By Adam Symchuk
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Netflix has become known as a platform that prioritizes quality, focusing on big-budget features and in-house originals with some of the most recognizable names in cinema. However, this has not always been the case, and the platform has also built up a substantial library of B-movies among its early original content. Viewers looking for cinema a bit off the beaten path can find some hidden low-budget gems in various genres throughout the platform.
After a deep dive into the Netflix catalog to look at some of the less-discussed originals with a smaller budget and smaller productions tucked away on the streaming service. These are the 20 best B-movies on Netflix, ranked up to the best of the best.
20 Day of the Dead: Bloodline (2017)
A remake of the 1980 George Romero film Day of the Dead, the movie Bloodline follows a similar plot, involving a group of survivors hiding in a bunker while looking for a cure for the zombie outbreak. As the tensions within the facility's confines grow, and the undead manage to make their way in, all chaos breaks loose, and the underground military and research personnel find themselves in a fight for survival.
Related: The Best Zombie Movies of All Time
Re-Envisioning a Classic
Hèctor Hernández's 2017 Day of the Dead: Bloodline spectacularly failed its landing, with poor scripting, rough acting and a missed mark on the original social messaging of the George Romero classic. So why does it land on this list? The movie does scratch that so-bad-its-good spot, and is a great movie to bite into and tear apart with like-minded friends. In addition, the film offers enjoyable zombie action, if you overlook the many other vast flaws within.
Watch Day of The Dead: Bloodline
19 Mako (2021)
Wanting to explore the infamous sunk Elsalam ship, eight businessmen hire a stream and start an underwater expedition to create a documentary about the craft. However, when they enter the deep, they are confronted by all manner of threats, including a giant shark that threatens to swallow up the entire crew.
Mako is a bit of an oddity in the shark genre, coming from Egypt under director Mohamed Hesham El-Rashidy instead of the West, which has dominated the niche B-movie shark space.
Shark Bait
Mako was poorly received on its release, and much of the surrounding critique stating it presented a bland story with insufficient shark action is warranted. However, for those shark film fanatics who will watch everything and anything with the 'terror of the deep,' it is still worth a watch. This is particularly true for those looking for more international cinema tackling the micro-genre of shark horror.
18 Choose or Die (2022)
Choose or Die
- Release Date
- April 15, 2022
- Director
- Toby Meakins
- Runtime
- 1 hour 24 minutes
- Cast
- Iola Evans , Asa Butterfield , Robert Englund
After unearthing a retro '80s horror game, Isaac and Kayla find that the game is starting to leak into their reality, causing death and chaos. Becoming aware of the heightened stakes of the game, with the choices presented becoming more extreme, the duo race to find the source of the anomaly in the hopes of stopping its effects.
Video Games Kill
Toby Meakins's Choose or Die certainly has that lower-budgeted charm, leaning in on the pseudo-nostalgia of text-based games and the retrospective humor around the fear of the medium corrupting the youth with satanic messaging. Moreover, there are some legitimately scary moments where others find themselves unwilling contestants in other games to ghastly and gory results.
Still, the movie is a bit of a dud, tripping itself up in the final act and having a few groan-worthy twists. If you want to tune out, have some fun, and enjoy the odd bit of bloody chaos, Choose or Die isan excellent choice for a movie night, if you approach it with lower expectations.
17 The Violence Action (2022)
Based on the manga of the same name, The Violence Action follows a young girl named Kei, who leads a double life as an assassin while attending college. Keeping the upbeat tone and over-the-top nature of its source material, the action flick follows Kei as she fights through various layers of the Yakuza, all while trying to balance her personal and school life.
High Octane Sillinness
The Violence Action is, in part, a lesson in working within a budget and realizing sometimes you need to cut back to ensure a more defined cinematic experience. In short, this one is rough around the edges and sometimes does a poor job of hiding its limitations. Still, the action here is gratifying and explosive, the performances perfectly fit their comic counterparts, and the movie charges forward at an exciting pace. If your idea of fun is a kawaii (cute) character kicking some serious a**, then The Violence Action is an ideal watch.
