Netflix Movies You Are Sleeping On (But Shouldn’t)

It’s easy to scroll past a hidden gem when there’s a fresh batch of new releases every week. Netflix has built up a surprisingly deep library of original and exclusive films that cover everything from tense thrillers to inventive sci-fi and moving character studies, many of them made outside Hollywood with distinctive voices behind the camera.

This list spotlights films that might not have dominated your home page but deliver memorable stories, striking craft, and strong performances. You’ll find titles from the United Kingdom, South Korea, Spain, France, Indonesia, Australia, Canada, and the United States, along with festival winners, clever genre spins, and projects from rising directors worth knowing.

‘Calibre’ (2018)

This Scotland-set thriller follows two longtime friends whose weekend hunting trip spirals into a cover-up after a tragic accident in the Highlands. Writer-director Matt Palmer shot on location around the village of Culross, and the film won the Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature Film at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

Jack Lowden and Martin McCann lead the cast, with Tony Curran in support. The production emphasizes practical, rural settings and uses a compressed timeline to track the mounting consequences of a single choice.

‘His House’ (2020)

Set in England, this horror drama centers on a South Sudanese couple granted asylum and placed in a dilapidated council house where unsettling events blur past trauma and present threats. The film marks the feature debut of writer-director Remi Weekes.

Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù and Wunmi Mosaku star, with Mosaku earning a British Independent Film Award nomination. The film received the BAFTA for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer for Weekes and producers Felicity Evans and Toby Venables.

‘The Night Comes for Us’ (2018)

Timo Tjahjanto directs this Indonesian action film about an elite enforcer who turns against a crime syndicate to protect a young girl. The production features elaborate fight choreography made with the stunt teams popularized by ‘The Raid’ alumni.

Joe Taslim and Iko Uwais headline, reuniting two of Indonesia’s most internationally recognized action stars. The film was shot primarily in Jakarta and Batam and showcases extensive practical effects and close-quarters combat design.

‘Athena’ (2022)

This French drama opens with a continuous sequence that tracks a police station clash before moving into a neighborhood on the brink, focusing on three brothers pulled to different sides of a conflict. Director Romain Gavras and cinematographer Matias Boucard designed large-scale set pieces built around long takes.

The production used vast exterior sets near Paris, with Ladj Ly contributing to the story and behind-the-scenes experience from ‘Les Misérables’. The cast includes Dali Benssalah, Sami Slimane, and Anthony Bajon.

‘I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore’ (2017)

Writer-director Macon Blair’s feature debut follows a nursing assistant who teams up with an eccentric neighbor after her house is burglarized, leading to an amateur investigation. The film premiered at Sundance.

It won the U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. Melanie Lynskey and Elijah Wood star, with a supporting ensemble that includes Jane Levy and David Yow.

‘Tramps’ (2016)

Set across Queens, Manhattan, and upstate New York, this romantic caper revolves around a briefcase mix-up that pairs two strangers on a daylong errand. The film is written and directed by Adam Leon.

Callum Turner and Grace Van Patten lead the cast, and the production uses naturalistic street photography and modest locations to follow a citywide chase. The score and editing maintain a brisk pace over a lean runtime.

‘Paddleton’ (2019)

This character drama focuses on two neighbors whose routine is upended when one receives a terminal diagnosis, prompting a deeply personal road trip. The film was directed by Alex Lehmann from a story he developed with Mark Duplass.

Ray Romano and Mark Duplass star, with much of the dialogue shaped through collaboration and rehearsal. The production keeps to intimate locations and emphasizes handheld camerawork to track the pair’s shared rituals.

‘Private Life’ (2018)

Tamara Jenkins writes and directs this story of a New York couple navigating fertility treatments and family dynamics while pursuing adoption. The film was developed with extensive research into medical processes and legal steps surrounding assisted reproduction.

Kathryn Hahn and Paul Giamatti star, with Kayli Carter as a key supporting character. The film shot in New York City apartments and clinics and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

‘Shimmer Lake’ (2017)

Told in reverse over several days, this Midwestern crime story traces a botched bank robbery back to its origins. The screenplay by Oren Uziel structures each segment to reveal new information as the timeline moves backward.

Benjamin Walker, Rainn Wilson, and Wyatt Russell appear in an ensemble cast. The production used Ontario locations to double for small-town America and relies on practical makeup and stunt work across key scenes.

‘Cam’ (2018)

This psychological thriller follows a webcam performer who discovers that her online identity has been hijacked by a near-perfect double. The script by Isa Mazzei draws on first-hand knowledge of the camming industry to depict platforms, moderation, and audience behavior.

Daniel Goldhaber directs, with Madeline Brewer in the lead. The film blends real interface design with bespoke visual effects to render the livestream environment and premiered at the Fantasia International Film Festival before streaming.

‘The Platform’ (2019)

This Spanish science-fiction film is set in a vertical prison where food descends level by level, creating scarcity by design. Director Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia shot on a single, modular set that could be reconfigured to represent scores of floors.

Iván Massagué stars, with Antonia San Juan and Zorion Eguileor in key roles. The film won the People’s Choice Award in the Midnight Madness section at the Toronto International Film Festival.

‘Cargo’ (2017)

Set in rural Australia after a viral outbreak, this drama centers on a father searching for a safe home for his infant daughter within a limited timeframe. The film expands a 2013 short by Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke.

