Ever find yourself curled up in bed, flipping through a Netflix maze of Recommended For, Last Watched By and New Releases without purpose or end in sight? Yeah, same.
Netflix may be one of the many blessings of the digital 21st century, but with so much to watch it can often seem like there’s nothing to see. To help remedy that, HuffPost Entertainment crowdsourced suggestions from around the office to uncover hidden gems — those movies and television series you might not find on your own, but will be so glad someone else did.
1. “Mr. Nobody”
“Mr. Nobody” with Jared Leto is one of the strangest things I’ve ever watched at 1 a.m. in my life, besides “Nymphomaniac” … which was kind of a four-hour mistake. If you want to see Leto get really weird, watch him transform into a super old guy, in the future, with a narrative that is kind of confusing. Oh, and if you decide to watch “Nymphomaniac” in the wee, wee hours, just know that you’ll probably have a hard time sleeping and you’ll never look at Christian Slater the same way again. — Chanel Parks
2. “Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries”
“Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries” is part of a genre I like to call “badass lady detectives with great accents.” I’m obsessed with this gem of an Australian TV show about a lady detective in the 1920s. Miss Fisher wields a gold gun, dresses in fabulous fur, scales walls in heels while simultaneously addressing issues of the time, like reproductive rights (abortion was illegal) and women not being allowed into the motor vehicle association. Also, there’s a very handsome police inspector she teams up with. Good things all around! — Emma Gray
Diving into Netflix’s horror section blind can be scarier than some of its options. One terrible fantastic option is “The ABCs of Death,” an indie horror collection of short films where 26 directors take on a different letter of the alphabet to create an array of original, creepily bizarre and sometimes beyond disturbing shorts. Keep watching for “I” and “J,” and if you’re a gore fan you’ll love “X.” — Erin Whitney
This is not your stereotypical, lust-fueled vampire film, thankfully. The movie follows a creepy yet also incredibly heartbreaking little Swedish (cue subtitles) girl/vampire who befriends a bullied little Swedish boy and an endearing young story of friendship and love ensues. It definitely plays with the traditional story of the damned and includes all of the good ol’ blood and guts that all respectable horror movies should, so don’t expect anything heartwarming. — Amber Genuske
Full disclosure: I have never read a word of Charles Bukowski’s work. When I turned this on during a moment of insomnia, I only knew Bukowski was a drunkard who wrote, nothing more. Ends up, I found the movie oddly inspiring. If you’re someone who has struggled to find the time to pursue your passion in life, you should know Bukowski spent much of his young life slaving away at a dull job within the U.S. Postal Service, utterly terrified to risk trying his hand at writing full time. It’s sort of comforting, really. On the other hand, he was horrible to women, which is not very inspiring at all. — Maxwell Stratchan
Paparazzi culture dominates today’s celebrity industry, but it took someone to actually perpetuate the invasive lens we assign to those who’ve been granted fame. That man, arguably, is Ron Galella, the freelance photographer who made a living hunting down unwitting public figures in the 1960s and on, namely Jackie Kennedy. The fascinating documentary “Smash His Camera” chronicles Galella’s career and makes staggering cases about the ripple effect of intrusive celebrity-gazing. — Matthew Jacobs
7. “The Trip”
This movie has no real premise or story: It merely follows actors Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan around as they take a road trip through various picturesque parts of England. They eat, they bicker, they look at the scenery, but mainly they compete to see if they can crack each other up, in that very dry, backhanded, not-cool-to-be-seen-trying English way. You may not think two middle-aged men sitting in a posh restaurant trying to outdo each other’s Michael Caine impressions is among the funniest moments in human history, but trust me, it is (I’ve probably watched that excerpt from the movie on YouTube 100 times). If you like your shaggy road-trip movies to have a side helping of scalding sarcasm (and, surprisingly, a reasonable amount of heart), “The Trip” is for you. — Maureen Ryan
8. “The Woman Who Wasn’t There”
I don’t want to give too much away — but it’s a documentary about Sept. 11 that will blow your mind. It will make you reevaluate trust, public perception and it proves that there is no limit to the lengths people will go to feel included. — Jessica Kane
A series about women code breakers after World War II solving crimes. It is so awesome because it approaches gender in a much more subtle way than an American show would. — Marc Janks
10. “Bernie”
If you missed this thought-provoking, darkly funny gem back in 2011, you’re in for a treat. Jack Black stars as Bernie, a charming assistant funeral home director living in Carthage, Texas who finds a life-mate in an ornery, wealthy octogenarian, brilliantly portrayed by Shirley MacLaine. Then he kills her. The true-crime story cleverly combines dramatic reenactments and interviews with colorful local citizens familiar with the not-so-cut-and-dry case. Similar to the “Serial” podcast, the movie has had real-life implications on the accused. The real-life Bernie has been released from prison and moved into a garage apartment owned by Mr. Linklater. You can’t write this stuff. — Katla McGlynn
11. “Twenty Feet from Stardom”
If you’re a music nerd like I am, you’ll love this Oscar-winning documentary that shines a light on back-up singers and their stories. Their voices have been included on some of the most iconic songs of all time, but you don’t know their names. — Taylor Trudon
12. “17 Girls”
“17 Girls” is a French film about 17 French teenage girls who make a pregnancy pact and stay true to it. The girls make the pact because their super chic ringleader accidentally gets pregnant, and then convinces them all that it’s the cool thing to do. They all get pregnant at the same time so they can raise their children together. The movie is subtitled and totally random, but I was transfixed. — Jackie Oshry
13. “Hot Rod”
His name is Rod, and he likes to party. Andy Samberg stars as a stuntman who’s too legit to quit and tries to save his dying stepfather so he can “kick his ass” and earn his respect. There are spirit animals, “Step Brothers”-level quotes and a “Footloose”-like angry dance that turns into an epic fall down the biggest mountain ever. This is the type of movie that’s an ultimate punch of awesome straight to your brain. In other words, it’s cool beans. — Bill Bradley
Have any rare Netflix secrets of your own? Share them in the comments below!
Craving more? Here are some additional suggestions from our resident TV critic, Maureen Ryan. And here’s a list of must-see documentaries on Netflix.
