came of age at a time that was obsessed with tomorrow.

Read IndieWire’s full review.

“Photocopier” (2021)

Indonesian filmmaker Wregas Bhanuteja’s feature-length debut is a crime mystery about a viral moment gone wrong. When photos of her at a party cause her to lose a scholarship, a student investigates whether something devastating happened to her that night. The film was critically acclaimed following its premiere at the Busan Film Festival in 2021 and eventual premiere on Netflix.

“The House” (2022)

This three-part stop-motion anthology features the voices of Mia Goth, Jarvis Cocker, Susan Wokoma, and Helena Bonham Carter. Per IndieWire’s review, “Boasting different directors but the same writers, the segments feel distinct far beyond the fact that each of them are set in the same house during wildly changing eras. The first centers on a struggling family, gifted a lavish home by a mysterious benefactor. The final two forego humanity entirely, focusing on anthropomorphic main characters: a real estate-flipping rat and a feline landlord, respectively.”

“The Invisible Thread” (2022)

In Marco Simon Puccioni’s Italian movie for Netflix, the teenage son of two fathers makes a documentary about his parents but is surprised when a real-life plot twist occurs in his family. The well-reviewed romantic comedy turned relationship drama was praised for its handling of LGBTQ themes.

“Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (2022)

You could be forgiven for having low expectations for a sequel to one of horror’s most inconsistent franchises that was released on Netflix in the duldrums of February. But “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” is the strongest entry in the series since Tobe Hooper’s two original films. The movie succeeds in part because it engages with the most recent slasher sequels (most notably 2018’s “Halloween”) and lampoons how seriously they take themselves. Like the “Halloween” reboot, it treats the original “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” film as canon and ignores the sequels, instead choosing to follow a survivor of the original massacre who has spent her life hunting down Leatherface. But rather than take the premise seriously, it takes that idea to its logical conclusion by showing how unlikely it is to work in a world where invincible serial killers rule rural Texas. The result is self aware slasher gold, often hilarious and always bloody. —CZ

“Concrete Cowboy” (2021)

The Fletcher Street Riding Club is a Philadelphia institution, teaching Black men to ride horses in the city for decades. The club, and the urban cowboy culture that it embodies, is the subject of this feel-good story starring Idris Elba, with many members of the real club appearing in the movie as well. The film was positively received at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2020, but its release on the streaming service in 2021 was met with little fanfare. If you’re looking for a well-made movie about a unique subculture, look no further. —CZ

“The Privilege” (2021)

Fans of “Dark” know that Netflix has found plenty of success with genre-bending German horror, and while “The Privilege” never quite hits the highs of that show, it is an extremely fun watch for horror buffs. Combining psychological, biological, and religious horror into a uniquely pulpy stew, the film follows boarding school students who discover a dark conspiracy and some very strange fungi. It’s a unique film that deserves more attention from horror fans than it initially received. —CZ

“Ride or Die” (2021)

Ryûichi Hiroki’s adaptation of the popular manga “Gunjō” tells the story of a lesbian couple on the run from the law after one murders the other’s abusive husband. But the excellent film is far less pulpy than the premise suggests, instead choosing to reflect on the story in a meandering way that makes no clear moral judgments. In his review of the film, IndieWire’s David Ehrlich wrote that “‘Ride or Die’ is not a goal-oriented romance — it might not be a romance at all — and that makes this long and winding road trip all the more worth sticking with to the end.” —CZ

“A Classic Horror Story” (2021)

Despite the cheeky name, “A Classic Horror Story” is a delightful piece of horror pastiche that pulls from slasher flicks, grindhouse revenge stories, pagan horror, found footage, giallo, and just about any other subgenre you can imagine. The Italian film takes a familiar premise (a group of kids find themselves stranded when their van breaks down), and drives a train through it, creating an absolutely gonzo tribute to horror. It’s hard to imagine a more fun way for horror lovers to kill 90 minutes. —CZ

“Lingua Franca” (2020)

Isabel Sandoval’s luminous third feature “Lingua Franca” is an understated immigrant story that announces the arrival of a new era of trans filmmaking auteurs. The movie was backed by distributor ARRAY and got its North American release through Netflix, so in a sense it’s a tangential Netflix original compared to the other titles on this list. Regardless, this overlooked indie is so remarkable that it deserves any chance to pick up new viewers. In “Lingua Franca,” sparsely traveled boardwalks and above-ground subway trains offer an elegantly lonesome backdrop to this plaintive portrait of an undocumented trans woman. Sandoval, starring as her own protagonist, keeps a tight focus on its central figure, the fiercely independent and self-protective Olivia. The film is undoubtedly hers, and she is a revelation in front of and behind the camera.

