Maybe you’ve never heard of them, or maybe they’ve been sitting in your Netflix queue for months. Whatever the case, you need to watch these films as soon as possible. Find something new and exciting to stream, whether you’re dying for dark comedy, eager for some action adventure or anxious for a psychological thriller-- you just might find a new favorite.
1. Band of Robbers (2015)
In this modern reimaging of Mark Twain’s iconic novels, Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer reunite as adults with criminal ambitions to fulfill their childhood dream: finding the legendary Murrell’s treasure. The misfits’ cheerfully zany hunt for gold and glory offers an uplifting and entertaining story even for viewers unfamiliar with Twain’s original characters. Whether you’re a fan of the source material, or you’re just looking for a campy action comedy, director duo Aaron and Adam Nee’s “Band of Robbers” provides some genuine hilarious and heart-warming moments. (And it’s got a cool 74 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.)
2. World’s Greatest Dad (2009)
After his teenage son’s unexpected and embarrassingly bizarre death, single father and aspiring novelist Lance Clayton resolves to ghost-write a suicide note for him. Robin Williams stars as the titular tongue-in-cheek “World’s Greatest Dad,” who attempts to redeem his son and his own writing career by crafting a diary supposedly written before his death. As the posthumous journal gains national popularity, Lance wrestles with whether or not to maintain the lie. If that doesn’t sound like the premise for a charming and irreverently funny drama, then prepare to be pleasantly surprised. (It’s currently at an 89 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.)
3. Finders Keepers (2015)
Shannon Whisnant attends a storage locker auction. Inside the storage locker is a grill. Inside the grill is—you guessed it—an amputated human leg. And that’s not even this documentary’s most shocking twist. Things quickly escalate when the leg’s owner, recovering drug addict John Wood, shows up to confront Whisnant and reclaim the limb. In addition to sharing history’s strangest battle for ownership, “Finders Keepers” explores the lives of the two men at the center of the conflict; by the end, you’ll discover that perfect balance between laughing at the circumstances and crying out of sympathy. (It’s got an impressive 98 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.)
4. Headhunters (2011)
Two headhunters go head-to-head, if you will, in this Norwegian crime thriller based on the novel by Jo Nesbø. Influential corporate recruiter Roger Brown maintains his luxurious lifestyle—and his wife’s interest—by stealing his clients’ valuable artwork to sell on the black market. But when he sets his sights on a former mercenary’s prized Rubens, Brown finds himself in the midst of life-threatening conspiracy. If you’re looking for a one hundred minute adrenaline ride, “Headhunters” packs enough action and suspense to make it relentlessly thrilling. (And Rotten Tomatoes rates it at 92 percent.)
5. Queen of Earth (2015)
After a difficult break-up, Catherine visits a lake house with best friend Virginia for a week of relaxation and reconnection. Two pals reuniting for a vacation seems harmless, until they slowly start to reveal the years of resentment they’ve harbored for each other. Elizabeth Moss and Katherine Waterston portray one of cinema’s most uniquely convincing “frenemy” relationships; their characters’ mutual contempt is at times painful palpable, and gradually intensifies into a psychotic break. With its fantastic performances and feminist perspective, this eerie character drama burns slowly but incredibly brightly. (And it’s got a 92 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.)
6. We Are Still Here (2015)
A small New England town in 1979 is the setting for this delightfully creepy horror film. For veterans of the genre, “We Are Still Here” will hit all the familiar beats -- but it does so with a gusto and clarity that elevates the formula into something captivatingly strange. Not long after moving into a historic house, grieving parents Paul and Anne become the victims of a paranormal plot for revenge. Like its protagonists, this film finds itself in a worn-out setting but surrounded by new scares. If you’re looking for a traditional ghost story done well, give it a shot. (A 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes doesn’t hurt either.)
7. Faults (2014)
A cash-strapped cult researcher is recruited to deprogram a woman her parents suspect has been brainwashed by a mysterious group of people. What follows is a gripping and wickedly clever psychological drama that explores how the mind is manipulated as well as the liminal spaces of identity, belief, and doubt—it’s also wonderfully acted and original. “Faults” thrusts you into its uncanny, mysterious world and constantly keeps you guessing. (And it’s at a 91 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.)
