The best hidden gems on Netflix right now | Digital Trends (2024)

GenreSci-Fi & Fantasy, Comedy, Action & Adventure

CastChristopher Meloni, Ritchie Coster, Lili Mirojnick

Created byGrant Morrison, Darick Robertson

GenreComedy, Drama

CastKitty Flanagan, Julia Zemiro, Marty Sheargold

Created byVincent Sheehan, Kitty Flanagan

GenreAnimation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action & Adventure, Comedy

CastPage Falkinburg Jr., Sharni Vinson, Denise Richards

Created byAdi Shankar

GenreDrama, Comedy

CastVince Staples, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Andrea Ellsworth

Created byIan Edelman, Vince Staples, Maurice Williams

GenreDrama

CastAmbika Mod, Leo Woodall, Essie Davis

Created byNicole Taylor

GenreMystery, Drama

CastJamie Dornan, Danielle Macdonald, Olwen Fouéré

Created byHarry Williams, Jack Williams

GenreCrime, Drama, Mystery

CastBorys Szyc, Zuzanna Saporznikow, Kamilla Baar

Created byLeszek Dawid

GenreDrama, Crime

CastTravis Fimmel, Simon Baker, Phoebe Tonkin

GenreComedy, Crime

CastKonkona Sen Sharma, Manoj Bajpayee, Nassar

Created byAbhishek Chaubey, Anant Tripathy, Unaiza Merchant, Harshad Nalawade

GenreCrime

CastKhalid Almuthafar, Bashar Al-Shatti, Rawan Bin Hussain

Created bySaid El Marouk

GenreSci-Fi & Fantasy, Drama, Action & Adventure

CastEliza Taylor, Tasya Teles, Marie Avgeropoulos

Created byJason Rothenberg

GenreComedy

CastKeegan-Michael Key, Cobie Smulders, Annie Parisse

Created byNicholas Stoller, Francesca Delbanco

GenreComedy

CastDiane Morgan

Created byCharlie Brooker

GenreDocumentary

CastJohn Mosley, Kenneth Hunter, Rob Robinson

Last Chance U: Basketball is a spinoff from the original documentary series that focuses on the men’s basketball team at East Los Angeles College. Under the leadership of Coach John Mosley, these athletes are getting their shot to play college basketball and potentially more at this small school. Not everyone can make it to the bigger universities or even find their way to the NBA. But the team’s collective and individual efforts are inspiring, and this is one of the rare shows that truly feels uplifting.

GenreAction & Adventure, Animation, Drama

CastMaya Erskine, George Takei, Masi Oka

Created byMichael Green, Amber Noizumi

GenreDrama, Action & Adventure, War & Politics

CastJames Badge Dale, Jon Seda, Joseph Mazzello

Created byBruce C. McKenna

GenreDrama

GenreComedy, Drama, Crime

CastChristina Hendricks, Retta, Mae Whitman

Created byJenna Bans

GenreDrama, Mystery

CastGuillermo del Toro

Created byGuillermo del Toro

GenreDrama, Crime, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

CastRose McIver, David Anders, Robert Buckley

Created byRob Thomas, Diane Ruggiero

GenreComedy, Drama

CastSophie Wilde, Lauryn Ajufo, Harry Cadby

Created byRipley Parker

GenreComedy

CastKaitlin Olson, Sofia Black-D'Elia, Thomas Barbusca

Created byDave Chernin, John Chernin

GenreCrime, Drama

CastKane Robinson, Ashley Walters, Micheal Ward

Created byRonan Bennett

GenreComedy, Drama

CastRachel Bloom, Donna Lynne Champlin, Vincent Rodriguez III

Created byAline Brosh McKenna, Rachel Bloom

GenreDrama

CastAnna Chlumsky, Julia Garner, Arian Moayed

Created byShonda Rhimes

GenreDocumentary

CastTaylor Lorenz, Andrew Left, Abbe Minor

GenreDrama, Mystery

CastMichelle Monaghan, Matt Bomer, Daniel Sunjata

Created byVanessa Gazy

Starring Michelle Monaghan and Matt Bomer, Echoes hasn’t gotten the same attention or positive reviews as other recent Netflix releases, but it’s an intriguing watch, as Monaghan plays a dual role: identical twin sisters Leni and Gina. Ever since they were young, the sisters have been swapping lives and fooling everyone around them. As adults, they have done this every year on their birthdays, with their husbands seemingly none the wiser as one sister firmly plants herself into the role of the other. They have pulled the plan off flawlessly for years — until one of them mysteriously goes missing. Secrets are revealed, and fans are left wondering: What truly happened to Gina?

