Lesser-Known Netfix TV Shows That Are Totally Worth Watching

Looking for something fresh to queue up? These lesser-seen picks on Netflix span different countries, genres, and formats—from tight limited series to ambitious sci-fi and historical dramas. Each entry below includes essentials like creators, premise, language or country of origin, and episode counts, so you can quickly decide what fits your mood and time. Dive in and you’ll find concise plots, production details, and where each show sits in its run, without spoilers.

‘Giri/Haji’ (2019)

This London–Tokyo crime drama follows a Tokyo detective searching the UK for his Yakuza-linked brother. Created by Joe Barton, it blends Japanese and English dialogue and weaves in animated interludes and time-shifts. The ensemble includes Takehiro Hira, Kelly Macdonald, and Will Sharpe. It runs for 8 episodes and concludes its story in a single season.

‘Kingdom’ (2019–2020)

Set in Korea’s Joseon period, this series mixes political intrigue with a fast-moving plague narrative. Created by Kim Eun-hee and directed by Kim Seong-hun in the first season, it stars Ju Ji-hoon, Bae Doona, and Ryu Seung-ryong. Two seasons are available, plus the special ‘Kingdom: Ashin of the North’. Across the main run you’ll find 12 episodes, with the special serving as a prequel side-story.

‘Into the Night’ (2020–2022)

Based on Jacek Dukaj’s novel ‘The Old Axolotl’, this Belgian apocalyptic thriller tracks a diverted red-eye flight racing west to escape deadly sunlight. Created by Jason George, it features a multilingual cast speaking French, English, Polish, and more. The series spans 2 seasons and 12 episodes. A related spin-off, ‘Yakamoz S-245’, expands the same universe from a submarine perspective.

‘Katla’ (2021– )

From Iceland, this mystery-sci-fi drama unfolds after a long-erupting volcano disturbs a small town—and long-buried secrets. Created by Baltasar Kormákur and Sigurjón Kjartansson, it mixes Icelandic and Scandinavian folklore elements with grounded character arcs. Season 1 contains 8 episodes set around the real Katla volcano in southern Iceland. The show is filmed largely on location, giving it a stark, glacial look and feel.

‘The Rain’ (2018–2020)

This Danish post-apocalyptic series follows siblings emerging from a bunker after a virus carried by rainfall devastates Scandinavia. Created by Jannik Tai Mosholt, Esben Toft Jacobsen, and Christian Potalivo, it blends survival stakes with a lab-origin mystery. The cast includes Alba August, Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen, and Mikkel Boe Følsgaard. It runs 3 seasons and 20 episodes, filmed primarily in Denmark and Sweden.

‘The Innocents’ (2018)

A UK–Norway supernatural drama, this series centers on teens whose shapeshifting ability entangles them with a remote research community. Created by Hania Elkington and Simon Duric, it stars Sorcha Groundsell, Percelle Ascott, and Guy Pearce. The show was produced with extensive location work across the UK and Norway. It completes its story arc across 8 episodes.

‘Glitch’ (2015–2019)

This Australian series begins when several people return from the dead in perfect health, with no memory of their deaths. Created by Tony Ayres and Louise Fox, it stars Patrick Brammall, Genevieve O’Reilly, and Emma Booth. The show was produced by Matchbox Pictures for ABC in Australia with Netflix as an international distributor. It runs 3 seasons totaling 18 episodes.

‘Barbarians’ (2020–2022)

A German historical drama, it dramatizes the events leading up to—and following—the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest between Germanic tribes and Rome. Created by Andreas Heckmann, Arne Nolting, and Jan Martin Scharf, it features multilingual dialogue in German and Latin. The production emphasizes period costuming and on-location shoots in Central Europe. The story spans 2 seasons and 12 episodes.

‘Ragnarok’ (2020–2023)

This Norwegian series relocates Norse mythology to a modern small town grappling with industrial pollution and entrenched power. Created by Adam Price, it stars David Stakston, Herman Tømmeraas, and Theresa Frostad Eggesbø. It blends contemporary coming-of-age drama with mythic reinterpretations and classroom-to-corporate conflicts. The show runs 3 seasons with 18 episodes.

‘Trese’ (2021)

A Filipino animated series, it adapts the komiks by Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldissimo, bringing Manila’s folklore creatures into a modern crime-and-supernatural setting. Produced by Base Entertainment, it features English and Filipino voice tracks, with Liza Soberano voicing the Filipino dub of Alexandra Trese. The series uses a stylized, noir-leaning visual approach. Season 1 contains 6 episodes.