16 The Block Island Sound (2020)
Mysterious and disturbing events are happening around the island of Block Sound, and in the middle of them is a fisherman, Tom Lynch, who is dealing with personal demons. The events agitate his already fragile psyche, and he becomes paranoid of a mysterious force in the sea that is potentially behind the occurrences throughout the town. As he begins to lash out violently, the lines between truth and reality blur as others desperately try to help him while figuring out the source of the tragedy befalling Block Island.
Related: Best Horror Movies on Netflix to Watch Right Now
Hearing Is Believing
Kevin and Matthew McManus's The Block Island Sound suffered a similar fate to many of the earlier Netflix Original movies, not striking the intended note with the audience and somewhat faltering in its execution.
However, this one stands out in how well scripted, acted, and conceptualized it is, with most of the movie encased in a fascinating mystery. Actor Chris Sheffield also gives a memorable performance as Tom, delivering a believable descent into Lovecraftian-type madness.
15 Time Trap (2017)
After their archaeology teacher goes missing on a trip, a group of students head out to find him, eventually stumbling upon a cave. However, they notice anomalies when they enter the cave, including slowing the passage of time. The deeper they explore, the more irregularities occur, including running into people from the past who also find themselves trapped within.
Time Is a Precious Thing to Waste
Mark Dennis and Ben Foster's Time Trap presents viewers with an intriguing premise and, thanks to its smart script, manages to keep that curiosity throughout. While not falling into the category of films that accurately portray time travel, choosing to avoid explaining how such events of time travel and the slowing of time occur, the movie focuses on creating an engaging story with relatable characters. The sci-fi film certainly does show its budget, but it is aware of its limitations and manages to impress despite them
14 I See You (2019)
I See You
R
- Release Date
- September 11, 2019
- Main Genre
- Horror
I See You intertwines two different stories. The first follows the abduction of a young boy, which has put a heavy strain on a family, with the police officer investigating the case placing stress on his already tenuous marriage. While the kidnapping is being investigated, the wife begins to expect that there is a supernatural entity in her home as items are being moved, and she starts hearing noises.
Phrogging Ain't Easy
Adam Randall's I See You is an overlooked gem. This rests largely with the movie being marketed as a horror film, when it is better suited as a suspense or thriller. There are certainly elements of horror, with the movie introducing the illegal act of 'phrogging' (unlawful squatting of a home where people live), making for some terrifically intense moments.
The strength of the production rests in the potential realism of the situation and the strong performance of Helen Hunt as the tormented wife, Jackie Harper. The movie also shows its hand early on, presenting the frog-masked squatter breaking in and messing with Jackie. Despite this, it remains suspenseful even with the audience aware of the 'force' that haunts the homemaker.
13 Circle (2015)
The sci-fi psychological horror-thriller Circle follows a group of 50 strangers who awake in a mysterious room and are tasked with playing a game. In the blackened space, they must stand on their space, unable to move, and choose another contestant to be 'eliminated,' which makes them disappear, presumably killed. As the numbers start to whittle down, people become more desperate while others try to figure a way out of the predicament.
360 Degrees of Mystery
A nice mash-up of genres with a simple yet clever setup, Aaron Hann & Mario Miscione's 2015 film Circle plays out more like a social experiment than a horror movie. Still, those who love to see people go up against each other and examine what they do under extreme circ*mstances will find the film deeply engaging.
It may be a bit of a 'one-trick pony' that hides in ambiguity to avoid leading to more significant questions (how they got there, who is making them play, etc.). Still, it is delightful as a character study and a short piece of suspenseful cinema, running under 90 minutes.
12 Girls With Balls (2018)
This French-Belgian dark comedy by director Olivier Afonso follows the members of an all-girls volleyball team, "The Falcons," who find themselves stranded in the middle of nowhere after their van breaks down. Things become more complicated when they find themselves hunted by all manner of backwoods sociopaths, and the team has to band together to use their athletic prowess to defend against the attackers.
Related: Best Movies Where the Woman Saves the Man
Balls to the Wall Horror Comedy
Girls With Balls is a hidden gem in the Netflix catalog that presents a giddy mix of horror, blood, gore, and dark humor. At the same time, the French language film does lean big into genre clichés, and lacks much depth beyond the chaos it presents.
