Looking for something new to stream this weekend? These three underrated movies on Netflix might have flown under the radar when they first came out, but they’re absolutely worth your time.
Whether you’re in the mood for a moving true story, a chilling true-crime thriller or a sharp psychological drama, this list has you covered.
Watch With Us has selected three films that feature A-list stars in standout performances and are available to stream this weekend 1.
‘Lion’ (2016)
This moving drama is based on an incredible true story about an Indian boy who was separated from his family at the age of five. Alone and without a way to reunite with his mother or siblings, Saroo Brierley (Sunny Pawar) is adopted by two loving Australian parents (Nicole Kidman and David Wenham).
But 25 years later, an adult Saroo (Dev Patel) begins using Google Earth to sort through his muddled memories and find his long-lost home. A tearjerking story so profound you’ll barely believe it really happened, Lion was well-received when it came out in 2016, but doesn’t get talked about much these days. Its presence on Netflix is a great excuse for a rewatch.
‘Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile’ (2019)
Zac Efron uses his good looks and charm for evil instead of good in this Netflix biopic of Ted Bundy. Based on Bundy’s ex-girlfriend Elizabeth Kendall’s memoir, the film explores their relationship and the painful way Kendall (played by Lily Collins) learned that the loving, kind man she was raising her daughter with was secretly a dangerous serial killer. Jim Parsons plays the lawyer who prosecutes Bundy and ultimately brings him to justice.
This crime drama captures the sensational nature of the Bundy case, showcasing the terrifying deception that led to his many brutal crimes. Efron and Collins’ portrayals are engrossing to watch.
‘May December’ (2023)
Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman star in this drama that really should have gotten more award recognition when it was released. (It was nominated for the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, but in no other categories.) Portman plays Elizabeth Berry, an actress who travels to Savannah, Georgia, to study the infamous Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Moore) to play her in a biopic.
Gracie’s notoriety comes from her relationship with her husband Joe (Charles Melton), which began when Gracie was 36 and Joe was 13. Elizabeth’s study of Gracie soon becomes obsessive, and her presence in the Atherton-Yoo home leads to cracks in the facade of the undoubtedly abusive relationship. Directed by Todd Haynes (Carol), May December leans into sordid melodrama rather than shying away from it, ultimately creating a magnetic, captivating and tragic film about two women’s attempts to manipulate everyone around them.
