Must-See Underrated Netflix Original Movies

Netflix is home to so many titles across genres and decades — from legacy content to original productions — that commendable movies often slip through the cracks. Netflix has produced over 500 original movie titles, and many have not received the long-lasting attention they deserve. This list will highlight 9 underrated Netflix movies that you should watch as soon as possible. 

‘Moxie’ | March 3, 2021

Moxie may not be the most original film on this list, but it’s a timely coming-of-age movie that celebrates female empowerment and the need to stand up in the face of injustice. It’s a cute and relatable little film that, at the very least, starts conversations that should have begun long ago. 

The movie also boasts funny lady Amy Schumer as the cool and inspiring mom who pushes her daughter out of her shell and into the world. Her daughter starts a “zine,” called Moxie, bringing the school’s hypocritical nature and adherence to antiquated patriarchal norms into the light. The dialogue may be a bit cheesy at times, and the optimism a bit too unrelenting, but a feel-good movie is a necessity every now and again.

‘His House’ | January 27, 2020

His House takes a supernatural approach to highlight the struggles of the refugee experience. The film follows a couple who escapes war-torn South Sudan and winds up in a small English town to start anew.

The film is a fresh take on the haunted house subgenre, as the ghosts and figures that haunt this couple’s home are representatives of those they have left behind. Those who did not escape. It’s about survivor’s guilt. It’s about grief. It’s about learning to balance assimilation with cultural retention. 

If you’re not into horror, this one may not be for you, as the film boasts several unpredictable jump scares, a ceaselessly foreboding atmosphere, and eerie musical accompaniment. However, horror is nonetheless an ideal avenue to expose the horrors of the refugee experience, bringing the turmoil and fears that lay within, too often unspoken, to the surface. 

‘The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind’ | March 1, 2019

In his directorial debut, Chiwetel Ejiofor delivers a powerful film about a town and family on the brink of financial ruin. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind features a family struggling to survive and a son who will do all in his power to change the way of the wind. After he is thrown out of the school that he loves (when his family can no longer afford the fees), William heads to the local library, where he learns to build a windmill to save his village from famine. 

The Netflix original is easily one of the most inspiring films on the streamer — moving in its deeply realistic and interpersonal emphasis. The film eschews the poverty porn trope that could’ve resulted from such a narrative. And instead, it provides viewers with a little slice-of-life story that fits into a larger landscape. It’s intimate but mighty, as it tackles the importance of education and the vastness of human ingenuity. 

‘The Perfection’ | | May 24, 2019

Twisty-turny and utterly bonkers, The Perfection is a genre-bending whirlwind with compelling performances from Allison Williams and Logan Browning. Equal parts horror, revenge fantasy, and blood-splattering spectacle, the film was billed as Get Out meets Black Swan upon release.

The movie spotlights a troubled musical prodigy (Williams) and a new star pupil (Browning) as they embark on a sinister path. While the story may get convoluted at times, the movie is unpredictable and cinematically stylistic — with visuals that are either sickening or spellbinding depending on your ability to stomach the unnatural. 

‘The Platform’ | November 8, 2019 

The Platform is a science fiction Spanish film set in a future where prison cells are organized vertically, and food descends from the upper cells to the lower cells. Those lucky enough to be at the top feast like kings, while those less fortunate at the bottom rummage for scraps. Your placement in the prison is random (and it changes). Thus, do not go thinking it’s based on the severity of your crime, or something ever-so-slightly more justifiable. The film is an allegory about mankind reduced to its most primitive — desperate and starving. 

As one character in the film says, “If everyone ate only what they needed, the food would reach the lowest level.” The Platform is a provocative and disturbing film that comments on the human condition, forcing viewers to reflect on their own selfish impulses and the consequences of unrestrained power. 

‘Cam’ | July 18, 2018

Starring force-to-be-reckoned with Madeline Brewer in the leading role, Cam is a gripping techno-thriller that contemplates the dangers of a social-media-driven generation (and the focus on digital popularity). 

How far would you go for another follower? What risks would you take to get to the top? When Alice’s (Brewer) digital identity is stolen, she takes on a dangerous mission to “get her face back,” for that’s her moneymaker. The terror of getting locked out of your accounts and losing your identity is all-too-relatable nowadays, making the basis for the film immediately tangible. Cam is cheeky, and it knows it. The film is well aware of the existential themes it is toying with, and it’s all the more triumphant because of such hypervigilant self-awareness. 

‘Private Life’ | October 5, 2018

Paul Giamatti and Kathryn Hahn shine in Private Life as a couple coping with infertility struggles  — and the marriage difficulties such challenges catalyze. It’s a quietly powerful film that treads into sensitive territories with finesse and sincerity. It never veers into melodrama as both the writing and performances are too grounded to fall into that trap. Rather, the film balances drama and comedy in a way that so seamlessly captures the human need to laugh in the face of pain — otherwise, you will completely combust. The dialogue is taut and clever. The narrative is simple but never simplistic.  You will laugh. You will cry. You will smirk. You will sulk. And the film will stay with you long after the credits roll.

‘Okja’ | June 28, 2017 

Okja is arguably one of Bong Joon-Ho’s greatest triumphs, effortlessly jumping between dark satire and heartwarming tenderness. The film is a commentary on corporate greed and the complete dismissal of humanity in the face of possible profit. 

For all intents and purposes, Okja is a massive pig who has been in Mija’s care for ten years. Yet, everything changes when the multinational conglomerate Mirando Corporation takes Okja and transports her to New York, where a vile and self-serving CEO (Tilda Swinton) has nefarious plans for the innocent creature. 

Mika sets out on a rescue mission to save her dearest friend. It’s possible that you may never eat meat again after watching this film, as it is that moving. It’s a poignant and captivating narrative that evokes empathy instantaneously. Okja warms the heart while contemplating the way we treat innocent animals in this world. 

‘The Kindergarten Teacher’ | July 21, 2015

When New York school teacher Lisa sees unbridled promise in her five-year-old student, she goes to great lengths (morally questionable ones at that) to protect his talent. It’s a character study that asks more questions than it answers. However, Maggie Gyllenhaal exquisitely balances the teacher’s innocence with her darkness — her protective and maternal qualities with her rash and maleficent unpredictability. Lisa is also struggling with her own sense of self and purpose in this world, so directing her attention toward a promising pupil distracts from her inner turmoil. 

The Kindergarten Teacher is a fresh and daring film that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The film is fraught with ambiguity and complexities that bring conversations surrounding virtue and ethics into focus. It’s not an easy film to watch, but it’s an important one.