It’s the final month of 2024, and Netflix is not holding back. The streamer will release several movies and TV shows that will undoubtedly wind up on the streamer’s most popular lists. On December 26, Squid Game, Netflix’s most-watched show, returns for its deadly second season. Plus, Taron Egerton will play a TSA agent out to save his airport from a terrorist in a new Netflix action movie, Carry-On.
Netflix’s biggest strength is its vault. If Squid Game or Carry-On are of no interest to you, then keep searching the service for something that fits your needs. If you feel like taking a chance, try one of these underrated movies. Our picks include an entertaining thriller, a Fast & Furious sequel, and a holiday romance.
We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on Max, and the best movies on Disney+.
Don’t Move (2024)
Don’t Move is the style of movie Netflix should make more often. Give consumers more high-concept thrillers instead of $200 million blockbusters. In Don’t Move, Yellowstone’s Kelsey Asbille stars as Iris, a grieving mother who wakes up one morning and heads to the memorial for her late son on top of a cliff.
While contemplating her life, Iris meets Richard (Finn Wittrock), a kind stranger who literally talks her off the edge of a cliff. Before they go their separate ways, Richard injects Iris with a paralytic agent that will make her incapable of moving her limbs within 20 minutes. Richard is a serial killer who plans to torture and murder Iris. Refusing to give up, Iris runs into the nearby forest and hides for her life in this entertaining 90-minute thriller.
Stream Don’t Move on Netflix.
The Princess Switch (2002)
Admittedly, Netflix’s selection of cheesy Christmas movies is not for everyone. These movies could easily play in the winter months on the Hallmark Channel during its “Countdown to Christmas” event. If you’re willing to embrace a little absurdity, you’ll be rewarded with an easy-to-watch holiday movie. So scroll to the “Date Night Movies to Cuddle With” section on Netflix and stream The Princess Switch.
Stacy De Novo (Vanessa Hudgens) is a chef from Chicago who wins a spot in the illustrious baking competition in the Kingdom of Belgravia. On the other hand, Lady Margaret Delacourt (also Hudgens) is set to marry Crown Prince Edward of Belgravia (Sam Palladio). When Stacy and Margret accidentally cross paths, they notice they look exactly alike. Wanting to experience a normal life, Margaret convinces Stacy to switch places for two days. Despite their brief time in each other’s shoes, Stacy and Margaret find love, throwing a wrench in their plans when they attempt to switch back.
Stream The Princess Switch on Netflix.
2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)
If the Fast & Furious franchise is good enough for Christopher Nolan, then you can suspend disbelief for a few hours and embrace the action. 2 Fast 2 Furious falls in the middle of the Fast & Furious rankings, mainly due to Vin Diesel’s absence. However, 2 Fast 2 Furious is a great spotlight for the late Paul Walker’s Brian O’Connor and his new running mate, Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson).
After the events of The Fast and the Furious, Brian is arrested for street racing in Miami. Instead of going to prison, Brian’s old FBI bosses offer him a deal. Brian must go undercover and infiltrate the inner circle of drug lord Carter Verone (Cole Hauser). If Brian aids in Verone’s arrest, his record will be cleared. Brian seeks help from Roman, his childhood friend, and the two pose as drivers for Verone. With later entries becoming full-blown action epics, 2 Fast 2 Furious is a grounded street racing movie and a nice change of pace.
Stream 2 Fast 2 Furious on Netflix.
I Used to Be Famous (2022)
I Used to Be Famous is a feel-good movie that will always be effective no matter the time of year. However, there’s something about the holiday season that invokes our softer sides. I Used to Be Famous’s message will be a home run for the emotions when streamed in December. Vince Denham (Ed Skrein), aka Vinnie D, was once on top of the music world as a member of the boy band Stereo Dream. Twenty years later, Vince has no money, fame, band, or job.
Searching for inspiration, Vince begins playing his keyboard in a local market when Stevie, a teenager with autism, begins drumming to the beat. Someone in the crowd happened to be filming the jam session, and the performance goes viral, attracting the likes of music managers. Despite hesitation from Stevie’s overprotective mother (Eleanor Matsuura), Vince and Stevie form the musical group known as The Tin Men. At its core, I Used to Be Famous is a heartwarming movie with sweet messages about friendship and inclusion.
Stream I Used to Be Famous on Netflix.
The Last Letter from Your Lover (2021)
If you believe in romantic messages, then The Last Letter from Your Lover should be right in your wheelhouse. Based on Jojo Moyes’ 2011 novel of the same name, The Last Letter from Your Lover is told on timelines — one in the modern day and the other in the 1960s. In the present, London journalist Ellie Haworth (The Brutalist‘s Felicity Jones) finds a mysterious love letter in her company’s archives. The passionate letter motivates Ellie to figure out the identities of the people involved.
In the 1960s, Jennifer Stirling (Shailene Woodley) is a socialite in a lifeless marriage to a wealthy businessman, Laurence Stirling (Joe Alwyn). While on vacation, Jennifer meets Anthony O’Hare (Masters of the Air star Callum Turner), a journalist tasked with interviewing Laurence. Jennifer and Anthony end up falling in love and embarking on a passionate affair. However, societal pressure threatens to pull them apart, forcing Jennifer to make a difficult decision.
Stream The Last Letter from Your Lover on Netflix.