Netflix’s movie library is so vast that it’s only natural that a few gems would get lost in the shuffled. While movies like “Rebel Ridge” get a chance to shine in the Netflix top 10, the streaming service also packs a whole catalog of films that are a little overlooked.
However, just because these movies haven’t claimed the spotlight for themselves doesn’t make them any less worthy of your Netflix watchlist. In fact, some of these flicks are among the very best on the entire platform. And they span all genres too from a heartwarming British comedy to a German drama movie that competed at the Oscars in March.
If you think you’ve exhausted all the worthwhile movies available on Netflix, think again, because these are the seven best Netflix movies you (probably) haven’t streamed yet.
'Wicked Little Letters' (2024)
If you enjoy a spot of potty humor then “Wicked Little Letters” is a quaint mystery movie that will have you cackling throughout. Set in the 1920s in the English seaside town of Littlehampton, it centers on a series of written letters that are causing quite a stir in this prim and proper place. Local do-gooder Edith Swan (Olivia Colman) has been receiving a torrent of nasty letters in the post and is utterly convinced the foul-mouthed Rose (Jesse Buckley) is the culprit.
When a youthful police inspector (Anjana Vasan) is dispatched to the town to investigate, she learns that appearances can be deceiving, and tracking down the writer of these curse word-filled letters proves to be devilishly difficult. Also featuring Timothy Spall and Hugh Skinner, “Wicked Little Letters” is a very pleasant watch (despite its colorful language), and while the big reveal is pretty obvious from the get-go, this charming little movie will have you smiling all the way through.
Watch "Wicked Little Letters" on Netflix now
'Dumb Money' (2023)
If you think that Hollywood managing to make a movie about the creation of Facebook so compelling was impressive, wait 'til you watch “Dumb Money” which makes that bizarre time in 2020 when a bunch of Redditors supercharged GameStop’s stock price into a genuinely engrossing comedy-drama. Considering the offbeat subject matter, this movie shouldn’t work, but director Craig Gillespie and the screenwriting duo of Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo pull together to create a movie more than the sum of its ragtag parts.
Set during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, at the center of this stranger-than-fiction story is Keith Gill (played by Paul Dano), a financial analyst working in Brockton, Massachusetts. Gill unwittingly becomes the leader of an underdog online movement when his bullish prediction that GameStop is being undervalued proves to be accurate. As Wall Street tries to fight back against this wave of “retail investors”, the situation becomes bigger than anybody could have predicted, and soon the United States government is forced to step in and investigate.
Watch "Dumb Money" on Netflix now
'The Teacher’s Lounge' (2023)
This German drama has been wowing audiences and critics ever since its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival in February 2023, and its arrival on Netflix is a chance for a whole new audience to get swept up in its thoughtful story and poignant, highly relevant, themes. If you need more convincing of its quality, it even competed for Best International Feature Film at this year's Oscars, losing out to “The Zone of Interest” in the end.
Carla Nowak (Leonie Benesch) is an idealistic 7th-grade teacher who becomes something of an amateur sleuth when one of her students is accused of stealing money from the teacher’s lounge and she decides to investigate the matter further. However, getting to the bottom of this theft proves to be more complicated than Carla could have imagined and brings disapproval from her colleagues. As she gets closer to the truth, even more unforeseen consequences arise.
Watch "The Teacher's Lounge" on Netflix now
'Calibre' (2018)
If you like your psychological thrillers to be pretty bleak, then “Calibre” is an essential watch. And I’m not just calling this 2018 movie bleak because it’s set in the rainy Scottish highlands either. This dark thriller will have you on the edge of your seat, as you imagine what you’d do if you found yourself in such a nightmare situation, and I can promise you won’t see the ending coming.
“Calibre” opens with two childhood friends, Marcus (Martin McCann) and Vaughn (Jack Lowden), heading into the highlands for a hunting trip. While stalking a deer in the thick forest a tragic accident befalls the friends, and the result is two dead bodies, including that of a young child. Scrambling to cover their tracks, they face suspicion from the locals and are backed into a corner as they seek to ensure the truth of what happened doesn’t surface.
Watch "Calibre" on Netflix now
'Bank of Dave' (2023)
From a seriously bleak thriller to almost the exact opposite, “Bank of Dave” is a cheerful comedy movie with a huge heart and pretty low stakes. That’s not meant as a criticism either. “Bank of Dave” may not have you gripping your seat in suspense, but it’ll certainly put you in a good mood, and its loveable cast of characters will stay with you after the credits roll.
Inspired by the true story of Dave Fishwick, it sees the eponymous Dave (Rory Kinnear) attempt to set up his own bank to support the local community. Sick of the big players in town taking advantage of Burnley’s hard-working residents, Dave wants to create a bank that isn’t profit-driven and instead puts helping people first. However, the U.K. government hasn’t granted a new banking license in more than 150 years and the financial elite of London will do anything to ensure that the Bank of Dave remains nothing but a pipe dream.
Watch "Bank of Dave" on Netflix now
'Gran Turismo' (2023)
In the current golden age of video game adaptations the likes of “The Last of Us”, “Fallout” and “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” tend to get the spotlight, but last year’s “Gran Turismo” movie also deserves some recognition. I was highly skeptical that Sony could convert its racing simulation series into an engaging movie, but with director Neill Blomkamp at the helm, “Gran Turismo” is a compelling sports drama that cruises through the gears.
Inspired by a true underdog story, “Gran Turismo” sees Jann Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe) put his gaming skills to the ultimate test when he’s given the chance to swap a controller for a real steering wheel. Joining the inaugural GT Academy, Jann comes under the watch of an idealistic motorsport executive (Orlando Bloom) and a former professional driver (David Harbour) and attempts to break into the high-speed world of race-car driving.
Watch "Gran Turismo" on Netflix now
'Molly’s Game' (2017)
Aaron Sorkin’s directorial debut sees the acclaimed screenwriter bring his trademark energy to “Molly’s Game”, a biographical drama based on the 2014 memoir of the same name by Molly Bloom, a hopeful Olympian who became known as the “Poker Princess” after organizing various high-stakes for A-list stars and influential business people alike. Molly's exploits also land on in trouble with the FBI and some very shady characters who want a share of the prize pot.
Molly’s journey from competitive skier to running an underground poker ring sees her rub shoulders with some of the biggest Hollywood stars of the 2000s, but also inadvertently get involved with a group of mobsters. This cinematic retelling of her story jumps between the present day and flashbacks, slowly revealing the story in way that will keep you hooked throughout. It stars Jessica Chastain in the leading role with Idris Elba in support. “Molly’s Game” is a highly entertaining drama bursting with Sorkin’s unique brand of ingenuous script-writing.
Watch "Molly's Game" on Netflix now