This has given the movie a love/hate relationship with horror fans. Still, it is an undeniably perfect popcorn flick for those who like horror-comedy that delivers a simple plot to get to the 'gory bits.' Moreover, the film boasts a strong cast, shucking the last girl trope of the slasher genre and presenting an army of elite athletes fighting back.
11 Manson Family Vacation (2015)
Two brothers, Nick and Conrad, have grown estranged due to the carefree life of one, while the other has settled into the role of husband and father. They decide to take a road trip together to reconnect. As the two begin to rebuild their relationship on a tour of Manson's notable sites, Conrad confesses that he believes that he is the son of Charles Manson and that he is going to connect with his followers to speak to his father.
Manson Family Values
A lo-fi comedy/drama, The Manson Family Vacation, was partly produced by Mark and Jay Duplass, (Jay wrote the script and stars in the film). Those familiar with the brothers' other works, either as producers or writers, such as Jeff Who Lives at Home, The Overnight, and The One I Love, should have an idea of what they are getting into, as their signature dry and awkward humor is the driving force in The Manson Family Vacation.
For those unfamiliar, outside the humorous tone, the movie presents a sincere portrait of two siblings trying to reconnect while tying it to a peculiar situation that explores fanatic thinking. Don't expect a laugh-out-loud comedy, but its subtle approach to humor combined with an exciting family drama makes the movie worth checking out.
10 Eega (2012)
Told as a bedtime story between a father and his daughter, Eega follows the plight of a murdered man, Nani, who returns for vengeance in the form of a household fly. Despite his small stature, Nani manages to cause all sorts of chaos for his murderer, proving karma exists for evil deeds and even those perceived as insignificant have the power to change their fate.
What Is All the Buzz About?
Eega saw success on the festival circuit, bringing the Telugu-language film some notoriety among fans of genre cinema. This is not only due to the comedic aspects, which see a simple fly turn into an object of terror for insufferable protagonists, but also because of how the story is delivered and the themes it explores.
In addition, Eega, presented as a story being told by a father to a daughter, gives the work a wholesomeness that works incredibly well. Director S. S. Rajamouli has expressed his desire to make a sequel, so the mighty little fly might return to the screen.
9 Death Wish (1974)
Death Wish follows an architect turned vigilante, Paul Kersey (played by iconic action hero Charles Bronson), after his wife and daughter are murdered after a home invasion. Initially believing that the police would be able to help him, he decides to take matters into his own hands, heading across New York and hunting down those involved. The film spawned four sequels and a 2018 remake starring Bruce Willis.
Essential Revenge Thriller
On its release, Death Wish rattled viewers, and led to a discussion on what to do about rising crime rates, tapping into the paranoia of the time using the crowded metropolitan landscape of New York. Moreover, the movie was criticized heavily for its glorification of vigilantism. All that said, to have a film talked about this much and stir controversy means one thing: it was destined for cult status. The movie also rocketed Charles Bronson into infamy.
However, Michael Winner's Death Wish is appreciated now not just for its successful capitalization on social paranoia, but also for its intense, crime-driven story and the performance of Bronson. As Netflix seldom caters to film fans of any era before the 2000s, especially cult movies, having this '70s gem on the service makes for a pleasant surprise.
8 Creep (2014)
Creep
- Release Date
- June 23, 2014
- Director
- Patrick Brice
- Main Genre
- Comedy
- Cast
- Patrick Brice , Mark Duplass
Looking for a gig, a videographer named Aaron answers an ad online for work filming a video diary for a client. Once he arrives, he meets the eccentric and off-putting Josef, who states that he is dying and wants to leave behind a memoir for his family. However, as the filming progresses, Josef becomes more erratic, and his claims of illness become questionable, as the video diary turns into a means to harass Aaron and make him as uncomfortable as possible.
Related: The Best Found Footage Movies, Ranked
Innovative Found Footage Horror
Starring Mark Duplass, (who was also involved with the previously mentioned Manson Family Vacation), Creep is easily the most beloved of the actor's works. This is due to the interesting take on the found-footage genre, where Duplass puts everything into his performance (much of it impressively improvised) to convince the viewer his character is both malicious and unhinged in a cold, calculating way. It can be challenging to prepare viewers for his portrayal in Creep.