GenreDrama, Mystery

CastIman Benson, Igby Rigney, Ruth Codd

Created byMike Flanagan, Leah Fong

Being in hospice care is no picnic, but eight teenage patients find a way to entertain themselves and bring a bit of joy to what’s left of their lives. They meet every night to share ghost stories. Eerily, however, they make a pact with one another that the first of them to perish must promise to return and communicate with the others from beyond the grave. The group gets more than they bargained for as they uncover secrets about one another, their pasts, and the doctor who runs the hospital. With the first episode of The Midnight Clubbreaking Guinness World Records for the most scripted jump scares in a single episode, be prepared for some serious horror.

GenreDrama, Mystery

CastBobby Cannavale, Naomi Watts, Jennifer Coolidge

Created byRyan Murphy, Ian Brennan

GenreDocumentary, Drama, Mystery

CastVarious

GenreComedy, Drama

CastIda Engvoll, Bjorn Mosten, Johannes Bah Kuhnke, Bjorn Kjellman

Created byLisa Langseth

Sofie lives a seemingly ordinary life as a wife, mother, and business consultant. But when she gets a new job helping an old publishing house restructure and meets young IT expert Max, they begin a dangerous game. It starts with nothing more than innocent flirtations but quickly becomes a situation where they feed off one another, going against established norms, taking risks, and trying to outdo one another in how much trouble they can create. The plot builds as Sofie and Max’s games start to become an obsession. The Swedish series is dubbed a romantic comedy, so expect plenty of laughs along the way.

GenreComedy

CastJustina Machado, Rita Moreno, Isabella Gomez

Created byWhitney Blake, Allan Manings

A reimagining of the classic ‘70s and ‘80s sitcom, One Day at a Time centers around a young Cuban mother and nurse and her two children who live together in a small apartment with her elderly mother while interacting frequently with their goofy, young landlord. While the basics stay true to the original, the underrated sitcom delves into serious topics like PTSD, alcohol abuse, gender identity, mental illness, and racism. There was fan outcry when Netflix canceled the series after three seasons, but it was eventually revived by Pop for a fourth and final one. The first three seasons are still available to watch on Netflix. With a talented and likable cast that includes the incomparable Rita Moreno, it’s a show that deserved to run for far longer than it did.

GenreCrime, Drama

CastMartina Gusman, Claudio Rissi, Nicolás Furtado

Created bySebastián Ortega, Adrián Caetano

Receiving rave reviews, this Argentine series concluded with its fifth and final season. With edge-of-your-seat tension all the way through, Miguel is a former police officer who takes an assignment to be sent to jail under a fake name and contrived case. The reason? He wants to infiltrate a criminal gang and find out details about the daughter of a judge who was kidnapped. The seasons flip back and forth between the present day and previous years, making for an interesting and compelling watch that will keep you invested all the way through.

GenreDrama, War & Politics

CastAnna Torv, Andrew McFarlane, Robert Rabiah

Created byBased on The Marmalade Files, The Mandarin Code by Chris Uhlmann and Steve Lewis

Harriett Dunkley (Anna Torv) uncovers various conspiracies involving tensions between China and the U.S. while working at Canberra press gallery. As she gets closer and closer to the truth, Dunkley’s job, and the freedoms of Australian residents, are at risk. Dubbed a political thriller, the show is based on Chris Uhlmann and Steve Lewis’ series of novels, including The Marmalade Files, The Mandarin Code, and The Shadow Game. There are two seasons, the second dubbed Secret City: Under the Eagle, which divertsfromthe stories in the novels,though both Uhlmann and Lewis signed on to consult. The Guardian calls the show “gripping,” noting that the political world setting feels “all too real and believable.” Each season is just six episodes, making a dozen in total to watch.

