Opening Netflix in 2025 is a very different experience than it was 10 years ago. The movie selection is tilted much more toward movies that Netflix produced, and as a result, you’re often served up a lot of pretty trashy titles. Don’t get me wrong, Netflix has made some great original movies, but it’s also made plenty of terrible ones.
That’s why picking what you want to watch from the service can be something of a challenge. This week, we’ve pulled together three underrated titles that are all worth your time for very different reasons:
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 HBO Max, and the best movies on Disney+.
Burn After Reading (2008)
One of the Coen brothers‘ less celebrated films, in part because it came in the immediate wake of No Country for Old Men, Burn After Reading tells the farcical story of two gym employees who try to blackmail a former CIA analyst after they stumble upon classified information.
Along the way, we see just how stupid many of the people who work in the government are and how their bumbling lives intersect with occasionally deadly consequences. Burn After Reading is deeply funny, but it’s also a movie about the people who run our country and how fundamentally pathetic most of them are.
You can watch Burn After Reading on Netflix.
American Graffiti (1973)
A movie made in 1973 that looks backward to an even earlier time, American Graffiti is one of the definitive teen movies, even if it’s not George Lucas‘ crowning achievement.
The film follows a group of friends who all have different adventures on the last night of summer vacation before they go off to school or to find gainful employment. The movie itself is mostly lighthearted, but it’s also a wistful look at a particular moment in life when things don’t feel totally real yet, and you can do anything you want.
You can watch American Graffiti on Netflix.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)
Aaron Sorkin’s directorial career has been fascinating and strange, but there’s a lot to like in The Trial of the Chicago 7. Based on true events, the film follows the trial of seven defendants who were a part of countercultural protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
The movie’s at its best when it’s exploring the tension between the various groups within this trial. The trial reminds us how close these events truly are to the present day. Although the writing is definitely flowery in an Aaron Sorkin way, the movie is compelling throughout, in part because courtroom dramas are such a sturdy formula.
You can watch The Trial of the Chicago 7 on Netflix.
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