Read IndieWire’s full review.

“On Body and Soul” (2017)

Ildikó Enyedi’s “On Body and Soul” won the Golden Bear at the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival, but it more or less went unnoticed when it debuted on Netflix (which tells you everything you need to know about the streaming age). The film opens with the tender, lyrical image of a deer and buck wandering across a snow-encrusted landscape. With time, it’s revealed that these affectionate animals represent the shared perspectives of dreamers Endre (Géza Morcsányi), the middle-aged manager of a Hungarian slaughterhouse, and Mária (Alexandra Borbély), his much younger employee. Their inexplicable ability to join together in animal form after hours could easily turn absurd or painfully maudlin in the wrong hands, but Enyedi gets away with the outrageous scenario, injecting it with a touching, understated romanticism epitomized by that magisterial opening moment. Despite its otherworldly setup, “On Body and Soul” is grounded in familiar emotions.

Read IndieWire’s full review.

“Happy as Lazzaro” (2018)

The first hour of Alice Rohrwacher’s “Happy as Lazzaro” is a naturalistic look at rustic life in the Italian countryside, where noblemen and peasants live a solitary existence seemingly out of time. The next half shifts the setting to the city, but more importantly, pitches the story in a strange, supernatural direction that transforms the entire drama into a fascinating allegorical mystery. Rohrwacher’s third feature revisits some of the themes she mined in “The Wonders” about the dissolution of the pastoral world under the pressures of modernity, but she pushes that fixation to a metaphorical place. At times that takes the loose narrative in a heavy-handed direction, but Rohrwacher shows such commitment to her peculiar storyline — while the cast imbues the stranger twists with an undercurrent of credibility — that the movie lulls you into its unpredictable rhythms, and a striking poetry creeps into the material, finally overtaking it.

Read IndieWire’s review here.

“Night in Paradise” (2021)

“Night in Paradise” is a slow-burn but explosive South Korean mob epic starring Uhm Tae-goo as an enforcer who tries to lie low on Jeju Island after starting a gang war in Seoul. The film comes from “New World” filmmaker Park Hoon-jung, and it’s another long and blood-soaked tale of rival gangsters slaughtering each other by the dozens in a war to determine who gets to rule over the bones. If “New World” was paced like Puccini, “Night in Paradise” sounds more like Toru Takemitsu or even the Pixies, its exquisite paroxysms of carnage separated by long, ambient stretches of waiting for death to arrive.

Read IndieWire’s review here.

“I’m No Longer Here“ (2020)

Writer/director Fernando Frias de la Parra emerged as one of the freshes new voices in Mexican cinema with “I’m No Longer Here,” which follows the leader of a street gang in the mountains of Monterrey, Mexico, who struggles to assimilate into his new home of Jackson Heights, Queens after learning his gang and Kolombia culture is under threat. The movie was Mexico’s official entry for the 2020 Oscar’s Best International Feature category, but it did not make the final list of five nominees. However, the film did manage to get the support of two notable fans: Alfonso Cuarón and Guillermo del Toro.

“It’s a film that doesn’t really have a reference in Mexican cinema before,” Cuarón said in 2020. “It’s a film that challenges the ideas of formalism to create its own cinematic narrative that are completely supported in time and space… Because of that it’s a film about identity… and the certainty of our identities, the defense of our identities. The challenge of how supported our identities are, how much our identities are based upon an external façade. That’s a reason it’s truly universal.”

“A Secret Love” (2020)

“A Secret Love” is a touching documentary about a 65-year lesbian relationship that preserves a minute but monumental chapter of queer history. The film, directed by Chris Bolan and produced by Ryan Murphy, tells the story of Terry Donahue and Pat Henschel, a former All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player and her partner who kept their lesbian love a secret for nearly 70 years.

“A Secret Love” serves not only as a precious example of a committed long-term queer relationship, but it’s also a vital record for the evolving nature of gay rights in America and the way members of the LGBTQ community have viewed themselves over seven decades. There are scant dramatic turns or shocking revelations, but “A Secret Love” is thoroughly enjoyable and heartfelt from start to finish.

