Netflix has too many movies for any of us to actually get through all of them, and many aren't worth the watch So to make things easier for you when digging through that endless library of movies, here are five underrated films on Netflix that are absolutely worth the watch.
"Snowpiercer" — 95% on Rotten Tomatoes
If that guy with an ax looks familiar, it’s because you’ve seen him elsewhere holding a much less threatening shield as Captain America. Chris Evans may be an A-list actor starring in some of the highest grossing movies ever, but he’s also doing some much lower profile work. "Snowpiercer" is South Korean director, Bong Joon-Ho’s, low-budget dystopian action film — and it’s formidable.
Welcome to a post-apocalyptic world where, in trying to negate climate change, the planet has plunged into a new ice age. All that’s left of humanity now resides within the confines of a single train, whose perpetual engine drives it in an endless circle along icy tracks through the tundra that is Earth.
Chris Evans plays a member of the society living in the rear cars, where most of the population resides in poverty and awful conditions. There’s a lot of social commentary at work, as you’d imagine in something despotic, but what stands out is the setting itself. Some cars have multiple levels, but all share a uniform width; all movement is forced between these narrow halls.
Evan’s character leads a revolt against the front of the train, and with that the movie launches into a strange but endlessly entertaining dynamic push towards the forward cars. Cramped hallways bottleneck episodes of intense violence, including a blacked out scene in the dark between the oppressive, axe-wielding troops of the front, and the pipe bearing mutineers. A new twist on an old premise, great performances and direction, and some impressive cinematography all add up to a refreshingly novel action film that’s sure to impress.
"The Babadook" — 98% on Rotten Tomatoes
“If it’s in a word or it’s in a look, you can’t get rid of 'The Babadook'"
Those are the words of a mysterious book that appears on Amelia’s (Essie Davis) bookshelf when looking to read something to her son, Samuel (Noah Wiseman). Poorly behaved and a troublemaker at school, it’s clear from the start of the film that after her husband’s death, Amelia's had trouble with her son. These emotional strains build from the moment we see the characters interact, and that relationship is the foundation for everything proceeding it.
Samuel has issues sleeping, insomnia takes a clear toll on Amelia as she struggles to deal with it. One night he picks a certain book off the shelf to help ease him into bed; the book is, in a word, disturbing. It tells the story of a creature, The Babadook, that infiltrates a child’s house and works its way into taking them. What follows the reading of the book can only be described as one of the most haunting, anxious, and all-around strange horror stories around.
Director and writer, Jennifer Kent, builds an atmosphere of unhinged psychological tension that leaks terror out of the screen. The mother and son face off against an impending darkness that seems to seep into every corner of their vision, driving them to psychological desperation and straining what was an already tenuous relationship. Most horror movies today focus on the jump scare trope, looking for that moment of shock that has you suddenly screaming or jumping out of your seat. That type of movie wears off; you can laugh away the tension almost immediately as you joke to yourself and friends about your sudden reactions.
That’s not this movie; "The Babadook" is a looming terror, it doesn’t suddenly fly into the room but rather creeps towards the bed, as you sit watching in pure, paralyzing terror. The effect of this sort of film is lasting because it preys on paranoias that are already there; it aims to use your own mind against you. If you’re someone who loves to be scared, this is the movie for you. If you appreciate smart and careful direction, and some pretty fantastic performances, this might also be for you — provided you either don’t scare easy or don’t mind some lasting insomnia.
"Europa Report" — 80% on Rotten Tomatoes
Science fiction has become a fairly broad category over the years, and that label has lost its ability to indicate the kind of movie you’re going to see. With "Star Wars," "Jupiter Ascending" —which is just shameful to see listed in the same category with how awful it was— and Interstellar all being categorized under that same genre, we might have to come up with different categories. "Europa Report" is science fiction in a very literal sense, it’s a fictional movie that’s rooted squarely in the ground of science.
Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons, has long been suspected of being able to harbor microbial life in the seas below its icy surface. NASA has plans to head there sometime in this century, but Europa Mission is what that mission would probably look like. A sort of ‘found footage’ kind of filming style, where all footage is from the perspective of the onboard cameras, tells the story of the mission to the surface of Europa.
As one would imagine, the crew runs into some technical issues and from there the story follows their short mission on the distant moon. The mechanics, logistics, and background of the narrative are all scientifically sound and try as best they can to operate within the realm of reality. It’s something to appreciate when movies like Jupiter Ascending have Channing Tatum on flying roller skates explained away by “diverting gravitons through differential equations”.
The thrill of "Europa Report" comes from the classic conflict of Man versus Nature, where the scientists are too far from home to have anyone save them from the dangers of the universe — "Apollo 13" comes to mind. Low-budget, great concept, and smartly written, this is for any true science fiction thriller fan.
"Mr. Nobody" — 64% on Rotten Tomatoes
What I’d expect to be the most contested movie on this list, "Mr. Nobody" is at the very least another compelling reason to have Jared Leto stick around the film industry. A winding, stream of consciousness, scientifically philosophical, genre-bending, mystery-romance, character study, and ambitious film, "Mr. Nobody" is indisputably imaginative and has no lack of effort behind it.
In the future, after humans have found the key to immortality through cell regeneration, the last human who will ever die celebrates his 118th birthday. Nearing his death, the world narrows in on his life story —the curiosity stemming from the complete lack of information they have on him, hence his name, "Mr. Nobody." That, however, is only the framing device for the real story of the film.
"Mr. Nobody" describes a moment in his childhood where he stood on a station platform, his mother getting on a leaving train and his father staying behind. Aside from this being a strange way to force a child into picking one parent in the divorce, this even is curious because "Mr. Nobody" begins to describe events stemming from both choices. He tells the story of several very different lives, though all his, that are products of critical choices. The director, Jaco Van Dormael weaves through this conflicting narratives, bewildering his audience.
The film challenges us to question the lasting effects of our choices —in the realm of the butterfly effect— but also our preconceptions of what fate may really mean for us. If we all die, do the choices between birth and death really make a difference? "Mr. Nobody" asks this question throughout its narrative and features some very surprising child-actors who are an actual asset to the film as a whole. Far from perfect, but entirely ambitious, the film is both touching and challenging— a rare combination.
"Nightcrawler" — 95% on Rotten Tomatoes
Jake Gyllenhaal’s performance as a freelance crime videographer in this L.A. based thriller is absolutely hypnotizing. Gyllenhaal plays Lou Bloom, an eccentric and seemingly emotionless swindler turned reporter. The movie follows Bloom as he develops his skills as a videographer and begins to record increasingly violent crimes.
Gyllenhaal is chilling, and the direction by Dan Gilroy— Real Steal— is gripping. The two create an eerie atmosphere around Bloom’s story, as he operates within his darkening gray area of questionable practices and increasingly probable sociopathy. The film moves with an uneasy feeling of increased odds and the darkening tinge of ambition that starts to swell.
Bloom is not alone throughout his narrative however, he’s joined by his ‘intern’ Rick (Riz Ahmed) and reports to the local news editor Nina (Rene Russo). Rick acts any normal human should, he’s skeptical of Bloom’s directions and demonstrates a functioning conscious. Nina is a caricature of the rating-driven news editor, acting only in service of higher viewership and her own status. Nina acts as a fascinating foil to Lou, as both are callously ambitious, but Gyllenhaal’s character acts with an efficiency stemming from a certain pureness in motive. Lou wants success, but for his own sake; there’s a certain perfectionism at work within him that wants operate at it’s best level, whereas Nina appears to be driven by a certain desire for status.
The supporting cast all hit their marks, but again it’s Gyllenhaal that stands out with his flawless performance. "Nightcrawler" is visually stunning to boot, and operates on a cerebral level as it drags its audience with it through the fast-moving streets of L.A. — make sure you tag along for the ride.
