Entertainment
13 Best Netflix Films Hiding Right In Front Of You
It's going to be a long, long winter, and as you're looking to hibernate with your favorite streaming services, you may have realized that, oh no, you've already watched everything. This is a fallacy, of course: There are plenty of hidden gems on Netflix, or movies that have yet to be properly explored. The problem is that you, for whatever reason, scroll right past these movies and table them for "later." But honestly, the time is now.
So where to start? Well, as someone who chronically lives on a computer and has crawled up and down Netflix on a daily basis, I dug out some sleeper favorites. From the films where you feel like you already know the full story (but you don't even have a clue) to the seemingly strange, unapproachable indies that keep getting suggested, there are a lot of flicks to pick from. And, if you're anything like me, I've compiled the likely reasons you keep scrolling past these movies yourself, and why you should stahp that right now.
And you can stahp that right now by scrolling through this list and uncovering some of the best hidden gems to watch on Netflix during the upcoming lull of winter.
1'Janis: Little Girl Blue'
Why you (probably) haven't watched it yet: If you have even the vaguest knowledge of music history, you know how the story of Janis Joplin ends, and it's with a bleak induction as a 27 Club VIP member.
Why you should watch: Because as much as, yeah, Joplin's tragic death is way depressing, you get to listen at her actual life pretty much in her own words — that is, a catalogue of letters to her closest kin.
2'Beauty & The Briefcase'
Why you (probably) haven't watched it yet: No matter how much you loved Lizzie McGuire, you're too good to watch any of the awkward work that Hillary Duff put out between that and Younger.
Why you should watch: Oh, nobody's too good for this gloriously hokey disaster. Our girl is a Cosmo-worshipping, boy-crazy rom-com cliché — a journalist on a mission to find love in all the wrong places (that is, the corporate world). Embrace the cheese. Legit bathe in that Velveeta.
3'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo'
Why you (probably) haven't watched it yet: You already saw the Rooney Mara version back in 2011, isn't that the same thing?
Why you should watch: Welp, you also read The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo cover-to-cover, so why not to see another take on it — the original take on it?
4'Chasing Amy'
Why you (probably) haven't watched it yet: With the exception of maybe Clerks, your knowledge of Kevin Smith films may be limited to dick and fart jokes... or just extensive conversations about Star Wars.
Why you should watch: Peer deeper, because while there's plenty of nerdom in Chasing Amy (the main protagonists are comic book creators, for god's sake), it has takes such a complex and smart take on love and sexuality.
5'Frank'
Why you (probably) haven't watched it yet: This looks... weird. You can't even peg a famous face to it, because it's hidden underneath that gigantic bobblehead.
Why you should watch: Well, first of all, there is a famous face underneath the head (the trailer probably gives it away, but I was left guessing until the end of the film), and Maggie Gyllenhaal as an angry art-rock queen is especially great. Frank, like the music featured in it, is an acquired taste, but worth biting into if you want something kinda strange.
6'Life Partners'
Why you (probably) haven't watched it yet: You're not really sure why Blair Waldorf and Britta Perry are starring in a movie together, but you're preeeetty sure there's a reason it slipped under your radar.
Why you should watch: Real talk, I will vouch that Life Partners is not life-alteringly amazing. It's more like a kind of cool, kind of different look at the deterioration of female friendship that falls short of the brilliance of Frances Ha. But definitely watch it if there ever comes as day where you're sick of Frances Ha (I just snorted typing that). Seth Cohen's in it!
7'Three Coins In A Fountain'
Why you (probably) haven't watched it yet: You love the look of vintage films, but why not rewatch a Marilyn Monroe film? Why not replay something with Audrey Hepburn?
Why you should watch: Uh, I don't know, because you're not basic? In all seriousness, Three Coins In A Fountain isn't a masterwork in terms of plot. However, it's visually stunning with bright '50s technicolor shots of Rome. Pure retro aesthetic porn awaits you.
8'Amélie'
Why you (probably) haven't watched it yet: It falls under the category of foreign films and you're like, "Mmmm, pass."
Why you should watch: Suck it up and read the subtitles, you uncultured swine. No, seriously, 5 million girls on Tumblr agree that this movie is pretty much adorable.
9'Practical Magic'
Why you (probably) haven't watched it yet: Oh please, you know already know all the best '90s witch movies about the power of sisterhood.
Why you should watch: Honey, you can never have enough '90s witch movies. That is a fact.
10'Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World'
Why you (probably) haven't watched it yet: You sort of suspect this has a less uplifting plot than, say, Clueless.
Why you should watch: It's quirky, it's sweet, it's strange. And while I wouldn't get optimistic about it having a truly happily-ever-after, it's a road trip full of crazy twists and turns.
11'White Girl'
Why you (probably) haven't watched it yet: Everything about the indie looks way too gritty intense, and your sheltered suburban self still hasn't recovered from watching Kids when you were 13.
Why you should watch: Because it also looks really good and you can't just live life in your little Greenpoint gentrification bubble, Mary Grace. Geez.
12'Ten Thousand Saints'
Why you (probably) haven't watched it yet: You've watched Sing Street this year, and with the description promising you a kid saved by straight-edge punk in the '80s, you figure that's sort of the same, right?
Why you should watch: Wrong. Completely different monster. Very unique and intriguing, but so much darker. Also, Emile Hirsch is in his 30s and able to play someone nearly 10 years younger, so watch out for that.
13'How To Make An American Quilt'
Why you (probably) haven't watched it yet: You have no idea what this even is, you're too busy mainlining Stranger Things.
Why you should watch: Dude, because Wino forever. Even the most fervent Winona Ryder fan may have missed this 1995 gem, so take a peek, and then re-watch Heathers for the millionth time.