“Tigertail” (2020)

Alan Yang made an impressive jump from television (he was a writer on “Parks and Recreation” and co-created “Master of None” with Aziz Ansari) to film with his feature directorial debut “Tigertail,” a slow-burn immigrant drama with visual polish to spare. Yang mined his own personal history for the film’s narrative, which follows a Taiwanese factory worker who seeks a better life in America but struggles to keep his family afloat. Yang infuses his earnest, semi-fictionalized story (inspired by his own father’s experiences) with the evocative narrative traditions of modern Asian cinema, from Wong Kar Wai to Edward Yang, resulting in a rich and intimate atmosphere at every turn. 2020 sae Lee Isaac Chung has receive breakout acclaim for his autobiographical “Minari;” Yang should have gotten the same for “Tigertail.”

“A Sun” (2020)

Just how overlooked was “A Sun” on Netflix? Most moviegoers had no idea Chung Mong-hong’s masterful family drama was streaming for the majority of 2020 until a Variety film critic named the movie the best film of 2020. That one designation resulted in more U.S. critics seeking out the film and giving it universal critical acclaim. Taiwan selected “A Sun” as its Oscar entry for the 2021 Academy Awards, but it did not land one of the final five nominations after securing a spot on the 15-film shortlst.

IndieWire’s David Ehrlich writes in his review: “A stylish but unexpectedly sober tale of crime and punishment that finds its 55-year-old director pivoting away from the more heightened tone of his three previous features (“Parking,” “Soul,” and “Godspeed”) for a riveting moral odyssey that mixes elements of broad comedy, ultra-violence, melodrama, and even a splash of animation into the slow-boiling stew of everyday human existence.”

“The Dig“ (2021)

Simon Stone’s historical drama “The Dig” hit streaming early January 2021, where it more or less went down in the U.S. as that Carey Mulligan movie that isn’t “Promising Young Woman.” Mulligan’s ferocious and awards-nominated role in “Promising Young Woman” overpowered “The Dig,” a quiet and bittersweet period drama co-starring Ralph Fiennes and Lily James about an archaeologist excavating Sutton Hoo in 1938. Whether it’s a mere whiff of romance, the memory of a loved one passed on, or the encroaching consequence of a nation readying for conflict, there’s a longing atmosphere to “The Dig” that lingers just as much as the facts of the story. The film luckily had stronger legs in the U.K., where it picked up five BAFTA Film Award nominations.

“Nobody Knows I’m Here” (2020)

Gaspar Antillo’s drama “Nobody Knows I’m Here” marks Netflix’s first original feature from Chile. “Lost” favorite Jorge Garcia gives his best performance as a singer turned near-mute and reclusive after early fame led to a traumatic experience. IndieWire’s Eric Kohn called the film “a fascinating Spanish-language psychological thriller that meshes ‘A Star Is Born’ with ‘Searching for Sugarman'” and had significant praise for Garcia, a television veteran who had never led a feature film until now. “Garcia excels as a monosyllabic Bigfoot who casts a big shadow and uses it to hide from the world,” Kohn wrote.

“Circus of Books” (2020)

Rachel Mason’s documentary “Circus of Books” is a loving tribute to her Jewish parents and their unconventional business as the owners of West Hollywood’s iconic gay bookstore and pornography shop. Like fellow documentary “Scotty and the Secret History,” “Circus of Books” has the vibe of an entertaining sex comedy but goes the extra mile to shed light on what might otherwise have become a forgotten chapter in gay history.

Read IndieWire’s A review here.

“The Half of It” (2020)

It took Alice Wu 16 years to direct a follow-up film to her queer classic “Saving Face,” but the wait was worth it, as her eventual followup “The Half of It” took home the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival’s Best Narrative Feature prize. Breakout newcomer Leah Lewis stars as as Ellie Chu, a precocious high schooler who finds herself embroiled in an unexpected love triangle with football player Paul (Daniel Diemer) and popular girl Aster (Alexxis Lemire). The film has the set-up of a big Netflix teen rom-com hit (see “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” or “The Perfect Date”), but Wu’s storytelling opts for character-building depth instead of flashy, meme-friendly hijinks. The end result is the most mature and sensitive coming-of-age rom-com Netflix has ever released, and one that deserves as many eyeballs as the streamer’s more blockbuster genre offerings.