Still, if you enjoy moments of awkward dark comedy with a layer of thick uneasiness, you have to experience Duplass's portrayal of the troubled Josef. The movie proved successful, helped by its modest budget, resulting in a sequel, Creep 2, also available on Netflix.
7 Bad Trip (2020)
bad trip
- Release Date
- March 26, 2020
- Director
- Kitao Sakurai
- Main Genre
- Comedy
- Cast
- Tiffany Haddish , Michaela Conlin , Eric Andre , LilRel Howery , Charles Green , Jaime Wallace
Part hidden camera comedy and part scripted, Bad Trip follows two best friends, Chris and Bud (played by Eric André and Lil Rel Howery), who go on a road trip so that Chris can connect with an old crush. The trip becomes a game of cat and mouse, though, when they are hunted down by Bud's sister Trina played by Tiffany Haddish, for stealing her car.
It's Just a Prank Bro
Bad Trip will be a slightly contentious inclusion in this list, as Eric Andre's comedic stylings, best known for The Eric Andre Show, are somewhat divisive. Even as the movie offers more narrative and a wonderfully comedic performance from Tiffany Haddish, the same awkward, dangerous and confrontational humor exists throughout the film.
Still, those who love the prank format will find the absurd set-ups hilarious, while those looking for a more straightforward comedy will appreciate the scripted elements. Go in expecting crass, silly, and awkward, and the movie will deliver.
6 Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
Reclusive and self-reliant, Bella and Hector become foster parents to Ricky, a problem child from the city at Bellas's insistence. However, when Bella dies, child services want Ricky to return to the city, but instead, he chooses to flee into the wilderness.
The closed-off and stoic Hector heads after the boy, and the two begin to force a connection through their ordeal of surviving in the wilderness. This is all going on while a nationwide hunt for them has started, with the assumption that Hector has kidnapped the young kid.
Found Family
Before becoming an Oscar-winning globally-recognized director, Taika Waititi made quirky indie films in his native New Zealand. This included the rom-com Eagle vs. Shark, the (now) beloved What We Do in Shadows, and Hunt for the Wilderpeople.
Certainly, Hunt for the Wilderpeople has the charm one would expect from a Waititi production, and fans of the director should make this a must-watch on Netflix. In addition, the movie boasts an outstanding performance from Sam Neil as the reclusive curmudgeon Hector. With the theme of family at the heart of the production, the film is also a perfect celebration of the importance of developing strong familial relationships.
Watch Hunt For the Wilderpeople
5 Cam (2018)
Cam
Horror
- Release Date
- October 1, 2018
- Director
- Daniel Goldhaber
- Cast
- Madeline Brewer , Patch Darragh , Melora Walters , Devin Druid , Imani Hakim , Michael Dempsey
An ambitious cam-girl named Alice has garnered a decent following, but as the emphasis is put on more salacious content, she begins to feel the pressure to surpass her rival. When her account appears to be seized by a duplicate willing to take those next steps, Alice's mental state slowly diminishes, as she sees her doppelgänger climb to fame while stealing her source of revenue.
Losing Oneself Online
Cam works both as a chilling horror film about a character declining under extreme circ*mstances, and as a social commentary on the perils of online life. In a minimalistic setting with a small cast, Cam also has an oppressive, claustrophobic atmosphere, forcing the audience to focus on Madeline Brewer's portrayal of a troubled and scared Alice.
This one won't be for everyone, as it's split on Rotten Tomatoes, with 93% fresh with critics and 53% with the audience, showing it is more of a critical darling than a favorite among the horror fandom. Still, those who appreciate a good slow burn and socially conscious horror will enjoy Cam.
4 Catfight (2016)
A long-standing rivalry between two 'frenemies,' Veronica and Ashley (Sandra Oh and Anne Heche), escalates in the face of an upcoming prestigious event to which both are invited. In the lead-up, their passive-aggressive digs at each other eventually turn violent, and the two start getting into a series of fights, putting strain on their social lives and friendships.