‘Blood of Zeus’ (2020– )

An American animated series from creators Charley and Vlas Parlapanides, it follows a mortal caught in Olympian rivalries. Produced by Powerhouse Animation Studios, it features action sequences choreographed in a hand-drawn style. The show explores Greek myth arcs with original characters alongside well-known deities. It has multiple seasons available, totaling 16 episodes so far.

‘The OA’ (2016–2019)

This mystery from Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij is structured as two “parts” that follow a woman who returns after a long disappearance with a cryptic mission. The ensemble includes Brit Marling, Emory Cohen, Phyllis Smith, and Jason Isaacs. Its narrative blends missing-person investigation, research into near-death experiences, and a found-family thread. Across its 2 parts, the series comprises 16 episodes.

‘Travelers’ (2016–2018)

A Canadian sci-fi procedural created by Brad Wright, it centers on operatives who “travel” into present-day hosts to avert future catastrophes. The main cast includes Eric McCormack, MacKenzie Porter, Nesta Cooper, and Jared Abrahamson. The show balances mission-of-the-week plots with an evolving mythology and strict time-travel rules. It spans 3 seasons and 34 episodes.

‘Girl From Nowhere’ (2018–2021)

This Thai anthology series stars Chicha Amatayakul as Nanno, a mysterious transfer student who exposes institutional hypocrisy at each new school. Produced by GMM Grammy in partnership with Netflix, it draws inspiration from real-world Thai news stories. Each episode functions as a standalone morality tale within a shared premise. The series includes 2 seasons and 21 episodes.

‘Criminal: UK’ (2019–2020)

Set entirely inside a police interrogation suite, this procedural focuses on a different suspect each episode. Created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith, it is part of the broader ‘Criminal’ anthology that includes country-specific editions. The UK iteration features guest stars like David Tennant, Hayley Atwell, and Kit Harington. Across its run, it comprises 7 episodes filmed with a minimalist, dialogue-driven approach.

‘The Mire’ (2018–2021)

This Polish crime drama, known locally as ‘Rojst’, follows journalists and detectives probing murders in a forested town during two different time periods. Created by Jan Holoubek, it blends newsroom intrigue with police procedure and shifting political backdrops. The cast features Dawid Ogrodnik, Andrzej Seweryn, and Zofia Wichłacz. It delivers a compact slate of episodes with tightly interlinked cases.

‘Bordertown’ (2016–2020)

A Finnish noir centered on detective Kari Sorjonen, this series balances intricate casework with the protagonist’s family life near the Russian border. Created by Miikko Oikkonen, it emphasizes behavioral analysis and methodical forensic detail. Ville Virtanen leads a cast that includes Matleena Kuusniemi and Anu Sinisalo. The show offers several seasons with self-contained arcs spread across multi-episode cases.

‘Luna Nera’ (2020)

Set in central Italy during witch hunts, this Italian fantasy drama follows a teenage midwife accused of witchcraft who discovers a hidden sisterhood. Developed by Francesca Manieri, Laura Paolucci, and Tiziana Triana, it draws on folklore and period detail. The ensemble includes Antonia Fotaras, Giorgio Belli, and Manuela Mandracchia. The season features a concise run of episodes and ends on a mythology-expanding note.

‘Tidelands’ (2018)

Australia’s first Netflix original centers on a former criminal returning to a coastal town ruled by a community of half-siren outcasts. Created by Stephen M. Irwin and Leigh McGrath, it merges crime drama with maritime mythology. Elsa Pataky, Charlotte Best, and Aaron Jakubenko headline the cast. The season runs a limited number of episodes with a serialized mystery.

‘The Break’ (2016–2018)

This Belgian thriller, titled ‘La Trêve’ in French, follows a detective who relocates to a rural town and confronts a suspicious death tied to local power players. Created by Benjamin d’Aoust, Stéphane Bergmans, and Matthieu Donck, it mixes intimate character work with layered conspiracies. Yoann Blanc stars alongside Guillaume Kerbush and Jasmina Douieb. Each season presents a closed case across a handful of episodes.

‘Good Morning, Verônica’ (2020– )

A Brazilian crime series, it follows a police clerk who secretly investigates predators and institutional corruption after witnessing a traumatic event. Based on the novel by Ilana Casoy and Raphael Montes, it was developed for the screen by the authors. Tainá Müller, Camila Morgado, and Eduardo Moscovis lead the cast. Seasons are streamlined, each with a focused set of episodes.

‘Invisible City’ (2021–2023)

Rooted in Brazilian folklore, this urban fantasy tracks a detective who discovers entities from myth hiding in plain sight in modern Rio. Created by Carlos Saldanha, it integrates creatures like the Curupira and Iara into a contemporary mystery. Marco Pigossi and Alessandra Negrini star, with extensive on-location filming. The series unfolds across short seasons with a clear overarching storyline.