“Seriously Single” (2020)

Netflix releases so many original romantic comedies that under-the-radar gems like “Seriously Single” don’t stand a chance at capturing buzz when placed against the likes of Happy Madison entries (“The Wrong Missy”) or star vehicles for teen royalty (“Work It”). Directed by siblings Katleho and Rethabile Ramaphakela, “Seriously Single” is a South African rom-com that embraces the tropes of the genre and finds news ways to have fun with them. As IndieWire’s Kate Erbland wrote in her review, “Dineo is a romantic. Noni loves having a good time. The long-time best friends might not see eye to eye when it comes to long-term relationships, but the Ramaphakela duo finds the space to give both of the mismatched heroines a fresh, funny romantic comedy befitting their charms. The film leans into its genre bonafides, but isn’t beholden to them, unafraid to spice things up when the old playbook simply no longer works.”

“His House” (2020)

Remi Weekes’ thrilling feature directorial debut “His House” filters the immigrant experience through a terrifying horror lens in a film that follows two Sudanese asylum-seekers who arrive in Britain with their demons in tow. A critical favorite upon release, “Hill House” boasts riveting performances from Sope Dirisu and Wunmi Mosaku that ground Weekes’ supernatural leanings in trauma and emotions that feel far too real. As David Ehrlich wrote in this B+ review, “‘His House’ is an urgent and spine-tingling ghost story about what it means to begin anew in a home that may not want you to live in it.”

“1922” (2017)

Netflix has been behind buzzy Stephen King adaptations such as “In the Tall Grass” and “Gerald’s Game,” but it’s Zak Hilditch’s underseen “1922” that ranks as the streamer’s best Stephen King movie to date. The film stars Thomas Jane in a career-best performance as a farmer who convinces his son to help him murder his wife, but their killer act has unintended consequences on their lives. Hilditch brings a delicate visual language to King’s story and ends up crafting a horror movie that feels like what Terrence Malick might do if he took a stab at Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart.”

“Against the Ice” (2022)

“Against the Ice” is a survival drama based on the true account of two Danish explorers’ treacherous 1909 trek to the northeastern tip of Greenland. The film is written by and stars “Game of Thrones” breakout Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.

“6 Balloons” (2018)

Marja-Lewis Ryan’s “6 Balloons” features standout dramatic performances from “Broad City” favorite Abbi Jacobson and Dave Franco. Jacobson stars as a woman who comes to suspect her young brother (Franco) has relapsed on heroin. The film is a rare one in how convincingly it illustrates one of the core truths about addiction: It doesn’t really give a shit about your agenda. It’s chaos, it cares only about itself, and it feeds on collateral damage. Addiction isn’t separate from everyday life, or parallel to it — it’s intertwined and totally enmeshed. “6 Balloons” gets to the core of this brutal truth.

“Alex Strangelove” (2018)

“Love, Simon” made headlines in March 2018 for being the first studio teen rom-com to center around a gay character, so it’s not too suprising to hear the similarly-themed “Alex Strangelove” got drowned out when it made its Netflix debut just one month later. The coming-of-age high school comedy hails from “The Skeleton Twins” writer-director Craig Johnson and matches that film’s wonderful empathy for its conflicted lead characters. Daniel Doheny stars as Alex, a high school teen who discovers his sexuality after being romantically pulled between his longtime friend Claire and an openly gay new friend named Elliot.

“All the Bright Places” (2020)

Brett Haley has been the writer-director behind plenty of feel-good and emotionally satisfying indie films, from “I’ll See You in My Dreams” to “The Hero” and “Hearts Beat Loud,” and the 2020 Netflix original “All the Bright Places” keeps his heartfelt streak alive. The film is based on Jennifer Niven’s novel of the same name and stars Elle Fanning and Justice Smith as troubled teens who spark a romantic connection after they’re paired up for a class assignment. “All the Bright Places” doesn’t reinvent the teen romance, but its lived-in performances and vibrant chemistry make the well-worn genre feel authentic and new again. 

