23 underrated films to watch on Netflix right now

published 12 January 2018

You’ve probably got a pretty good idea of the sort of thing you can find on Netflix these days.

The streaming service has great original series, compelling documentaries, and a whole load of comedy.

That’s enough for a lot of us, to the point where we don’t even bother watching films there – though some of that might be down to our reduced attention spans.

But you shouldn’t make this mistake: there’s plenty to choose from on that front, and it’s not just Oscar nominees and well-known films with big-name stars.

You can often stumble across a hidden gem like Super Dark Times, and that’s not the only film to fit that description.

We’ve picked out 23 of the best films on Netflix that you probably haven’t seen yet – we’re sure at least one of these will be up your street.

1.Adventureland
Who’s in it? Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen StewartWhat’s it about? A college grad who takes a summer job at an adventure parkWhat do the critics say? ’If John Hughes had made movies about characters five years older than his usual crowd, those pictures might have been flavored like Adventureland’ - James Berardinelli, <a href="http://www.reelviews.net/reelviews/adventureland" rel="noopener noreferrer" rev="340808" target="_blank" data-url="http://www.reelviews.net/reelviews/adventureland" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" data-hl-processed="none">Reelviews</a>Rotten Tomatoes score? 88%
2.Aquarius
Who’s in it? Sônia BragaWhat’s it about? A retiree who refuses to let developers buy her out of her apartment in Recife, BrazilWhat do the critics say? ’Take a few steps back and it becomes a broad-canvas celebration of neighbourhood life – just like [director Kleber] Mendonça’s 2012 debut, Neighbouring Sounds, it’s endlessly fascinated by the interlocking tick of its characters’ lives’ - Robbie Collin, <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2016/05/17/aquarius-will-make-you-want-to-move-to-brazil---review/" rel="noopener noreferrer" rev="340808" target="_blank" data-url="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2016/05/17/aquarius-will-make-you-want-to-move-to-brazil---review/" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" data-hl-processed="none">The Daily Telegraph</a>Rotten Tomatoes score? 97%
3.Bernie
Who’s in it? Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine and Matthew McConaugheyWhat’s it about? The relationship between a 39-year-old mortician and the 80-year-old millionaire who he marries – based on a real-life eventWhat do the critics say? ‘Bernie is a one-of-a-kind movie that establishes its own tone, walking a thin line between seriousness and absurdity’ - Mick LaSalle, <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Bernie-review-Original-film-based-on-true-tale-3566342.php" rel="noopener noreferrer" rev="340808" target="_blank" data-url="http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Bernie-review-Original-film-based-on-true-tale-3566342.php" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" data-hl-processed="none">San Francisco Chronicle</a>Rotten Tomatoes score? 89%
4.Blue is the Warmest Colour
Who’s in it? Léa Seydoux and Adèle ExarchopoulosWhat’s it about? The sexual awakening of a French teenager when a blue-haired art student enters her lifeWhat do the critics say? ’[Exarchopoulos] manages to hold it all together, and the actress can really make you feel things only suggested at in other movies, especially when it comes to the ecstasy and agony of a first relationship’ - Jordan Mintzer, <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/blue-is-warmest-color-cannes-527347" rel="noopener noreferrer" rev="340808" target="_blank" data-url="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/blue-is-warmest-color-cannes-527347" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" data-hl-processed="none">The Hollywood Reporter</a>Rotten Tomatoes score? 90%
5.The Distinguished Citizen
Who’s in it? Oscar MartínezWhat’s it about? A Nobel Prize recipient who returns to Argentina from his home in EuropeWhat do the critics say? ’In the hands of directing duo Mariano Cohn and Gaston Duprat this 2016 Venice competition contender becomes something deeper, darker and more resonant than a droll tale of an ill-advised homecoming’ - Lee Marshall, <a href="https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-distinguished-citizen-venice-review/5109066.article" rel="noopener noreferrer" rev="340808" target="_blank" data-url="https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/the-distinguished-citizen-venice-review/5109066.article" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" data-hl-processed="none">Screen Daily</a>Rotten Tomatoes score? 100%
6.Dope