‘The Valhalla Murders’ (2019)

An Icelandic police procedural, it pairs a local investigator with a returning profiler to solve killings linked to a former state-run institution. Created by Thordur Palsson with writers including Margrét Örnólfsdóttir, it emphasizes methodical detective work and stark landscapes. Nína Dögg Filippusdóttir and Björn Thors headline the cast. The limited season delivers a complete case in compact episodes.

‘The Chalet’ (2018)

This French thriller isolates friends in an Alpine village where a reunion spirals into a deadly trap connected to old secrets. Created by Alexis Lecaye and directed by Camille Bordes-Resnais on several episodes, it alternates timelines to unravel motives. The ensemble includes Agathe Bonitzer, Anémone Valois, and Philippe Dusseau. The miniseries format keeps the episode count tight and the mystery contained.

‘High Seas’ (2019–2020)

A Spanish period mystery set aboard a luxurious transatlantic liner, it follows two sisters entangled in murders and espionage at sea. Created by Ramón Campos and Gema R. Neira, it blends closed-room puzzles with lavish production design. Ivana Baquero, Alejandra Onieva, and Jon Kortajarena lead the cast. The story spans multiple seasons with brisk, cliffhanger-driven episodes.

‘The Mess You Leave Behind’ (2020)

From Spain, this psychological thriller adapts creator Carlos Montero’s own novel about a teacher who uncovers a colleague’s troubling past at a rural school. Inma Cuesta, Bárbara Lennie, and Arón Piper star, with Galicia’s landscapes used prominently. The narrative alternates perspectives to piece together the truth. It’s a single-season miniseries with a set number of episodes.

‘The Woods’ (2020)

A Polish adaptation of Harlan Coben’s novel, it centers on a prosecutor whose sister disappeared during a summer camp incident that resurfaces years later through new evidence. Directed by Leszek Dawid and Bartosz Konopka, it maintains a dual-timeline structure. Grzegorz Damięcki and Agnieszka Grochowska lead the cast. The limited series tells a complete story across a small slate of episodes.

‘The Great Heist’ (2020)

This Colombian miniseries dramatizes the real-life robbery of a central bank vault in Valledupar. Created by Pablo González and C. S. Prince, it details planning, execution, and fallout with procedural precision. Andrés Parra, Christian Tappan, and Marcela Benjumea star. The true-crime tale plays out over a compact episode count.

‘Occupied’ (2015–2020)

A Norwegian political thriller conceived by Jo Nesbø, it imagines a near-future energy crisis leading to a soft occupation of Norway. The series explores government, media, and resistance networks with shifting alliances. The cast includes Henrik Mestad, Ane Dahl Torp, and Eldar Skar. Multiple seasons are available, each with tightly plotted episodes.

‘Pine Gap’ (2018)

This Australian drama is set around a joint intelligence facility, following analysts and field officers balancing geopolitics with personal loyalties. Created by Greg Haddrick, it incorporates cyber, signals, and satellite-intelligence storylines. Parker Sawyers, Tess Haubrich, and Jacqueline McKenzie feature in the ensemble. The season is concise, with each episode advancing a central incident investigation.

‘3%’ (2016–2020)

This Brazilian dystopian thriller imagines a society where citizens compete in the Process to reach a privileged offshore enclave. Created by Pedro Aguilera, it uses a minimalist production design to foreground class dynamics and ethics under pressure. Bianca Comparato, Vaneza Oliveira, and João Miguel lead the ensemble. The series runs 4 seasons with concise episodes and an evolving arc built around different stages of the selection.

‘Caliphate’ (2020)

A Swedish suspense drama from creator Wilhelm Behrman, it follows parallel investigations into recruitment pipelines and a looming attack. Gizem Erdogan, Aliette Opheim, and Amed Bozan star, with Stockholm and Middle East settings contrasted through grounded procedural beats. The show focuses on intelligence work, informants, and family stakes. It is a single-season miniseries with a tightly plotted episode count.

‘Osmosis’ (2019)

Set in near-future Paris, this French sci-fi drama explores a biotech dating service that claims to decode true love from neural data. Created by Audrey Fouché, it examines data privacy, algorithmic bias, and unintended side effects of brain–computer interfaces. Agathe Bonitzer, Hugo Becker, and Gaël Kamilindi headline. The season plays out across a small number of episodes centered on clinical trials and corporate maneuvering.

‘Equinox’ (2020)

This Danish mystery from Tea Lindeburg adapts the podcast ‘Equinox 1985’ into a slow-burn disappearance case with folkloric undertones. Danica Curcic, Lars Brygmann, and Karoline Hamm star, with the narrative switching between a radio host’s present-day search and earlier events. The show blends occult motifs with investigative journalism. It delivers a complete story across a compact season.