GenreComedy

CastPaul Sun-Hyung Lee, Jean Yoon, Andrea Bang

Created byIns Choi, Kevin White

Hailing from Canada, Kim’s Convenience attained widespread recognition once it began streaming on Netflix. The sitcom stars Paul Sun-Hyung Lee (who also plays Captain Carson Teva in The Mandalorian) as a Korean Canadian man running a convenience store with his wife (Jean Yoon) and dealing with the everyday struggles of being parents and business owners. Ending after five seasons due to the co-creators departing the project, a spinoff called Strays debuted in late 2021. Kim’s Convenience has been praised for its clever storylines, sharp dialogue, and “screwball comedy.” If you’re looking for some good laughs, it’s worth a watch.

GenreComedy

CastSaoirse-Monica Jackson, Louisa Harland, Nicola Coughlan

Created byLisa McGee

This British teen sitcom quietly launched on Channel 4 in 2018 and exploded to become the network’s most successful comedy since Father Ted. Set in the ‘90s, it follows a group of teenage girls dealing with typical coming-of-age struggles in Ireland while also navigating the end of the period known as The Troubles, a 30-year power struggle relating to political and nationalistic interests. Based on creator Lisa McGee’s own high school experiences, it’s raw and honest, featuring actual events that took place during that time, like the 1994 IRA ceasefire and Bill Clinton’s visit to Northern Ireland in 1995. Aside from the engaging storylines, dark humor, and charm, the show features a solid musical track that’s indicative of the period, with everyone from Ace of Bass to Cypress Hill, Salt-N-Pepa, and The Cranberries. There are 19 episodes and three seasons.

GenreComedy

CastJason Genao, Brett Gray, Jessica Marie Garcia

Created byLauren Iungerich, Eddie Gonzalez, Jeremy Haft

There are four seasons of this Netflix original, a teen drama set in inner-city Los Angeles where four teens find that high school puts their longtime friendship to the test. Praised for its diverse cast that includes Monse (Sierra Capri), an Afro-Latina tomboy, Ruben (Jason Genao), a Mexican math whiz, Jamal (Brett Gray), a Black nerd, and Cesar (Diego Tinoco), a smart Latino teen who gets involved in gang life, the show beautifully reflects the challenges of growing up and being pulled in multiple directions as kids try to figure out who they are and who they want to be. On My Block isn’t a typical teen drama: The show has been praised for being authentic and for weaving storylines involving topics like violence into its core rather than keeping them for that “one special episode,” notes Vulture’s Matt Zeitz.

GenreReality

CastMikey Day

This isn’t your typical baking show, but this reality cooking competition has been quietly making waves on Netflix. Hosted by SNL‘s Mikey Day, contestants are presented with an object of some kind and must bake a cake that replicates the look of it. So much so, in fact, that they must be able to fool the judges into thinking their cake is the actual object in a lineup and not completely edible (and delicious). The object of the game is to bake something that’s indistinguishable from the real thing. The big reveal happens when the item is sliced to audible gasps of “oohs” and “ahhs.” If more than one cake makes the cut, the judges give them a taste to decide who’s the deserving winner. It’s delicious, addictive, bingeable fun you can watch with the whole family.

GenreComedy, Drama, Crime

CastAlex Lawther, Jessica Barden, Naomi Ackie

Created byJonathan Entwistle

There are just two seasons of this hidden gem British dark comedy-drama that takes a unique look at the concept of a serial killer. Seventeen-year-old James believes that he is a psychopath and he’s bored of targeting animals, desiring to move on to humans. He decides he is going to murder his mouthy classmate Alyssa, but when they embark on a runaway trip together to abandon their troubled lives, James finds himself growing closer to the young woman and having second thoughts. Based on the Charles Forsman mini-comics of the same name, which were turned into a book in 2013, the show was well-received by critics and audiences alike, lauded for its perfect blend of “misanthropy and humor.”

