7 Underrated Netflix Original Productions

In the past two years, the streaming service Netflix has really ramped up the production of their original content, creating films and series that rival the best that Hollywood and traditional TV has to offer. The likes of House of Cards, Narcos, the Marvel shows, Making A Murderer and much more are just as much as essential viewing as network shows like Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead.

Naturally, with so much new content being churned out on the service, some shows fall through the cracks, or perhaps don’t get the recognition they deserve. With all that in mind, here are 7 of our favourite Netflix Original Productions that you should check out.

 

 

Flaked

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKOpvm7BcOo

We won’t go into too much detail on why Flaked deserves your attention, because we’ve already done that a few months back. If you don’t know, Flaked is the series about Will Arnett playing an alcoholic that isn’t animated and called Bojack Horseman. Unfortunately, Flaked suffered from a pre-release campaign that led you to believe the show was some feel good romantic comedy, and whilst there are elements of that, the layers get pulled back as the episodes roll on. From the second half of series 1 onwards, the show focuses more on lead character Chip’s self destructive cycle of deceit, which makes for a compelling watch. Flaked might not be for everyone, but it’s worth a watch.

 

 

Message From The King

There’s something satisfying about a revenge thriller. You don’t have to think too much, there’s always plenty of action, and more often than not you’d like to relate to the main character. Message From The King ticks all those boxes. Chadwick Boseman takes on the lead role, beating the shit out of hired goons in order to avenge the death of his sister, and he makes a decent leading man. Think of it as a darker, low tech version of Black Panther. Luke Evans and Alfred Molina are pretty good as shitlord villains too. It’s not perfect, but it’s enjoyable nonetheless.

 

 

F is for Family

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFzrvMS6P8g

Only a comedian like Bill Burr could have conceived something like F is for Family. The animated sitcom has two seasons already with a third on the way, and it focuses on a small town family making their way through life in the 1970s. Unlike shows such as Family Guy, or Netflix stablemate Bojack Horseman, F is for Family stays a lot more grounded in reality whilst retaining that same dark sense of humour both shows and Bill Burr are known for. With a stellar supporting cast including the likes of Sam Rockwell, Justin Long and Laura Dern, F is for Family has the talent to match the brilliant writing.

 

 

AJIN: DEMI-HUMAN

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WW5fNX2FUg

One of the key areas of exploration for Netflix has been in anime, helping to produce the likes of Seven Deadly Sins, Devilman Crybaby and more. Though Ajin: Demi-Human wasn’t created for Netflix, the streaming giant picked up the exclusive rights to air the series after it launched in Japan. The series focuses on the young schoolboy Kei, who discovers via a truck-assisted splattering that he’s an immortal known as an Ajin. Wanted by the government who consider him to be threat, whilst tempted by the mysterious Sato who intends to fight back against those perceived oppressors, Ajin: Demi-Human combines a beautiful art style with an interesting premise, memorable and engaging characters and a ton of action to boot. Any anime fans should get on this if they haven’t already.

 

 

W/Bob & David

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyZ9l8anS9I

Bob Odenkirk and David Cross are known for the crazy antics from way back when on Mr Show, which finished airing nearly 20 years ago. Anyone else feel old? Netflix ordered 4 half hour episodes from the pair and the rest of the Mr Show team back in 2015, which turned into W/Bob & David. Retaining the same manic antics as the original show coupled with their sharp satire, the four episodes cover everything from religion, the tech industry, the police and being called an asshole. It’s an eccentric collection of episodes, capped off with an hour long documentary of the writing process for the series. In fact, after writing this, I might just watch it all again.

 

 

The Discovery

At first glance, you’d think the idea behind The Discovery would be outwardly hopeful: a scientist announces definitive proof of a life after death. Unfortunately, that news inspires an ever escalating spate of suicides by those who are hoping for a better life after death. The main crux of the film is Will (Jason Segal), his father Thomas (Robert Redford) and Isla (Rooney Mara) trying to discover what form the afterlife actually takes, but the gut-punch of the film comes with the ending. No spoilers, but it does provoke some thought.

 

 

Long Shot

Netflix has done a fantastic job offering gritty documentaries about real life crimes, with the likes of Making A Murderer and The Keepers providing the type of spine-chilling revelations that’ll keep you awake at night. But shows like that can be exhausting, and sometimes it’s nice to see a documentary that offers hope, restores faith in humanity, or just tells a story that’s so unbelievable it could only be true. Long Shot combines all three aspects, telling the tale of Juan Catalan, a man wrongfully accused for a murder he couldn’t possibly have committed. In order to prove Juan’s innocence, his lawyer tries to find footage of Juan at a baseball game he was attending during the time of the murder.  Coincidentally, the baseball game also played host to Larry David, who was shooting an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm the very same night. You couldn’t make it up.

This list is just a small drop in the ocean compared to the massive amount of content that Netflix shoves into our eyeballs, so there’s obviously some we’ve missed. Any in particular you think we should have mentioned, or do you just want to tell me my taste in Netflix content is shit? Sound off in the comments.