While plenty of Netflix originals have gotten positive buzz over the last year, some of
them have flown under the radar without much fanfare.
If you've already finished hits like Ozark, The Crown and Narcos, then grab some popcorn,
settle in and check out these underrated Netflix originals.
Created by the showrunner of 2016’s Awkward, coming of age series On My Block is equal
parts drama, comedy and political commentary.
The series follows high school freshmen Monse, Cesar, Jamal, and Ruben as they deal with
a diverse range of challenges in their South Central Los Angeles neighborhood, from teenage
confusion over romantic relationships to high-stakes conflicts and gang violence.
The potential for trouble and the distant sound of gunshots might always be present
in the backdrop of their neighborhood, but thanks to its knack for empathetic storytelling
and the authentic performances of its talented cast, On My Block never begins to feel like
an after-school special.
A touch of dark humor and the occasional tender moment between the characters manages to balance
the heavy subject matter, too.
With young actors of color cast in the leading roles and a storyline that weaves every plot
together without ever resorting to filler episodes, On My Block offers a deeply effective
insight into life in the inner city.
While Stranger Things took a nostalgic look back at the '80s, Everything Sucks! was inspired
by the teen comedy tropes which grew out of the following decade, so if you consider yourself
a '90s kid, you might be able to relate to the struggle of high school misfits like Kate,
Luke, McQuaid, Tyler, and Emaline.
“What kind of fairy tale world does Alanis Morissette live in?"
"Canada"
"Oh"
"Can I have a chip?"
"Oh, yeah.”
Set in the real, aptly-named small town of Boring, Oregon in 1996, Everything Sucks!
follows a group of outcasts in the A/V and drama clubs who decide to make a movie together
after the school play is canceled.
Meanwhile, Luke struggles with his relationship with his estranged father, Kate slowly comes
out to her friends and family, and Tyler finds himself wondering why he can't seem to land
a date.
The series stars several fresh faces, including Jahi Winston as Luke and Quinn Liebling as
Tyler, alongside more familiar names like Sydney Sweeney as Emaline.
With a realistic storyline, a heaping of '90s cultural references and a charming cast, Everything
Sucks! makes for something of a single-season gem.
Set on a remote Welsh island in 1905, the terrifying period drama Apostle follows Thomas
Richardson as he attempts to rescue his sister Jennifer from a secretive religious cult.
In order to pry some secrets out of cult members who might be willing to reveal more than they
should, Thomas disguises himself as a curious convert and eventually finds out that Jennifer
is being held for ransom.
From there, a gruesome battle for the future of the island ensues, and if you get a bit
squeamish at the sight of blood, well, you may want to keep your eyes shut.
But while Apostle might be gory, it's not for mere shock value, the film is a bona fide
psychological thriller all the way through.
“This place this community it's broken."
"Then we’ll fix it!”
The fascinating mythology built around the cult explores the dark side of the divine
feminine, and the open-ended conclusion will at once satisfy viewers and leave them pondering.
Kiss Me First is an experimental series which alternates between the real and the surreal
as it flips from live action to virtual reality.
Leila is a lonely teenager who spends most of her days playing the MMORPG Azana, in which
she meets a more confident girl named Tess who pulls her out of her shell.
The two eventually become close offline, but when Tess disappears, Leila takes it upon
herself to solve the mystery and quickly learns that virtual actions can have real world consequences.
The series is based on the Lottie Moggach novel of the same title, and with Skins creator
Bryan Elsley at the helm, you just know you're in for plenty of juicy drama.
“You’re not supposed to be cruel."
"I'm not.
I'm your friend and I’m here.”
Kiss Me First has echoes of Black Mirror, another sci-fi series which explored the pitfalls
of human reliance on technology, and its uncanny valley style of CGI makes it hard not to question
your own relationship to your screens.
You might want to spend a little time outside after this one.
Based on the novel Cornelia by Florencia Etcheves, Perdida is a solid thriller that begins by
inviting the viewer into a setting that establishes a genuine sense of impending doom, and then
establishes a tone which never quite lets up throughout the rest of the film.
Pipa, a policewoman whose friend Cornelia went missing in Patagonia as a teenager, feels
like she can't find peace until she solves the mystery behind her disappearance.
But as she sets out to discover what really happened to her friend on that fateful day,
she realizes that the search might be putting her own life in danger.
Although the plot can drag a bit during the scenes in which Pipa is engrossed in paperwork,
you’ll still remain gripped until the very last moment.