GenreComedy, Crime

CastWill Arnett, Haneefah Wood, Lilan Bowden

Created byKrister Johnson

You might have heard about Murdervilleor seen it pop up in the queue but were reluctant to check it out. It’s actually the perfect interlude show between starting up a new thrilling drama or waiting for your favorite show to return with a new season. Will Arnett is joined by a different celebrity guest in each episode as they play detective and rookie detective heading out to solve a murder. The best part about the show, however, is that all the dialogue is improvised, so you’re watching the actors and personalities in all their improvisational and comedic glory. Guest stars include Conan O’Brien, Marshawn Lynch, Kumail Nanjiani, Annie Murphy, Sharon Stone, and Ken Jeong, with every episode delivering its own unique brand of humor. With just six short episodes, it’s the perfect show to put you in a good mood.

GenreDocumentary, Crime

CastDana Gouge, Tim Relph, Clark Schwartzkopf

Created bySimon Dekker

Everyone is in the mood for a good true crime show every now and then, and catching killers is one with a unique twist: Rather than focus primarily on the killers, their families, victims, and families of the victims, the show centers around the police officers, detective, and prosecutors who investigated the cases. Learn every harrowing detail as they went from discovery to the hunt to track down the identity of some of the most prolific killers in history, from BTK to Aileen Wuornos. It’s easy to forget about the sleepless nights and emotional turmoil the men and women on the front lines endured during and after working on such disturbing and violent cases. With just four episodes per season, it’s easy to pick and choose which episodes you want to watch whenever there’s a gap in your TV schedule.

GenreComedy, Drama

CastRicky Gervais, Tom Basden, Kerry Godliman

Created byRicky Gervais

Ricky Gervais shines in this British dark comedy about a man who, after his wife dies from cancer, decides to do whatever he pleases, not giving a care about anyone or anything. While Tony (Gervais) initially contemplates suicide, he realizes it would be far more satisfying to punish the world, and everyone in it, for what it has done to him. Except, the opposite happens. Instead of pushing people away, Tony’s actions bring them closer to him as they try to make him a better person. The show is heartwarming, sweet, and funny, and the under-30-minute episodes, six per season, make it a quick binge.

GenreAction & Adventure, Drama, War & Politics

CastAlexander Dreymon, Emily Cox, Ian Hart

Created byStephen Butchard

Originally airing on BBC America and BBC Two, The Last Kingdom is the perfect watch for those who are into historical fiction. Set in the year 886 through to 912 for the first four seasons, the relationship between the Vikings and the Anglo-Saxons is about to be defined as a result of the Great Heathen Army. Aside from the gripping storyline, the show has been lauded for its cinematography and “magnificent action sequences.” If you have been missing shows like Game of Thrones and love series like Vikings, this one might be right up your alley.

GenreSci-Fi & Fantasy, Drama, Mystery, Crime

CastLouis Hofmann, Karoline Eichhorn

Created byBaran bo Odar, Jantje Friese

Looking for something, well, dark and ominous? This German sci-fi thriller follows the events following a child’s disappearance as the residents of the town of Winden embark on a journey to find out what happened to him. With elements of time travel, the exploration of the existential implications of time, a connection between four families, and a conspiracy that dates back generations, it’s like Stranger Things meets The Outsider meets Twin Peaks. There were three seasons of the show that critics call “tense, terrifying, and creepy.”

GenreDrama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Action & Adventure

CastMargarita Levieva, Cillian O'Sullivan, Lydia Fleming

Created byAdam Glass

Jenny (Margarita Levieva) is a single mother who, in a past life, worked as Russian spy Anya Petrova, aka The Whisper. While she thought she left her dangerous and complicated former life behind her, the CIA discovers Jenny’s identity, thrusting her back into the dark and violent world of crime. Hailing from Adam Glass, known for series like Supernatural and Criminal Minds and comic books like Deadpool and Luke Cage, the show has been described as a “fine diversion” and praised for its “brisk pace.” Be prepared for plenty of twists and turns as the story progresses, too.