Who’s in it? Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, Blake Anderson, Zoë Kravitz, A$AP Rocky, and Chanel ImanWhat’s it about? High-school kids growing up in CaliforniaWhat do the critics say? ’A funny take on the teen coming-of-age comedy that uses every cinematic trick in the book to tell an old story – nerd loses virginity, gets into Ivy League – in a fresh new way’ - Jeff Baker, <a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/movies/2015/06/dope_review_ferris_bueller_and_1.html#incart_river" rel="noopener noreferrer" rev="340808" target="_blank" data-url="http://www.oregonlive.com/movies/2015/06/dope_review_ferris_bueller_and_1.html#incart_river" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" data-hl-processed="none">The Oregonian</a>Rotten Tomatoes score? 88%
7.Elle
Who’s in it? Isabelle HuppertWhat’s it about? A high-powered businesswoman who is raped in her own homeWhat do the critics say? ’Even by the out-there standards of Basic Instinct and Showgirls, Paul Verhoeven’s latest, Elle, is a thing to behold’ - Stephanie Zacharek, <a href="http://time.com/4565957/paul-verhoeven-elle/" rel="noopener noreferrer" rev="340808" target="_blank" data-url="http://time.com/4565957/paul-verhoeven-elle/" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" data-hl-processed="none">TIME</a>Rotten Tomatoes score? 91%
8.Everybody Wants Some!!
Who’s in it? Will Brittain, Zoey Deutch, Ryan Guzman, Tyler Hoechlin, Blake Jenner, Glen Powell, and Wyatt RussellWhat’s it about? College baseball players in the early 1980sWhat do the critics say? ’[Director Richard] Linklater’s great talent is to remain light on his feet while drifting into the metaphysical — to balance the earthly with the profound, and to find the people somewhere in between’ - Bilge Ebiri, <a href="https://www.villagevoice.com/2016/03/29/waking-boyhood-richard-linklaters-college-bros-get-philosophical-in-everybody-wants-some/" rel="noopener noreferrer" rev="340808" target="_blank" data-url="https://www.villagevoice.com/2016/03/29/waking-boyhood-richard-linklaters-college-bros-get-philosophical-in-everybody-wants-some/" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" data-hl-processed="none">Village Voice</a>Rotten Tomatoes score? 86%
9.Frailty
Who’s in it? Bill Paxton and Matthew McConaugheyWhat’s it about? Two brothers whose religious father murders several people who he sees as ‘demons’What do the critics say? ’Frailty is an extraordinary work, concealing in its depths not only unexpected story turns but also implications, hidden at first, that make it even deeper and more sad’ - Roger Ebert, <a href="https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/frailty-2002" rel="noopener noreferrer" rev="340808" target="_blank" data-url="https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/frailty-2002" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" data-hl-processed="none">Chicago Sun-Times</a>Rotten Tomatoes score? 73%
10.Hunger
Who’s in it? Michael Fassbender and Liam CunninghamWhat’s it about? The 1981 Irish hunger strike, led by Bobby SandsWhat do the critics say? ’British artist Steve McQueen, whose riveting debut feature is Hunger, may have absorbed something deep and dreadful from his namesake’s solitary-confinement scene in Papillon’ - Kyle Smith, <a href="https://nypost.com/2009/03/20/decay-then-death/" rel="noopener noreferrer" rev="340808" target="_blank" data-url="https://nypost.com/2009/03/20/decay-then-death/" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" data-hl-processed="none">New York Post</a>Rotten Tomatoes score? 90%
11.The Man from Nowhere
Who’s in it? Won Bin and Kim Sae-ronWhat’s it about? An ex-Black Ops soldier driven to extreme violenceWhat do the critics say? ’Local heartthrob Won Bin transforms himself into an action hero in writer-helmer Lee Jeong-beom’s swift and blood-soaked yarn’ - Russell Edwards, <a href="http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117943932/" rel="noopener noreferrer" rev="340808" target="_blank" data-url="http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117943932/" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" data-hl-processed="none">Variety</a>Rotten Tomatoes score? 100%
12.Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Who’s in it? Thomas Mann, Olivia Cooke and RJ CylerWhat’s it about? A teenager urged to befriend a classmate with leukaemiaWhat do the critics say? ’Based on the novel by Jesse Andrews, it’s a wonderful film about being young, talented and uncertain about what lies ahead’ - Calvin Wilson, <a href="http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/movies/reviews/me-and-earl-and-the-dying-girl-is-poignant-and/article_9ff2a797-fa6a-5f7e-a750-347a8cb3a70c.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" rev="340808" target="_blank" data-url="http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/movies/reviews/me-and-earl-and-the-dying-girl-is-poignant-and/article_9ff2a797-fa6a-5f7e-a750-347a8cb3a70c.html" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" data-hl-processed="none">St Louis Post-Dispatch</a>Rotten Tomatoes score? 82%
