These 10 Underrated Movies on Netflix Are Begging To Be Rediscovered

In the modern era of filmmaking, where every other major studio has a signature streaming service, Netflix has cemented itself as the reigning titan among them all. It’s not only because they were the first major streaming service to find success, but because, ever since the beginning, they’ve had a widely diverse and impactful catalog of films, growing even more with their wide array of original content. However, on top of all the standout and immediately recognizable films on the service, there are also a fair share of highly underrated films on Netflix deserving of their time in the spotlight.

With so many different titles to choose from on Netflix, it’s only inevitable that many films would fall through the cracks and not be watched by the vast majority of audiences. However, the inherent quality of these underrated films is fully deserving of being watched and appreciated by more people, whether they be Netflix originals that have gone overlooked or library titles that may even leave Netflix at one point.

‘The Book of Clarence’ (2024)

Comedic and non-traditional retellings of biblical stories have been a widely explored concept in filmmaking, yet The Book of Clarence manages to find a distinctly original angle and approach for its storytelling. The film follows the story of Clarence (LaKeith Stanfield), a down-on-his-luck man struggling to find success at the same time as the Messiah rising to notoriety. Clarence attempts to force himself into their group as a new apostle, before realizing his real path to success and riches for his family is to feign being a Messianic figure himself.

It’s a relatively difficult balancing act to find humor in such a sacred topic as religious storytelling, yet The Book of Clarence has a great deal of comedy without feeling like it’s overtly challenging religion. It has a lot of the charm and wit as director Jeymes Samuel‘s previous film, The Harder They Fall, with the aesthetic building around the classic biblical story feeling fine-tuned and exceptionally well-crafted. While initially largely overlooked when it was released in theaters, it now has a chance to find a new dedicated audience while on Netflix.

‘Windfall’ (2022)

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A simple yet extremely effective comedy crime thriller that excels through the commitment and on-screen presence of its main trio of actors, Windfall is easily among the most underrated thrillers that Netflix has ever released. The film follows a strange man (Jason Segel) breaking into the empty vacation home of a tech billionaire (Jesse Plemons). However, his plans for robbery soon go awry when the billionaire and his wife (Lily Collins) arrive last-minute for a vacation getaway.

The story itself acts as little more than a jumping-off point for an excuse to see these distinct character dynamics and actors interact with each other in a myriad of ways; in fact, the characters don’t even have names outside their roles. While Windfall certainly has some thrilling and dramatic moments, it’s at its best when playing into the inherent comedy and awkwardness of the situation through the exceptional performances at the center.

‘The Willoughbys’ (2020)

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Whether it be memorable library titles like Despicable Me or compelling original films like KPop Demon Hunters, Netflix is easily among the best streaming services when it comes to effective animated films. One of the most underrated when it comes to Netflix’s original animated films is The Willoughbys, a high-energy dark comedy family film that finds a great balance between being approachable to young children while having a great emotional core.

The film follows the four children of the Willoughby clan, who, having grown tired of being ignored and mistreated by their parents, come up with a scheme to send them on a deadly vacation that they’ll never return from. As they now find themselves living alone and without parental supervision, the children must learn how to survive and finally become the family unit that they’ve desired to be for so long. The Willoughbys has an infectious sense of comedic timing and wit that elevates it to be a hilariously fun time and one of the most distinct animated films that Netflix has released.

‘Holy Spider’ (2022)

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An exceptionally well-crafted Persian-language crime thriller that delves into the dark, depraved truths of indoctrination and the spreading of gross ideology, Holy Spider does an exceptional job of building towards its powerful and harrowing finale. The film follows female journalist Arezoo Rahimi (Zar Amir Ebrahimi) delving into the dark underbelly of Mashhad to investigate a string of serial killings of sex workers by the mysterious Spider Killer (Mehdi Bajestani). As his killings have grown more prominent, a growing number of Mashhad citizens are beginning to resonate with the killer’s message of “cleaning the streets of sinners.”

While Holy Spider has a fair bit of buildup and stage-setting before it truly delves into the weight and effect of its themes, it still does an exceptional job of relaying the pain and spread of such toxic ideals by the end. It features grounded and emotional performances across the board and covers a wide spectrum between relatable and emotional to truly despicable and harrowing. Its status as a foreign language film has left it largely overlooked by English audiences, yet its time on Netflix will hopefully help it find a new audience to experience its greatness.