GenreComedy, Drama

CastJoseph Julian Soria, Carlos Santos, Joaquín Cosío

Created byMarvin Lemus, Linda Yvette Chavez

Despite the fantastic reviews, Gentefield never quite got the attention it deserved and was surprisingly canceled after two seasons. But the story of three Mexican American cousins and their quest to achieve the American Dream is worth watching. They are young and trying to navigate life while struggling with their loyalties to both their families, including a family-owned taco shop, and their desires to move forward with the times. The comedy-drama has been called “strikingly personal” and “hilariously relatable” about how gentrification affects those who make up the fabric of a neighborhood.

GenreDrama

CastMargaret Qualley, Nick Robinson, Anika Noni Rose

Created byMolly Smith Metzler

Tackling the difficult topic of domestic abuse, Alex is a young mother who works up the courage to take her daughter and leave her abusive boyfriend. She moves into a shelter and snags a job cleaning houses in order to earn an income for her and her child. Margaret Qualley (The Leftovers, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) shines in the lead role as a character based on Stephanie Land, who wrote the memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive that inspired the series. While critics say the show isn’t always the easiest to watch due to the sensitive subject matter, it’s powerful and meaningful amidst a sea of shows designed solely for entertainment value. Review aggregator website Metacritic labels Maid a “must-watch” show.

GenreDocumentary, Crime

CastCarole Baskin, Bhagavan Antle, Howard Baskin

If you weren’t one of the millions of people who immersed themselves in the unusual saga of Joe Exotic, his G.W. Zoo in Oklahoma, and his passionate rivalry with rival Carole Baskin of the Big Cat Rescue in Florida, now is the time to dive in. With Exotic, real name Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage, still fighting to get out of prison and a second season out now as well chronicling the aftermath of his incarceration, it’s the perfect time to catch up on the unbelievable story (or re-watch it for a second time). There are so many twists and turns you’ll never see coming, making the first season an easy binge. Once done, don’t forget to check out the special aftershow hosted by Joel McHale that contains revealing interviews with people involved in the ongoing drama.

GenreComedy, Animation

CastLizzy Caplan, Christian Slater, Clark Duke

Created byShion Takeuchi

With potential to become the next big adult animated series, Inside Job is dubbed a workplace comedy and paranoid fiction. Set in a fictional organization called Cognito, Inc. within a shadow government, Reagan Ridley (Lizzy Caplan) and her team are tasked with preventing the spread of conspiracy theories. The problem is, every single one of them is actually true. As Reagan navigates everyday work life that includes reptilian shapeshifters and psychic mushrooms, she’s laser focused on keeping the truth about, well, everything citizens suspect a secret.

GenreWar & Politics, Crime, Drama

CastRichard Madden, Keeley Hawes, Sophie Rundle

Created byJed Mercurio

Richard Madden (Game of Thrones, Eternals) stars in this British political thriller about David Budd, a British Army war veteran suffering from PTSD. After serving, he finds himself tasked with working as personal protection for Home Secretary Julia Montague, a job he’s none too happy about considering that he does not agree with her stance on politics. As they face conspiracies, controversies surrounding government surveillance, and danger at every turn, David finds his entire world crashing down around him. It’s a thrilling six-episode binge to complete the season.

GenreCrime, Documentary

With two seasons under its belt, each episode looks at topics like corporate corruption, securities fraud, and creative accounting within companies that had questionable rises to the top or dealt with controversy. Season 1 covers stories like the Volkswagen emissions scandal and HSBC money laundering for the Sinaloa Cartel, while season 2 delves into everything from the Wells Fargo account fraud scandal to Jared Kushner. It’s the type of show you can watch an episode or two of here and there when you’re not in the right mindset to get invested in a multi-episode new show just yet.