13.Mean Creek
Who’s in it? Rory Culkin, Ryan Kelley, Scott Mechlowicz, Trevor Morgan, Josh Peck, and Carly SchroederWhat’s it about? A group of teenagers who try to get revenge on a bullyWhat do the critics say? ’A deeply touching independent film about teenagers forced to make adult decisions that will change their lives forever’ - Ruthe Stein, <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/A-prank-goes-amiss-adult-decisions-swamp-the-2698441.php" rel="noopener noreferrer" rev="340808" target="_blank" data-url="http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/A-prank-goes-amiss-adult-decisions-swamp-the-2698441.php" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" data-hl-processed="none">San Francisco Chronicle</a>Rotten Tomatoes score? 89%
14.Mistress America
Who’s in it? Greta Gerwig and Lola KirkeWhat’s it about? A college student taken under the wing of her older stepsister-in-waitingWhat do the critics say? ’[Director Noah] Baumbach has cast a wonderfully talented group of up-and-coming actors around Gerwig and Kirke, but it’s the screenplay and the leads’ incredible chemistry that makes it all so entertaining’ - Gregory Ellwood, <a href="http://uproxx.com/hitfix/review-noah-baumbach-and-greta-gerwig-bring-comedic-fireworks-to-mistress-america/" rel="noopener noreferrer" rev="340808" target="_blank" data-url="http://uproxx.com/hitfix/review-noah-baumbach-and-greta-gerwig-bring-comedic-fireworks-to-mistress-america/" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" data-hl-processed="none">Hitfix</a>Rotten Tomatoes score? 82%
15.A Most Violent Year
Who’s in it? Oscar Isaac and Jessica ChastainWhat’s it about? Crime in New York in the early 1980sWhat do the critics say? ‘A Most Violent Year features terrific performances from Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain as the couple you’d get if Michael Corleone and Lady MacBeth got married’ - Bill Goodykoontz, <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/movies/2015/01/14/review-violent-year-gripping-drama/21714097/" rel="noopener noreferrer" rev="340808" target="_blank" data-url="https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/movies/2015/01/14/review-violent-year-gripping-drama/21714097/" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" data-hl-processed="none">Arizona Republic</a>Rotten Tomatoes score? 89%
16.Mudbound
Who’s in it? Carey Mulligan and Jason ClarkeWhat’s it about? PTSD and race, through the lens of two war veterans returning to MississippiWhat do the critics say? ’This story of two families united by circumstance and, as the title suggests, bound by their debt to the land, is a micro version of a larger story about systemic racism in America — a mighty force that will not simply yield to a handful of the “good ones.”’ - Lara Zarum, <a href="https://www.villagevoice.com/2017/11/14/historic-ensemble-drama-mudbound-digs-deep-into-race-down-south/" rel="noopener noreferrer" rev="340808" target="_blank" data-url="https://www.villagevoice.com/2017/11/14/historic-ensemble-drama-mudbound-digs-deep-into-race-down-south/" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" data-hl-processed="none">Village Voice</a>Rotten Tomatoes score? 96%
17.Nowhere Boy
Who’s in it? Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Kristin Scott Thomas and Anne-Marie DuffWhat’s it about? A young John LennonWhat do the critics say? ’The power of Nowhere Boy is that, as directed by Sam Taylor-Wood, it captures how John Lennon’s deeply sordid family life toyed with his soul by not letting him know who he was’ - Owen Glieberman, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0Qu62_vPbo" rel="noopener noreferrer" rev="340808" target="_blank" data-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0Qu62_vPbo" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" data-hl-processed="none">Entertainment Weekly</a>Rotten Tomatoes score? 79%
18.Other People
Who’s in it? Jesse Plemons and Molly ShannonWhat’s it about? A New York-based writer returning to his family in Sacramento to care for his ailing motherWhat do the critics say? ’Anyone who’s ever lost a parent, longed for love and acceptance, or tried to find his or her true self should easily relate. It’s a terrific film’ - Gary Goldstein, <a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-mini-other-people-review-20160902-snap-story.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" rev="340808" target="_blank" data-url="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-mini-other-people-review-20160902-snap-story.html" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" data-hl-processed="none">Los Angeles Times</a>Rotten Tomatoes score? 88%