‘Paddleton’ (2019)

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An uplifting and light-hearted comedy that finds refuge and solace from the pain of inevitable death and terminal illness, Paddleton combines the comedic strengths of Mark Duplass and Ray Romano to exceptional results. The film sees the comics as a duo of neighbors who have fostered an unlikely friendship over the years, now finding themselves on an emotional journey across the country when one of them is diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Paddleton understands from a fundamental level that, even during times of extreme pain and emotional struggle, comedy and friendship stay constant in people’s lives and will always be able to lift them. Duplass and Romano do a brilliant job of bringing this unusual friendship to life, fully embracing the idiosyncrasies of their characters and the awkwardness inherent to their friendship as a whole. Still, there’s an unspoken love and comfort to the movie that has helped it become one of Netflix’s most underrated comedies.

‘Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood’ (2022)

While Richard Linklater is more commonly known for his acclaimed live-action films, whether they be impactful dramas like Boyhood or electrifying comedies like Hit Man, he occasionally utilizes his talents in a style of rotoscoped feature-length animation. The latest and most impactful of them is Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood, which uses its fun premise to act as a glorious, nostalgic love letter about growing up in the late ’60s and the fervor of the space race.

All the distinct facets that make Linklater’s films so memorable and impactful are on full display in Apollo 10 ½, from the infectious dialogue to the overall ability to transport the audience to another era. It’s all brought together by exceptional narration by Jack Black to weave a story of raw comfort and nostalgia, excelling in creating these feelings even if the audience never lived through the time. Its animation style is also a beautiful sight to enjoy, as it’s one of the best and most visually engaging that rotoscoping has accomplished as a method in film.

‘Between the Temples’ (2024)

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An exceptional romantic dramedy that finds a great balance between moments of elated heartwarming greatness and uncomfortable cringe comedy, Between the Temples is a top-notch experience that deserves much more recognition than it received. The film sees Jason Schwartzman as Ben Gottlieb, a grief-stricken cantor, who, while in a crisis of faith, finds a new solace in life after reconnecting with his grade school music teacher, Carla Kessler (Carol Kane). The two soon form an unlikely connection as Carla begins the steps to having a Bat Mitzvah in her adult life.

When at the height of its abilities, Between the Temples serves to be one of the most wildly memorable and distinct rom-coms of recent memory, harkening back to classic romantic comedies like The Heartbreak Kid with its mix of emotion and painful awkwardness. The dinner scene in the film’s final act is among the strongest singular comedic sequences of the decade so far, yet the film as a whole went largely unseen by audiences despite its overwhelming strengths.

‘Blue Giant’ (2023)

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A visually enthralling and emotionally captivating anime movie that explores the deep-resonating feeling that comes from jazz music and the experience of playing on-stage in a band, Blue Giant is a one-of-a-kind feat of modern anime filmmaking. The film largely follows the plot of the manga that it’s based on, following a young saxophone player on his journey to become a true jazz star, teaming up with his friends to form a jazz band on a quest to become truly great musicians.

While the original manga was emotionally impactful enough as is, the story of Blue Giant feels tailor-made to succeed in the medium of film, utilizing a stylish blending of 2D and 3D animation and exceptional jazz music from beginning to end. It makes for an emotionally charged story from beginning to end with many standout moments, yet it simply didn’t get a large enough push compared to other anime films. Sadly, Blue Giant went largely unseen by non-fans of the original manga.

‘Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey’ (2020)

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The vast majority of live-action movie musicals being released in the modern day can trace at least some of their origins to preexisting material, whether that be popular IP or an already existing musical. Thus, the few examples of truly original movie musical releases are all the more impactful. Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey is one of Netflix’s biggest pleasant surprises and one of the best Christmas movie musicals in years.

On top of having the catchy songs and Christmas spirit that are required of all great Christmas musicals, Jingle Jangle employs a distinct, steampunk aesthetic to its visuals and costumes that give the film a larger personality and distinct worldbuilding. It has a level of earnestness and care for the holiday spirit that is largely missing from modern Christmas releases, helping it enchant the hearts of the select few who have seen it as easily the best Christmas movie of the 2020s.

‘The Piano Lesson’ (2024)

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In the months leading up to its release, The Piano Lesson was positioned to be a leading player on the 2024 awards circuit. The film was being hyped as an impactful feature-length debut from Malcolm Washington, boasting some exceptional performances that were praised by critics after festival premieres. However, when the film finally came to Netflix, it simply didn’t catch on as their major awards player of the year. Instead, Netflix would focus their campaigning efforts on Emilia Pérez, despite The Piano Lesson easily being the superior dramatic experience.

The film works on a multitude of different factors to be one of 2024’s great dramatic experiences, from the always impactful storytelling of August Wilson to some of the best supporting performances of the year from Danielle Deadwyler and Samuel L. Jackson. It weaves brilliant themes of grief that slavery has held in Black communities and families, with this pain persisting and siphoning energy generations down the line. In a better world, The Piano Lesson would have been a massive awards player and received all sorts of recognition and attention from audiences and critics alike instead of being one of many forgotten Netflix originals released over the years.

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