Has Netflix's work to produce and distribute original films benefitted the film industry? That's a question that many film fans often ask themselves, rightfully so. Although many cinephiles would lament the lack of theatrical distribution, as Netflix rarely releases its films in theaters unless it plans to submit them for awards consideration, many of the films produced or disrupted by the service wouldn't have been seen otherwise.
Still, it's disappointing that Netflix does so little to promote the great original films that are streaming on the service. The streamer's library is considerable and surprisingly good, especially regarding thrillers. While efforts like David Fincher's The Killer make waves on Netflix on name recognition alone, others are less fortunate, slipping through the cracks and failing to find an audience despite being quality projects. These are Netflix's most underrated original thrillers, unsung yet worthwhile picturesworthy of any viewer's time.
10 'Triple Frontier' (2019)
Director: J. C. Chandor
Triple Frontieris a terrific heist thriller that has deeper themes in its mind. The film follows the veteran servicemen Redfly (Ben Affleck), Pope (Oscar Isaac), Catfish (Pedro Pascal), Ironhead (Charlie Hunnam), and Ben (Garrett Hedlund) as they plan to rob a South American drug lord. Although director J.C. Chandor creates some taught moments of suspense and intrigue, the film has a surprising amount of insight into how difficult the lives of veterans can be. These characters find that the country they fought for no longer fights for them, leaving them to look for other ways to survive if not necessarily live.
Spanning different genres, including thriller, action, and adventure, Triple Frontier is an underrated Netflix gem that has largely disappeared from the conversation. Like most other big films in the streamer, it enjoyed popularity upon immediate release before fading into the background of Netflix's ever-expanding library. Still, at least it was seen by some, which is more than other underrated Netflix thrillers can say.
Triple Frontier
R- Release Date
- March 6, 2019
- Cast
- Charlie Hunnam , Oscar Isaac , Ben Affleck , Pedro Pascal , Adria Arjona , Garrett Hedlund
- Runtime
- 125
9 'Windfall' (2022)
Director: Charlie McDowell
One of the few advantages of the COVID-19 pandemic is that isolation forced many filmmakers to get creative on how they wanted to stage their stories. Director Charlie McDowell made use of a limited environment with his impressive 2022 thriller Windfall. The film follows an incompetent burglar (Jason Segel) who takes a wealthy CEO (Jesse Plemons) and his girlfriend (Lily Collins) hostage to steal their fortune.
McDowell uses the socially awkward situation to create an absurdist dark sense of humor, commenting on the intersection between wealth and social class. Windfall slowly reveals its characters' motivations as the situation gradually grows more intense. While its limited setting may suggest that the film is simplistic, Windfall is far more ambitious in its exploration of humanity's dark side than its premise may suggest.
8 'Hold the Dark' (2018)
Director: Jeremy Saulnier
Hold the Darkis another haunting crime thriller from Blue Ruin and Green Room director Jeremy Saulnier. Jeffrey Wright stars as the Alaskan tracker Russell Core, who is hired by the enigmatic mother Medora Slone (Riley Keough)to find three missing children, including her son. Slone suspects that the children were taken by wolves and is determined to find her child before her husband (Alexander Skarsgård) returns from military service overseas.
While Hold the Dark isn't a particularly uplifting film, it's an incredible showcase for Saulnier's ability to create tension and the type of film that only Netflix could make. Between its graphic violence, toxic characters, methodical pacing, and mathematical imagery, Hold the Dark is an entirely non-commercial endeavor that would have struggled to connect with mainstream audiences. It may be designed to appeal only to film fans who appreciate its arthouse approach to the crime thriller, but it remains a worthy entry in Saulnier's uncompromising canon.
Hold the Dark
After the deaths of three children suspected to be killed by wolves, writer Russell Core is hired by the mother of a missing six-year-old boy to track down and locate her son in the Alaskan wilderness.
- Release Date
- September 28, 2018
- Cast
- Beckam Crawford , Riley Keough , Jeffrey Wright , Michael Tayles , Issac Bird , Joseph Whitebird
- Runtime
- 125 minutes
7 'They Cloned Tyrone' (2023)
Director: Juel Taylor
They Cloned Tyroneis a delightful mashup of the blacksploitation, science fiction, and comedy genres. Jamie Foxx, John Boyega, and Teyonah Parris star as an unlikely group of heroes who discover a government brainwashing conspiracy linked to a chain of fast food restaurants. While Foxx's character, in particular, adds a lot of comedy to the film, the action sequences themselves are taken completely seriously. It's disappointing that a majority of the viewers who watched They Cloned Tyrone did so on Netflix because They Cloned Tyrone's bonkers twist ending is best enjoyed alongside a massive crowd.
Although They Cloned Tyrone's story has some comedic value, the film evokes comparisons to futuristic classics like They Live and The Truman Show with its analysis of conspiracies that warp public perception. They Cloned Tyrone is not a parody but a fully fleshed-out original sci-fi thriller, a compelling warning about the infrastructure taken for granted. The film's intelligence makes it an underrated entry within Netflix's catalog of original projects.
They Cloned Tyrone
R- Release Date
- July 21, 2023
- Cast
- Jamie Foxx , John Boyega , Teyonah Parris , Kiefer Sutherland
- Runtime
- 122 minutes
6 'I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore' (2017)
Director: Macon Blair
Before they starred together in the critically acclaimed genre series Yellowjackets, Elijah Wood and Melanie Lynskey first teamed up in the 2017 thriller I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore. Lynskey stars as the loner Ruth, who recruits her idiosyncratic neighbor, Tony (Wood), to help her find her stolen property after his house is burglarized. Ruth is an extremely likable character, as she finds herself disappointed by how low humanity can stoop to.
