10 Overlooked Netflix Movies You Need to Watch in 2025
If your list is full of the same big titles, this roundup gives you ten strong options that slipped past a lot of people. Each one is ready to stream and comes with a clear premise, notable cast, and a few details that help you decide fast. You will find tense thrillers, inventive horror, and character driven dramas from the United States, Europe, and Asia.
These picks cover different tones and runtimes so you can match your mood and your evening. You will see one location nail biters, intimate road stories, and bold international standouts that showcase new voices and precise craft. Scan the summaries, check the languages and settings, and line up your next watch.
‘Calibre’ (2018)
Two lifelong friends take a weekend hunting trip in the Scottish Highlands and face the consequences of a split second mistake. The story follows their efforts to contain what happened as they navigate a remote village, rising suspicion, and a series of choices that narrow with every hour. Jack Lowden and Martin McCann lead the cast with a focus on how pressure changes what people do when no good option exists.
Director Matt Palmer keeps the action centered on the pair and the community around them, using forest locations and rural roads to tighten the scope. The film runs lean, relies on practical settings, and builds its tension through conversations, local customs, and a steady escalation that tracks each decision and its fallout.
‘Wheelman’ (2017)
A getaway driver takes a job and discovers the plan is not what he was told once the first call comes through. The camera stays in the car with him for almost the entire runtime as he pieces together who set him up and where the money is headed. Frank Grillo anchors the film with a performance built around voice calls, sudden detours, and a map of the city that shifts by the minute.
Director Jeremy Rush uses a limited perspective to show only what the driver sees, which turns streets and parking garages into the core stage. The film uses real time pacing, practical night shoots, and an emphasis on engine noise, tires, and traffic patterns to keep the story moving without leaving the driver’s seat.
‘The Night Comes for Us’ (2018)
An elite enforcer breaks ranks to protect a young girl and triggers a storm of retribution from his former employers. Joe Taslim and Iko Uwais headline a cast of fighters known for full contact choreography and clean camera work that lets the hits read clearly. The plot tracks shifting loyalties inside a criminal network with safe houses, warehouses, and back rooms as key locations.
Director Timo Tjahjanto stages extended fights that feature knives, makeshift weapons, and close quarters movement. The production leans on stunt teams with deep experience, practical squib work, and long takes that show the geography of each room. The result is a showcase for modern Indonesian action that highlights precision and stamina.
‘His House’ (2020)
A couple from South Sudan receives temporary housing on the outskirts of a British town after a dangerous crossing. The house appears normal, then begins to show signs that their past has followed them into the present. Wunmi Mosaku and Sope Dirisu carry scenes that combine immigration interviews, check ins with case workers, and night sequences inside walls that seem to hold memories.
Director Remi Weekes blends social reality with supernatural elements through practical effects, prosthetics, and layered sound design. The film uses council estate architecture, hallways, and fading wallpaper as recurring visuals while it tracks the couple’s compliance rules and the pressure of a system that examines every move.
‘A Sun’ (2019)
A Taiwanese family absorbs a sudden act of violence that pulls one son into the justice system while the other son tries to meet steady expectations. The story moves between school, work, and hospital corridors and pays close attention to how each family member responds. Performances by Chen Yi wen, Ko Shu chin, Wu Chien ho, and Liu Kuan ting guide a portrait of choices that ripple through years.
Director Chung Mong hong uses controlled framing and patient scenes to follow the family through setbacks, quiet meals, and private errands. The film earned major recognition at the Golden Horse Awards and presents Taipei streets, classrooms, and clinics with clear detail to ground every development.
‘Athena’ (2022)
A violent incident ignites unrest in a French housing complex and three brothers find themselves on different sides of the response. Dali Benssalah and Sami Slimane lead sequences that cover courtyards, stairwells, and rooftops as the situation accelerates. The camera often tracks through crowds and across open spaces while the script follows commands, rumors, and recorded evidence.
Director Romain Gavras designs long takes that link exterior and interior action without cutting away. The film coordinates large scale practical effects, coordinated movement, and staged pyrotechnics to create a continuous sense of motion. Music, chants, and sirens build a soundscape that reflects a community under strain.
‘The Platform’ (2019)
A man wakes inside a vertical prison where food descends on a platform that stops briefly on each level. The placement of each person on a level determines access to meals, and the order changes on a schedule that no one inside controls. Iván Massagué, Antonia San Juan, and Zorion Eguileor guide a narrative that explains rules through conversation and observation.
Director Galder Gaztelu Urrutia builds a single concrete set that the production revisits from new angles as the level numbers change. Practical props, food art, and controlled lighting define each stop of the platform. The concept explores systems, survival tactics, and cooperation with a structure that is easy to follow and hard to predict.
‘Tramps’ (2016)
A young man agrees to swap briefcases for a small fee and mixes up the drop, which puts him on the road with a stranger who needs the job to work out. Callum Turner and Grace Van Patten map a day and night across New York City trains, apartments, and outlying suburbs as they try to fix the mistake. The writing keeps the focus on timing, directions, and the practical steps needed to repair the plan.
Director Adam Leon uses natural light, handheld shots, and quiet locations to capture small choices that steer the pair forward. The film keeps stakes personal and relies on simple tools like notes, addresses, and meeting points to build momentum without turning into a larger crime picture.
‘I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore’ (2017)
After a home burglary, a nursing assistant teams up with an eccentric neighbor to track down missing items when official channels stall. Melanie Lynskey and Elijah Wood lead a story that moves through pawn shops, side streets, and suburban houses while they follow leads and manage unintended outcomes. The plot remains focused on what was taken, who has it, and how to get it back.
Writer director Macon Blair pairs low key humor with straightforward detective steps like plate numbers, witness chats, and trail markers. The film premiered at a major festival and received the top jury prize in its category, which marked a strong debut for Blair behind the camera as well as on the page.
‘Cargo’ (2017)
A father travels across the Australian outback with his infant daughter after an outbreak disrupts normal life. He searches for a safe community while monitoring a limited timeframe that dictates every move. Martin Freeman, Simone Landers, and Susie Porter carry scenes that involve river travel, bush tracks, and encounters with groups that handle the situation in different ways.
Directors Yolanda Ramke and Ben Howling expand their earlier short into a feature that uses remote landscapes, sun exposure, and practical makeup to tell the story. The film emphasizes survival skills, barter items, and cultural knowledge held by people on the land, which shapes the route the father takes as options shrink.
Share your own overlooked Netflix movie picks for 2025 in the comments so everyone can find a great next watch.