Related: Movie About Women Friendships That We Can't Live Without
Fight! Fight! Fight!
Catfight saw two iconic actors, Sanda Oh and Anne Heche, stepping out of their regular fare to trade fisticuffs in Onur Tukel's dark comedy. The result is wonderfully hilarious yet grounded in believable conflict, albeit taken to its most extreme. The movie does a great job of exploring conflict and competitiveness among 'friends.' The fights also reflect this realism, and one does get the actual image of the two standout actors devolving into a primordial desire to fight one another.
3 Apostle (2018)
Apostle
- Release Date
- September 21, 2018
- Director
- Gareth Evans
- Main Genre
- Thriller
- Cast
- Dan Stevens , Kristine Froseth , Lucy Boynton , Michael Sheen , Bill Milner , Mark Lewis Jones
Thomas Richardson (Dan Stevens) travels to a remote Welsh island in 1905 to rescue his sister, Jennifer, from a mysterious cult that has kidnapped her. Having to hide among the locals as one interested in joining the cult, his investigations proceed cautiously under the constant eye of its citizens. The deeper Thomas digs, the more he learns that the otherworldly beliefs the cults hold about ancient gods may hold some truth behind them.
Netflix Doing Folk Horror Right
Apostle is one of the few earlier Netflix Originals that bucked the trend of them being flawed low-budget works. Indeed, the budget here is limited, but the folk horror film manages to hit all those right notes, existing in an uncomfortable ambiguity that keeps audiences guessing till the final shocking reveal.
This is unsurprising given the talent working on the production, with director Gareth Edwards having recently come off the sensationally violent and slick "Raid films" (The Raid: Redemption and The Raid 2). In addition, actor Dan Stevens brought a flair to the role, with the actor having a cult following for his works in such films as The Guest, Colossal and Her Smell, and the TV series Legion, which was released less than a year after his appearance in Apostle.
2 Missing (2023)
Missing (2023)
Thriller
Drama
- Release Date
- January 20, 2023
- Director
- Nicholas D. Johnson , Will Merrick
- Cast
- Amy Landecker , Nia Long , Storm Reid , Ken Leung
Missing follows teenager June Allen (Storm Reid), who sets out to investigate her mother's disappearance after she goes missing on a vacation in Columbia with her new boyfriend. From the creators of 2018's Searching, Missing follows the same 'screen life' structure, telling the events through computer and phone screens.
An Engaging Mystery
Missing excels at creating an immersive tale of online sleuthing that invites the viewer to try to unravel what happened along with its protagonist, June Allen. This makes for an engaging mystery that keeps the viewer invested from the moment June realizes something more nefarious is happening with her mother's recent disappearance.
Missing also does an exceptional job of throwing in surprise twists that will keep audiences guessing till its final moments. It is a well-constructed thriller that uses the screenlife format of storytelling, which came as an offshoot of the found footage horror genre.
1 Christine (2016)
The biographical/psychological drama Christine follows the lead-up to the death of Christine Chubbuck, the first person to self-cancel live on television. Antonio Campos follows Christine's struggles to fit in, find meaningful relationships, and push her career as a news anchor. All this leads up to the infamous line, "In keeping with Channel 40’s policy of bringing you the latest in blood and guts, and in living color, you are going to see another first, attempted s*****e."
Related: Best Movies About Loss and Grief, Ranked
Exploring a Real-Life Tragedy
Chubbuck's extreme actions have long been the case of online discussion, pushed on by the fact that the footage has long been considered 'lost media.' While it is for the best that the footage remains lost, it has created a mysticism around Christine that had a feeling of uncertainty about how one could approach her story for cinema, while making a case for a troubled mind who made history in the most grim way imaginable.
Thankfully, Antonio Campos takes a sincere approach to exploring Christine's complexities, never venturing into the realm of exploitation or sensationalism around her last act. Rebecca Hall also gives a memorable and nuanced performance in exploring Christine's feelings of inadequacy and stifling pressure from those around her.
The content, undeniably, will be triggering for some, but those who can push past that and are looking for a well-constructed character study will find that Christine is the best B-movie you will discover on Netflix.
- Movie Lists
- Netflix
- I See You (2019)
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