Despite the initial comedic tone, I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore takes a dark twist by the end. The filmis a great showcase for the chemistry between Wood and Lynskey, as both characters are considered outsiders who use the mystery as a way to prove themselves. The film effortlessly blends humor with a sobering look at the current state of an ever-crumbling world. The mastery of tonal shifts makes I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore an underrated gem that is perfectly suited for fans of genre storytelling.
5 'The White Tiger' (2021)
Director: Ramin Bahrani
Ramin Bahrani is one of the many great arthouse filmmakers that Netflix spotlighted. Since his directorial debut, Man Push Cart, Bahrani has been fascinated by the intersection between economics and social hierarchy. The White Tiger explores the rise and fall of the poor Indian villager Balram Halwai (Adarsh Gourav), who leverages his cunning and skills to become a high-ranking member of the upper class.
Quickly paced, filled with violence, and shockingly funny, The White Tiger feels like Bahrani's version of Goodfellas. The film shows the inherently corrupting nature of wealth, as Balram begins to sacrifice some of his values as he rises within India's high society. The White Tiger stands as one of Netflix's more complex crime stories, as it's rare to see a character transform from a hero to a villain throughout a single film.
4 'Operation Mincemeat' (2022)
Director: John Madden
Operation Mincemeatis based on an incredible true story. During the height of World War II, the British military officials Lieutenant Commander Ewen Montagu (Colin Firth) and Charles Cholmondeley (Matthew Macfayden) created a secret plan to send false information to the Nazis. In order to create the deception, Montagu and Cholmondeley arranged for the corpse of a soldier containing false orders to be picked up by the German military.
Showing the clever nature of these characters in a story that feels representative of both the war and heist genres, Operation Mincemeat is a refreshing hybrid of a movie that flew unfairly under the radar. While movies based on true stories of World War II heroism abound, Operation Mincemeat stands out by focusing on the espionage at play during the conflict rather than the battlefield, thus showing a different perspective on war.
Operation Mincemeat
PG-13- Release Date
- May 11, 2022
- Cast
- Colin Firth , Matthew Macfadyen , Kelly Macdonald , Rufus Wright
- Runtime
- 128 minutes
3 'The Guilty' (2021)
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Jake Gyllenhaal stars in the 2021 crime thriller The Guilty. The plot centers on Joe Baylor, a troubled and disgraced former police detective demoted to a 911 operator following an on-duty incident. One night, he receives a call from a distressed woman who reveals she's been abducted. Fighting to save her while reckoning with his past, Joe must race against time to earn some much-needed redemption.
Tight, well-directed, and benefitting from a stellar performance from the ever-compelling Jake Gyllenhaal, The Guilty further proves that few directors can handle a thriller like Antoine Fuqua. It might pale in comparison with the brilliant original Danish movie, but The Guiltyremains a worthy thriller for fans of the hectic and twisting genre. Unfortunately, it failed to capitalize on its premise and star power, becoming another forgotten entry in Netflix's catalog.
The Guilty (2021)
- Release Date
- September 24, 2021
- Cast
- Jake Gyllenhaal , Riley Keough , Ethan Hawke
- Runtime
- 1 hr 30 min
2 'Fair Play' (2023)
Director: Chloe Domont
Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich star in Chloe Domont's 2023 erotic thriller Fair Play. The plot follows Emily and Luke, a young couple working at a cutthroat Manhattan hedge fund. When one receives a promotion over the other, their dynamic unexpectedly changes. Distrust, dishonesty, and ambition soon threaten to separate the newly engaged pair.
Fair Play is Domont's feature directorial debut and cements her as a talent to look out for. Intense, steamy, and ruthless, the film is a biting examination of gender politics, greed, lust, and power, strengthened by Dynevor and Ehrenreich's electrifying performances. Echoing the addictive style of the best erotic thrillers from the 80s and 90s, Fair Play is a thrilling and fascinating look at relationships that deserved a lot more attention than it received from both critics and audiences.
Fair Play
RDramaMysteryThriller- Release Date
- October 13, 2023
- Cast
- Phoebe Dynevor , Alden Ehrenreich , Eddie Marsan , Rich Sommer
- Runtime
- 113 minutes
1 '1922' (2017)
Director: Zak Hilditch
1922is based on a Stephen King short story that essentially feels like the famous horror author's version of Edgar Allen Poe'sThe Tell-Tale Heart. Thomas Jane gives the best performance of his career as Wilfred James, a proud farmer who decides to murder his wife Arlette (Molly Parker) when she tries to move their family to a city. In the wake of his evil actions, James is haunted by nightmarish visions that remind him of his guilt.
Thomas Jane dominates 1922, delivering a complex and thrilling portrayal of guilt, anxiety, and broken masculinity. Sadly, 1922 was overshadowed by another King adaptation that dominated the conversation—Andy Muchietti'sIt, a box office and critical juggernaut. However, 1922 deserved just as much attention; it engages with and expands on the dark themes that make the author's work so profound. Although the source material is rather simplistic, 1922 enrichens the novella's thesis by examining the social and societal pressures that James was under.
1922
TV-MA- Release Date
- October 20, 2017
- Cast
- Thomas Jane , Molly Parker , Brian D'Arcy James , Neal McDonough , Dylan Schmid , Roan Curtis
- Runtime
- 102 minutes
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