Netflix continues to release hit series and movies, one after the other. Some become uber popular and basically everyone tunes in to see what the fuss is about (hello Birdbox) but since the platform has so much content, there’s a large proportion of media that slips through the cracks.
Today, the FIB team is going to talk you through our favourite content on Netflix that isn’t necessarily so popular. Here are our sleeper films and TV series’:
Guy: Cam (2018)
Netflix has its fair share of horror gems but this existential thriller about online identity theft is guaranteed to terrify. With an incredible performance by Madeline Brewer (star of The Handmaid’s Tale), Cam does Black Mirror better than Black Mirror. It’s guaranteed to leave you squirming in your seat, or at the very least, changing your Skype password.
Rylie: The Alienist (TV Series 2018) and The End of the F***ing World (TV Series 2017)
The Alienist was seriously underrated – starring Daniel Bruhl, Dakota Fanning and Luke Evans
Bruhl plays an Alienist (old school name for psychologist, before the science was recognised), in late 19th Century New York. Evans plays a newspaper illustrator and Fanning is a secretary at the Police Department. With a string of gruesome murders around the city, they work together to find a serial killer, using behavioural analysis, up-and-coming forensic tools and old-fashioned detective work. It is gritty and dark series but super captivating and went relatively unnoticed. One of the best shows in years!
The End of the F***ing World was also underrated but super clever and witty. Alex Lawther plays a teenage boy who thinks he may be a psychopathic killer. He meets Jessica Barden’s character and they team up to find her real dad, while causing chaos along the way, as they road-trip across the UK.
Kealie: Grimm (TV Series 2011- 2017)
This is one of those shows that you can simultaneously be SUPER invested in but also watch whilst you’re doing something else. It’s funny, creepy, warm and fuzzy, a little bit cliché and a whole lot of “one more episode”. It’s definitely not one of those award-winning, hard topic shows, but man it’s good and so underrated IMO. Think Law and Order meets Little Red Riding Hood (but in the best way possible!)
Paul G. Roberts: Once Upon a Time in Venice (2017)
A hapless ageing Los Angeles detective with a penchant for nude skateboarding (Bruce Willis) seeks out the ruthless gang that stole his dog. It got awful reviews, but I found it hilarious. Not only did it have Bruce Willis, but there was John Goodman, Jason Mamoa and Famke Janssen. It was great seeing Jason Mamoa playing a “cholo” Mexican gang leader; he was also really funny.
Sam: The Handmaiden (2016)
A super rich Japanese lady isolated from the world takes in a new handmaiden, who is a young Korean girl with humble origins and hidden motives. The men surrounding these two women are full of greed and lust; and so, a tale of deception, romance, lack of romance, dark humour and downright ingenious antics from the leading women takes place. The aesthetic of the film might just distract you because it’s pure perfection, with the stunning wardrobe, nature shots and traditions of both Korea and Japan working perfectly to accompany the plot of the film. Must, must, must, MUST, watch!
Mahnaz: Elite (TV Series 2018)
I think we all get a bit lazy when it comes to watching an international show with subtitles because it usually means we won’t be able to go on our phone half the time and have it unfolding in the background. But I promise you, this show is worth all the undivided attention you will (have to) give it. Elite is a Spanish mystery drama that follows the lives of students at a prestigious high school where one of them is brutally murdered. The constant twists and turns will make it impossible not to binge the whole thing in one sitting. Your own judgment will be wavering episode by episode as you get closer to finding out who the killer is. So, grab a snack and get comfy, because you won’t be moving from your spot for a while. And please, I beg of you, do not watch the dubbed version.
Jess: Brooklyn (2015)
A romance set in 1950 Brooklyn, the story follows a young Irish immigrant as she falls in love with a local. The film follows Eilis as she goes through the motions in deciding which country, and the lives in each, she wants to be in and with. Saoirse Ronan is the perfect actress for this soft, romantic drama that pulls at the heartstrings.
Let us know your favourite underrated or lesser-known Netflix show or series in the comments.