“Barry” (2016)

The Obama romance drama “Southside with You” premiered at the start of 2016 and stole all the thunder from December release “Barry,” the Netflix original starring Devon Terrell as Obama during the future president’s junior year at Columbia University in 1981, a pivotal semester where Obama developed his opinions about race, government, and America. IndieWire’s David Ehrlich called “Barry” the better of the 2016 Obama biographical dramas and wrote in his review that the film excelled at being both a biopic and an examination of America’s divisions

“The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” (2019)

“12 Years A Slave” Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor made his directorial debut with the uplifting and vivid true-life drama “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind,” based on the autobiography of Malawian innovator and engineer William Kamkwamba. Maxwell Simba stars in the film as a young William, who decides to build a windmill pump in order to save his village from starvation after poor weather wipes out their crops. Ejiofor stars in the film as William’s father. IndieWire’s David Ehrlich review of the film reads: “Ejiofor originally planned to stay behind the camera in his solid and involving directorial debut, but it’s easy to understand why he felt compelled to star: Trywell Kamkwamba is one of the more fascinating characters he’s ever played.”

“Brahman Naman” (2016)

Netflix has dominated the teen sex comedy genre with its breakout original series “Sex Education,” but it also has a movie that’s a worthy entry in the genre thanks to “Brahman Naman.” The streaming giant picked up the comedy out of the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. Set in the 1980s, “Brahman Naman” satirizes and embraces the tropes of that decade’s sex comedies as it tells the story of a group of nerds in Bangalore who qualify for the National Quiz Championships and make it their mission to lose their virginities and win the tournament prize.

“Burning Sands” (2017)

Gerard McMurray’s directorial debut “Burning Sands” is a punishing and gripping inside look at masculinity in crisis, told through the eyes of a young black college student who is forced through an unrelenting hazing process to join his school’s popular fraternity. Trevor Jackson, best known for “Grownish,” gives a terrific performance in the leading role. Jackson’s character has everything going for him until the pressures of securing collegiate brotherhood send him past his breaking point. 

“Cam” (2018)

Daniel Goldhaber’s “Cam” is one of the best psychological horror movies to stream on Netflix right now. “Orange Is the New Black” and “The Handmaid’s Tale” actress Madeline Brewer delivers a transfixing performance as a cam girl who wakes up one day to discover her online show now stars an exact replica of herself. Goldhaber does David Lynch justice in this eerie mind-fuck about our online personas. Read David Ehrlich’s B+ review of the film here.

“Cargo” (2018)

Netflix has had luck turning its original horror movies into buzzy word-of-mouth hits, from “The Ritual” to “The Perfectionist” and “The Platform,” but such a fate didn’t meet the less-talked-about “Cargo” in 2018. Martin Freeman stars as a father who must protect his daughter from a zombie outbreak in a film that successfully takes “Train to Busan” thrills and drops them in the middle of the Australian outback. IndieWire gave the film an A- review, comparing it favorably to both “Train to Busan” and “A Quiet Place.”

“Come Sunday” (2018)

Most critics would pick “12 Years a Slave” as Chiwetel Ejiofor’s best work to date, but IndieWire’s David Ehrlich says Ejiofor “gives the best performance of his career” in “Come Sunday,” director Joshua Marston’s stirring and provocative biopic about a Tulsa minister whose belief in universal reconciliation (the idea that all sinful souls will be reconciled to God and a rejection of the notion of Hell) forced him out of his own community. “The movie that’s happening in Ejiofor’s eyes is wracked and compelling,” Ehrlich wrote in his 2018 review.

“Chasing Coral” (2017)

One of the most stunning Netflix originals is Jeff Orlowski’s nature documentary “Chasing Coral,” which follows an international team of divers, scientists, and photographers as they set out to investigate the disappearance of coral reefs around the world. Come for the eye-popping and dazzling underwater footage, and stay for Orlowski’s expertly crafted message on climate change that gives a distinct human edge to the issue. Read IndieWire’s B+ review of the documentary here. 

“The Discovery” (2017)

Charlie McDowell had a lot of expectations to live up to after his breakout directorial debut “The One I Love,” and while his Netflix original “The Discovery” couldn’t match the inventive surprises of its predecessor, it’s still jam packed with bold science-fiction ideas that make it worth seeking out. The drama centers around the relationship between characters played by Jason Segal and Rooney Mara as they attempt to navigate a world in which the afterlife has been scientifically proven. IndieWire’s David Ehrlich called the drama ” a compelling, high-concept exploration of the rift between fantasy and reality.”