19.Son of Saul
Who’s in it? Géza Röhrig and Levente MolnárWhat’s it about? A Hungarian Sonderkommando member inside Auschwitz in 1944What do the critics say? ’Unlike any other Holocaust film you’ve ever seen…Hungarian director László Nemes and actor Géza Röhrig, who plays the titular Saul and is in virtually every shot, employ a heart-shattering form of “you are there” filmic composition to put the audience dead center amidst the horrific, workaday world’ - Marc Savlov, <a href="https://www.austinchronicle.com/calendar/film/2016-02-26/son-of-saul/" rel="noopener noreferrer" rev="340808" target="_blank" data-url="https://www.austinchronicle.com/calendar/film/2016-02-26/son-of-saul/" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" data-hl-processed="none">Austin Chronicle</a>Rotten Tomatoes score? 96%
20.The Interview
Who’s in it? Hugo Weaving, Tony Martin and Aaron JefferyWhat’s it about? An Australian man seized from his apartment to be interrogated by policeWhat do the critics say? ’The Interview is Australia’s answer to The Usual Suspects, a twisty mystery built around a protracted conversation and an elusive protagonist who is integral in both driving and complicating the narrative’ - Luke Buckmaster, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/27/the-interview-rewatched-australias-twisty-answer-to-the-usual-suspects" rel="noopener noreferrer" rev="340808" target="_blank" data-url="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/mar/27/the-interview-rewatched-australias-twisty-answer-to-the-usual-suspects" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" data-hl-processed="none">The Guardian</a>Rotten Tomatoes score? 100%
21.The Virgin Suicides
Who’s in it? Kirsten Dunst, Josh Hartnett, James Woods and Kathleen TurnerWhat’s it about? Five teenage sisters, isolated in suburban AmericaWhat do the critics say? ’The title, however macabre, is also deceptive because the movie isn’t really about the finality of death but about the dawn of desire and the loss of innocence’ - Rita Kempley, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/entertainment/movies/reviews/virginsuicideskempley.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" rev="340808" target="_blank" data-url="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/entertainment/movies/reviews/virginsuicideskempley.htm" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" data-hl-processed="none">Washington Post</a>Rotten Tomatoes score? 76%
22.What Maisie Knew
Who’s in it? Julianne Moore, Steve Coogan and Alexander SkarsgårdWhat’s it about? Two parents in a custody battle for their six-year-old daughterWhat do the critics say? ’Maisie’s tale is brilliantly nuanced. It’s not always comfortable to sit through the tidal waves of family misery and witness a little girl’s quiet pain, but here, the experience is profoundly moving’ - Claudia Puig, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2013/05/23/what-maisie-knew-review/2121875/" rel="noopener noreferrer" rev="340808" target="_blank" data-url="https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2013/05/23/what-maisie-knew-review/2121875/" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" data-hl-processed="none">USA Today</a>Rotten Tomatoes score? 86%
23.You Can Count on Me
Who’s in it? Laura Linney, Mark Ruffalo, Rory Culkin and Matthew BroderickWhat’s it about? A single mother in small-town AmericaWhat do the critics say? ’Linney and Ruffalo as brother and sister turn in actorly, masterclass performances that perhaps owe more to the techniques of the stage than the cinema. Their relationship gives meaning to the phrase emotional intelligence.’ - Peter Bradshaw, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2001/mar/23/culture.reviews" rel="noopener noreferrer" rev="340808" target="_blank" data-url="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2001/mar/23/culture.reviews" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" data-hl-processed="none">The Guardian</a>.Rotten Tomatoes score? 95%

Recommended reading

23 underrated films to watch on Netflix right now

1.Adventureland

2.Aquarius

3.Bernie

4.Blue is the Warmest Colour

5.The Distinguished Citizen

6.Dope

7.Elle

8.Everybody Wants Some!!

9.Frailty

10.Hunger

11.The Man from Nowhere

12.Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

13.Mean Creek

14.Mistress America

15.A Most Violent Year

16.Mudbound

17.Nowhere Boy

18.Other People

19.Son of Saul

20.The Interview

21.The Virgin Suicides

22.What Maisie Knew

23.You Can Count on Me

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