When it comes to watching a movie, Netflix is probably the first choice for many viewers. And rightly so. Netflix now boasts a subscriber count of 74.38 million in the US alone and remains the top streaming service worldwide. Astonishingly, Netflix users watched an average of 3.2 hours of video daily, as of 2020. And the streaming giant shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.
While Netflix single-handedly propelled many movie titles to worldwide acclaim, there are many others that went unnoticed by a majority of users. Either due to a limited theatrical release or other issues, several movies flew under the radar after arriving on the platform, and deserve a second chance.
10 Fractured (2019)
Fractured is a psychological thriller by Brad Anderson, the man behind other thrillers like The Machinist (Christian Bale) and The Call (Halle Berry). The film stars Sam Worthington (Terminator: Salvation) in the lead role of a distressed father searching for his wife and daughter after they disappear from a hospital's emergency room.
Despite garnering mostly unfavorable reviews on its Netflix release, this fast-paced and well-acted thriller is worth a viewing and keeps one guessing till the end. Depending on one's experience, the resolution at the end might or might not feel familiar.
9 Space Sweepers (2021)
Sci-Fi movies on Netflix are a dime a dozen. But Space Sweepers might just surprise even the direst cynics of its genre. Touted as the first Korean space blockbuster, this Feb 2021 South Korean release can best be described as a futuristic heist thriller set in space.
The story follows a crew of space scavengers as they attempt to blackmail an all-powerful organization after an astonishing discovery. Although the movie debuted at No. 1 on Netflix in many countries, US viewers might have missed this one.
8 The White Tiger (2021)
Adapted from Aravind Adiga's Booker Prize-winning novel of the same name, The White Tiger is a crime drama set mostly in Delhi. It is a fantastic tale about a young guy from rural India trying to escape a life of servitude using his street smarts.
Director Ramin Bahrani (Chop Shop) and the cast of the film — led by Adarsh Gourav, Priyanka Chopra, and Rajkummar Rao — were praised for bringing the award-winning book to life with beautiful cinematography and elements of dark comedy. A 'Top 10' in more than 60 countries on its Netflix release, it is a must-watch for viewers looking for a change of pace.
7 The Disaster Artist (2017)
In case viewers haven't watched 2003's The Room (Tommy Wiseau), they can thank their stars. Widely regarded as one of the worst films ever made, its memoir later materialized into 2017's The Disaster Artist, starring James Franco (127 Hours) and Seth Rogen (Superbad). This comedy-drama chronicles the making of Tommy Wiseau's widely-hated indie movie.
Franco was praised for his performance and the film was mostly well-received, hailed for its delightfully comic and graceful tone.
6 The Bar (2017)
From director Álex de la Iglesia, this Spanish black comedy thriller is a wild ride from start to finish. Featuring an ensemble cast, The Bar follows a group of seemingly unrelated people trapped in a Madrid bar.
The plot picks up pace after two people are mysteriously killed just outside the bar and the patrons inside start turning on each other out of suspicion. Containing some horror elements as well, the tight narrative will delight fans of black comedies.
5 Project Power (2020)
Superhero films are all the rage today, thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Though not adapted from Marvel or DC, Project Power doesn't shy away from the more fantastical elements of the genre.
The slick action flick stars Jamie Foxx (Django Unchained), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Looper), and Dominique Fishback (Judas and the Black Messiah) figuring out the secret behind a pill that grants superpowers. Though nothing more than a breezy action-thriller, it certainly delivers in the way of slick action sequences and entertaining chemistry between the cast.
4 High Flying Bird (2019)
A sports agent needs to accomplish the impossible in 72 hours when he pitches a daring opportunity to his client, to salvage both their careers. Sports dramas have a way of investing the viewer in the protagonist's journey like no other genre.
High Flying Bird tries to take a different approach by treating viewers with a peek behind the scenes of entertainment. And Steven Soderbergh shot the entire movie on an iPhone. The film's star-studded cast includes André Holland (Moonlight), Zazie Beetz (Deadpool 2), and Zachary Quinto (Star Trek).
3 Good Time (2017)
Before he had proven his acting chops in The Lighthouse, Robert Pattinson appeared in a lesser-known crime thriller by the Safdie brothers. Good Time features Pattinson as a desperate robber who, after a robbery goes wrong, is determined to free his mentally disabled brother from prison. The film was praised for Pattinson's acting, Safdie brothers' direction, the strong plot, and its great soundtrack.
Pattinson, during his Twilight days, had virtually begged the Safdie brothers to include him in their next project after seeing their low-budget drama, Heaven Knows What.
2 The 12th Man (2017)
The Norwegian historical war dramaThe 12th Man recounts the historical events surrounding Norwegian resistance member Jan Baalsrud's escape from Nazi Germany's forces during World War II.
Although his ordeal was already depicted in 1957's Nine Lives, the 2017 incarnation focuses more on the heroic efforts of the local population who came to Baalsrud's aid during his escape.
Based on the book Jan Baalsrud and Those Who Saved Him, the moving feature managed to do more right than wrong and was praised for its cinematography as well.
1 A Monster Calls (2016)
It's rare to see an international co-production culminating in a monster movie, but that's exactly what one gets with A Monster Calls. A joint project between Spain, United Kingdom, and the United States, the film stars Liam Neeson (Taken) as an anthropomorphic tree who visits a child (Lewis MacDougall) in a time of distress.
Promising to tell him three stories, the tree tries to help him with his tumultuous circumstances. The movie is a mature story that deals with themes of love, loss, and death.