“Divines” (2016)

Houda Benyamina’s feature directorial debut “Divines” world premiered to great acclaim at Directors’ Fortnight before landing on Netflix in November 2016. The coming-of-age drama stars Oulaya Amamra as a teenager from a Romani banlieue on the outskirts of Paris whose life is upended after she befriends a young dancer. IndieWire’s David Ehrlich wrote in his positive review that “Divines” is “a ferocious debut film and the perfect companion to Céline Sciamma’s ‘Girlhood.'”

“Hold the Dark” (2018)

“Green Room” director Jeremy Saulnier is behind the Netflix survival thriller “Hold the Dark,” starring Jeffrey Wright as a man who is hired to track down a missing six-year-old boy in the Alaskan wilderness. IndieWire’s Eric Kohn writes in his B+ review, “By merging a riveting outdoor survival yarn worthy of Jack London with bloody shootouts and supernatural thrills, Saulnier solidifies an aesthetic steeped in the delicate art of merging many kinds of movies into a formidable whole. Saulnier and screenwriter Macon Blair maintain their gripping atmosphere with a rapid-fire pace, and the relentless experience adheres to its own homegrown beats.”

“I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore” (2017)

“Blue Ruin” breakout actor Macon Blair made his directorial debut with the delightful and dark “I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore,” winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. Melanie Lynskey gives a spectacular performance as a depressed burglary victim who teams up with her oddball neighbor (Elijah Wood, who reunited with Lynskey in 2023 for Season 2 of “Yellowjackets”) to find out the identity of her robber. Their search leads down a rabbit hole into a deranged criminal underworld. IndieWire’s David Ehrlich gave the film a B+ review out of Sundance, calling it a “killer debut” for Blair.

“I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House” (2016)

Osgood Perkins broke out with his 2015 directorial debut “The Blackcoat’s Daughter” and earned strong reviews for 2020’s “Gretel and Hansel,” but wedged in between those efforts is his sturdy Netflix original “I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House.” Ruth Wilson gives a commanding performance as a live-in nurse who comes to believe her elderly employer’s house is haunted. Perkins doesn’t waste a second in this 87-minute supernatural chiller that is further proof the writer-director is one of the most overlooked directors in the horror genre.

“In the Shadow of the Moon” (2019)

Jim Mickle’s serial killer drama “In the Shadow of the Moon” can feel messy at times, but its time-bending screenplay feels so mile-a-minute original that you have to give the writer-director credit for taking what is currently one of the most tired genres in film and television and making it utterly unique. The movie stars Boyd Holbrook as a detective investigating a serial killer who resurfaces every nine years. The investigation is complicated by discoveries that seem to defy all scientific logic. 

“The Incredible Jessica James” (2017)

“The Daily Show” correspondent Jessica Williams delivers a star-making movie performance in James C. Strouce’s “The Incredible Jessica James.” Williams plays an aspiring New York City playwright who finds the love of her life while trying to avoid romance after a painful break-up. Williams had a breakout supporting role in Strouce’s “People Places Things,” and the writer-director wisely put Williams centerstage for his follow-up movie. Williams’ starpower is unquestionable in the lead role.

“The Kindergarten Teacher” (2018)

Maggie Gyllenhaal gives a towering performance in “The Kindergarten Teacher,” Sara Colangelo’s English-language remake of the 2014 Israeli drama of the same name. Gyllenhaal stars as Lisa Spinelli, an emotionally-damaged teacher who becomes obsessed with her young student after she discovers he is a poetry savant. Gyllenhaal’s character crosses moral boundaries in her pursuit to give the child a future he deserves, while Colangelo wisely lets her film soak in the grey areas between right and wrong. Gyllenhaal’s performance in “The Kindergarten Teacher” is one of the best in a Netflix original movie.

“Our Souls at Night” (2017)

Reuniting icons Robert Redford and Jane Fonda works like gangbusters in “Our Souls at Night,” Ritesh Batra’s gentle and moving late-in-life Netflix romance film. It’s based on Kent Haruf’s 2014 novel and adapted to the screen by “(500) Days of Summer” scribes Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, who handle the material with a sensitivity that belies their youth. The film marks the fourth collaboration between Fonda and Redford, who previously starred in “The Chase,” “Barefoot in the Park,” and “The Electric Horseman.”