Martin Freeman leads the cast, with Anthony Hayes and Susie Porter in supporting roles. The production shot in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges and Riverland to capture outback landscapes.

‘Spectral’ (2016)

This military sci-fi feature follows a DARPA engineer and a special-ops team investigating inexplicable apparitions in a war-torn Eastern European city. The film uses a mix of practical armored vehicles and digitally realized weaponry based on photogrammetry.

James Badge Dale stars alongside Emily Mortimer and Max Martini. Director Nic Mathieu collaborated with Weta Workshop and Weta Digital on creature and effects design.

‘Shirkers’ (2018)

This documentary recounts how a group of Singaporean teenagers made a feature in the early 1990s and then lost the footage for decades. Director Sandi Tan reconstructs the production using surviving materials, new interviews, and the recovered reels.

The film explores independent filmmaking in Singapore’s cultural context and the impact of mentorship and authorship on young artists. It won the World Cinema Documentary Directing Award at Sundance.

‘The Ritual’ (2017)

After a tragic incident, four friends hike through a Swedish forest and encounter disturbing signs of an unseen presence. Director David Bruckner adapts Adam Nevill’s novel, reshaping character arcs for a feature structure.

Rafe Spall, Arsher Ali, Robert James-Collier, and Sam Troughton star. The production filmed in Romania and the United Kingdom to achieve dense woodland environments and built a large creature rig supported by visual effects.

‘Apostle’ (2018)

Set in 1905, this period thriller follows a man who infiltrates a remote island cult to rescue his sister. Gareth Evans writes and directs, bringing elaborate set builds and mechanical effects to the folk-horror setting.

Dan Stevens, Lucy Boynton, and Michael Sheen lead the cast. The film constructed a full village on location in Wales and used practical gore effects alongside atmospheric lighting.

‘Hold the Dark’ (2018)

Based on William Giraldi’s novel, this Alaskan-set mystery begins with a writer tracking a child taken by wolves and expands into a broader portrait of a violent community. Director Jeremy Saulnier and cinematographer Magnus Nordenhof Jønck emphasize snowbound vistas and low-light photography.

Jeffrey Wright, Alexander Skarsgård, and Riley Keough star. The production filmed in Alberta and the Yukon to simulate remote Alaskan terrain, coordinating with local authorities for winter logistics.

‘Wheelman’ (2017)

Told largely from inside a getaway car, this lean crime film follows a driver navigating a double-cross over a single night. Writer-director Jeremy Rush designed the shoot around vehicle-mounted rigs and minimal unit moves.

Frank Grillo stars, with real-time phone calls and GPS screens integrated into the storytelling. The film makes extensive use of Boston locations and practical driving sequences.

‘ARQ’ (2016)

This sci-fi chamber piece centers on a couple trapped in a repeating home invasion tied to an experimental energy device. Writer-director Tony Elliott employs a loop structure to reveal shifting alliances and world details.

Robbie Amell and Rachael Taylor lead the cast. The production was mounted in Toronto with a small ensemble and uses contained sets to emphasize iteration and recalibration.

‘Gerald’s Game’ (2017)

Adapted from Stephen King’s novel, the story follows a woman left handcuffed in a remote lake house after a role-play scenario goes wrong. Director Mike Flanagan maintains a confined perspective while externalizing inner voices through carefully staged hallucinations.

Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood star, with practical effects used for key moments. The film shot in Alabama and makes use of a limited cast and single primary location.

‘1922’ (2017)

Another Stephen King adaptation, this period crime drama is narrated by a Nebraska farmer who confesses to murdering his wife and burying her in a well on their property. Writer-director Zak Hilditch frames the account as a written confession.

Thomas Jane, Molly Parker, and Dylan Schmid star. The film was shot in Manitoba, using farmland and town exteriors to reflect early twentieth-century settings.

‘The Stranger’ (2022)

This Australian crime drama depicts an undercover operation built around a chance encounter between a suspect and a covert operative. Writer-director Thomas M. Wright draws from documented procedures to portray covert recruitment and staged criminal organizations.

Joel Edgerton and Sean Harris lead the cast. The production filmed in South Australia and Queensland with support from local screen agencies and premiered at the Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard section.

‘Forgotten’ (2017)

This South Korean thriller follows a college student whose kidnapped brother returns home acting like a different person, triggering an investigation that uncovers past events. Director Jang Hang-jun structures the film around layered reveals.

Kang Ha-neul and Kim Mu-yeol star. The production uses Seoul and suburban locations and employs precise set dressing to support time-shift sequences.

‘The Decline’ (2020)

This Quebecois survival thriller begins at a remote training camp where a fatal accident fractures a group of doomsday preppers. Director Patrice Laliberté focuses on logistics, terrain, and group dynamics to follow the breakdown.

The film was shot in the Lanaudière region of Quebec, taking advantage of winter landscapes and wooded areas. The cast features Guillaume Laurin, Marc-André Grondin, and Réal Bossé.

‘Outlaw King’ (2018)

Set in early fourteenth-century Scotland, this historical epic follows Robert the Bruce in the aftermath of the Wars of Scottish Independence as he organizes a campaign against English forces. David Mackenzie directs, continuing collaborations with actor Chris Pine.

The production filmed across Scottish locations including Linlithgow Palace and Glencoe, with extensive armor, cavalry coordination, and large-scale battle sequences staged with a mix of practical and digital effects.

Share your favorite under-the-radar picks in the comments so everyone can add a few new titles to their watchlist.