GenreCrime, Drama

CastAlice Braga, Hemky Madera

Created byJoshua John Miller, M.A. Fortin

If you love Narcos,this crime drama will be right up your alley. An adaptation of the Telemundo telenovelaLa Reina del Sur,which itself was adapted from the Arturo Perez-Reverte novel of the same name, the series is about Teresa Mendoza (Alice Braga), a poor woman from Sinaloa who gets caught up in the drug trade. In the most unwholesome rags-to-riches story you can imagine, she becomes the kingpin, er, queen. Every episode will have you at the edge of your seat as you watch her rise to power and Walter White-like evolution to someone more ruthless than her enemies. All five seasons are available to stream, so you can watch the story from beginning to bitter end.

GenreDrama, Comedy, Mystery, Crime

CastInbar Lavi, Marianne Rendón, Parker Young

Created byAdam Brooks, Paul Adelstein

Inbar Lavi (Prison Break, Lucifer) captivates as Maddie, a con woman whose M.O. is to get wealthy and powerful men to fall in love with her, propose, and get married. She then cleans their bank accounts dry, leaving a video goodbye message before she disappears into the sunset. It usually works flawlessly to play, except her latest victim, a shy and sweet man named Ezra, feels so slighted and hurt by her betrayal (more so than the money she took) that he decides to track her down and confront her. In the process, however, he runs into more jilted exes, and they team up for a cat-and-mouse game that’s equal parts drama and comedy as they cluelessly try to beat Maddie at her own game. Despite decent reviews, the series concluded after two seasons. But it’s still a fun and entertaining watch that gets you invested in each of the characters.

GenreDrama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

CastEric McCormack, MacKenzie Porter, Nesta Cooper

Created byBrad Wright

This science fiction series starsWill & Grace‘s Eric McCormack as Grant MacLaren, the leader of the travelers, operatives of the past who have had their consciousnesses transferred to “host” bodies of people in the current day. Their mission? To try and save people who are about to die. The post-apocalyptic series was a co-production between Netflix and Canadian specialty channel Showcase for seasons 1 and 2, but Netflix took over for season 3. It’s now canceled despite viewers seeming to love it, but you can still immerse yourself in all three season if you’re looking for a dose of sci-fi.

GenreDrama

CastRenée Zellweger, Jane Levy, Blake Jenner

Created byMike Kelley

You’d think this series would have gotten more attention given that it features Academy Award-winning actor Renee Zellweger. A neo-noir thriller anthology series, it examines the “ripple effects of what happens when acceptable people start doing unacceptable things.” Season 1 chronicled a couple desperate to fund a tech start-up who make a deal with a mysterious investor. The show did not get great reviews, though Zellweger received almost universal praise for her portrayal of venture capitalist Anne Montgomery. Nonetheless, there hasn’t yet been a second season, but for fans of the actor, and those who are intrigued by the concept of morality and how every decision can change one’s entire life path, season 1 might be a worthwhile watch, regardless.

GenreCrime, Drama

CastClare-Hope Ash*tey, Michael Mosley, Beau Knapp

Created byVeena Sud

This drama limited series is based on the Russian filmThe Majorby Yuri Bykov, about the investigation into the death of a young Black teenager who is accidentally hit by the car of a white police officer. Assuming the young boy is dead, the officer calls in backup to try and cover it up. Full of racial tension and emotion, the 10-episode limited series stars multi-award winner Regina King. Though it’s predictable, if you’re looking for something socially topical, this is a good option.

GenreComedy

CastJoe Thomas, Linzey co*cker, Ed Westwick

Created byDamon Beesley

Deliciously irreverent, this British sitcom is a great watch if you loved shows like EntourageandHouse of Lies. Vincent is an arrogant, self-centered windows salesman who wants more for his life and feels he deserves it. Disrespectful of his wife, friends, and customers, he cons people out of their money while living a lavish lifestyle on their dime. Ed Westwick plays Vincent beautifully, while his castmates, formerInbetweenerscast members Joe Thomas and James Buckley, provide additional comic relief. You’ll be laughing and rolling your eyes at how ridiculously conceited Vincent is and what he gets away with. Plow through the 12 episodes of two seasons, and they will leave you wanting more.