“Paddleton” (2019)

Alex Lehmann’s “Paddleton” is small-scale emotional powerhouse starring Mark Duplass and Ray Romano as lifelong friends who venture out on a road trip after discovering one of them has terminal cancer. Duplass and Romano’s winning chemistry brings a naturalism to the story that in the wrong hands could be a shallow and manipulative tearjerker. Between “Blue Jay” and “Paddleton,” Lehmann is one of Netflix’s dramatic MVPs who deserves way more buzz.

“Private Life” (2018)

Tamara Jenkins delivered her long-awaited follow-up to “The Savages” with the 2018 Netflix original “Private Life,” starring Paul Giamatti and Kathryn Hahn as a New York City couple whose niece (Kayli Carter) becomes their pregnancy surrogate. Jenkins reaffirms her status as one of the most crushingly honest writer-directors working today, while Giamatti and Hahn deliver acting showcases with their work as exasperated artists in marital crisis. Read IndieWire’s David Ehrlich on why Giamatti deserved an Oscar for his “Private Life” performance 

“Roxanne Roxanne” (2017)

Hip-hop biopics are a Hollywood mainstay, but the subgenre has largely favored male rappers like Notorious B.I.G. and rap group N.W.A. Sundance favorite “Roxanne Roxanne” changes that, bringing to life the story of ‘80s sensation Lolita Shante Gooden, better known as Roxanne Shante, hip-hop’s first commercially successful female artist. Director Michael Larnell sticks to the traditions of the musical underdog story, but actress Chanté Adams gives such a revelatory performance as Roxanne that this Netflix original is impossible to resist.

“Shirkers” (2018)

Documentary filmmaker Sandi Tan turns the camera on herself in the remarkable documentary “Shirkers.” Tan made a movie in Singapore when she was a teenager, only for the director to steal the movie and vanish into thin air. “Shirkers” tracks a now-adult Tan as she sets out to find the lost movie and rediscover a past that is far more traumatic than she even remembers. IndieWire’s Erich Kohn wrote in his B+ review, “‘Shirkers’ has the handmade delicacy of a scrapbook come to life, blending ample footage from the original production with candid modern-day interviews and photography. The ensuing drama is a satisfying mix of an involving travelogue movie and an archival rescue mission.”

“Tallulah” (2016)

Before winning an Oscar with “CODA,” Sian Heder released the 2016 comedy-drama “Tallulah.” Elliot Page and Allison Janney star as two women who end up caring for a young child after Page’s babysitter steals it from a woman (Tammy Blanchard) she views as an unfit mother. While Heder’s script can be overwrought at times, the performances from the three female leads make “Tallulah” a hard-hitting look at flawed mothers that isn’t afraid to rough up its comedic edges with serious truths.

“To The Bone” (2017)

Director Marti Noxon and actress Lily Collins channel their own personal histories to create an essential drama about eating disorders in “To The Bone.” Loosely based on her own experiences with anorexia, Noxon’s drama follows Ellen (Collins) on a bumpy road to wellness that has tremendous stakes: If Emily doesn’t get “better,” she’s going to die. IndieWire’s Kate Erbland gave “To the Bone” an A- review, writing, “Throughout the film, Noxon wisely refuses to offer up easy answers and feel-good conclusions to Ellen’s journey, and neither does Collins’ extraordinary performance.”

“Tramps” (2016)

Adam Leon’s sensational indie drama “Tramps” features terrific performances from Grace Van Patten and Callum Turner as two strangers who fall in love after helping out their friends in a shady deal gone wrong. IndieWire’s Eric Kohn raved about the film in his 2016 review, writing, “‘Tramps’ is a brisk and scrappy tale of lovable young hooligans on the cusp of a busy inner city world and searching for their place within it. It’s certainly one of the better American rom-coms in recent memory.”

“Win It All” (2017)

Indie stalwart Joe Swanberg is best known on Netflix for his original comedy series “Easy,” but he also directed a gem of an original movie for the streamer called “Win It All.” Jake Johnson stars as a gambler who spends all of his friend’s money after the friend heads to prison. When the friend is released, Johnson’s character sets out on whirlwind gambling spree to win the money back. IndieWire’s Eric Kohn called the film an “endearing crowdpleaser” in his review out of the 2017 SXSW Film Festival, writing, “By making a satisfactory crowdpleaser that doesn’t overextend itself, Swanberg has delivered his most traditional movie to date — and for this prolific filmmaker, who spent ages defying conventions, that’s nothing short of a radical step forward.”