‘The Stranded’ (2019)

Thailand’s first Netflix original series strands elite-school students on an island after a catastrophic event disrupts communications. Co-created by Ekachai Uekrongtham, it combines survival drama with mythic elements tied to the setting. Papangkorn Lerkchaleampote and Chayanit Chansangavej lead the cast. The season offers a short run of episodes that move from rescue attempts to deeper island mysteries.

‘Perfume’ (2018)

A German crime drama inspired by Patrick Süskind’s novel, this series shifts the story to a contemporary murder investigation among former boarding-school friends. Produced for ZDFneo with Netflix distribution, it uses scent research and memory as forensic threads. Friederike Becht, Wotan Wilke Möhring, and August Diehl star. The limited season tells a closed case with stylized flashbacks.

‘Biohackers’ (2020–2022)

Set in Freiburg, this German techno-thriller follows a medical student who uncovers illegal experiments and biotech conspiracies. Created by Christian Ditter, it integrates CRISPR, gene drives, and lab safety protocols into its plotlines. Luna Wedler and Jessica Schwarz lead, with campus and clinic locations driving the action. The show runs 2 seasons with brisk, cliffhanger-driven episodes.

‘The Forest’ (2017)

A French miniseries, titled ‘La Forêt’, centered on the disappearance of a teenager near a dense woodland and the community secrets that surface. Directed by Julius Berg, it pairs a local captain with a gendarmerie lieutenant and a teacher linked to the missing girl. Samuel Labarthe, Suzanne Clément, and Alexia Barlier star. The mystery unfolds across a small, self-contained set of episodes.

‘The Bonfire of Destiny’ (2019)

This French period drama, ‘Le Bazar de la Charité’, dramatizes a tragic Parisian charity event and the intertwined lives of three women afterward. Created by Catherine Ramberg and Karine Spreuzkouski, it examines class, reputation, and legal maneuvering. Audrey Fleurot, Julie de Bona, and Camille Lou lead the cast. The miniseries structure keeps the narrative tightly focused over a few episodes.

‘Collateral’ (2018)

A UK police thriller created by David Hare, it begins with a delivery driver’s killing that ripples through politics, immigration, and the military. Carey Mulligan stars alongside John Simm and Nicola Walker, with most scenes set around London boroughs. The investigation prioritizes interviews, surveillance, and inter-agency coordination. It’s a four-part limited series designed as a single case.

‘Seven Seconds’ (2018)

An American crime drama developed by Veena Sud, it follows the aftermath of a hit-and-run involving a police officer and a Black teenager in Jersey City. Clare-Hope Ashitey, Regina King, and Russell Hornsby headline, with legal, family, and community perspectives interwoven. The show tracks prosecutorial strategy, evidence handling, and public response. It’s a one-season miniseries with a complete legal arc.

‘Rebellion’ (2016–2019)

An Irish historical drama charting the events around the Easter Rising and its consequences for a circle of Dubliners. Created by Colin Teevan, it uses a mix of domestic interiors, political chambers, and street set-pieces to show shifting loyalties. The cast includes Charlie Murphy, Brian Gleeson, and Ruth Bradley. Two parts cover the initial uprising and subsequent political consolidation across limited episodes.

‘Delhi Crime’ (2019–2022)

This Indian anthology procedural from creator Richie Mehta follows the Delhi Police as they tackle high-profile cases with meticulous fieldwork. Shefali Shah leads a core ensemble with Rajesh Tailang and Rasika Dugal. Each season reconstructs investigations through interviews, surveillance, and coordination across units. The series offers multiple seasons with focused case files and restrained episode counts.

‘Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories’ (2016–2019)

A Japanese slice-of-life anthology set in a late-night Shinjuku eatery where patrons share stories tied to simple dishes. Based on Yaro Abe’s manga, it features Kaoru Kobayashi as the Master and a rotating cast of guests. Episodes revolve around a dish’s significance, with recipes and personal histories folded into vignettes. Netflix’s seasons add new tales while preserving the intimate format.

‘The Barrier’ (2020)

A Spanish near-future dystopia, ‘La valla’ depicts a Madrid under curfews, checkpoints, and resource rationing after a national emergency. Created by Daniel Écija, it follows a family navigating bureaucracy, black markets, and medical experiments. The cast includes Olivia Molina, Ángela Molina, and Unax Ugalde. The single-season story unfolds over a defined number of episodes focused on resistance and exposure of abuses.

Share your own underrated ‘Netflix’ picks in the comments—what lesser-known series would you add to this expanded list?