5 Underrated Gems On Netflix
Last year, there was a night where I went missing. Not really. In actuality, my phone was on silent between two couch cushions. When I didn’t answer my phone, my mom who lived a thousand miles away assumed the worst — I was, after all, a young woman living alone in the city. My mom called my sister, who lived a few blocks away from me, to ask if she had heard from me. My sister was also concerned. But, my brother-in-law comforted her, “I’m sure she’s fine. Knowing Caroline, she’s probably watching something random on Netflix.”
He was right. I was watching “The First Wives Club.” You see, I love Internet TV. I inhale the good shows and watch more than I care to admit of the bad. This is why I decided to compile a list of some of Netflix’s hidden treasures. Some suck you in with enticing titles, a few are guilty pleasures and the rest are good to watch on the elliptical or while vacuuming. They may not be the “most popular,” but that’s part of what makes these secret gems so good. Here’s a primer:
Plot: “When an accident ends Amber Pollock’s life, she is given a task that could save her soul: Get the school’s least popular girl to be voted Prom Queen,” the Netflix description teases.
Why You Press Play: You love puns. Get it, teen spirit? Plus you are a sucker for the whole high school prom genre and body swap thing, though this is not quite a body swap movie.
Do you go back to browse? You may be tempted on multiple occasions. But, somehow, I made it through. Sure, it’s nothing we haven’t seen before: Artsy girl, who starts out creative and awesome, wears tighter clothes and gets a personality make-under, only to realize she was actress attractive inside and out the entire time. But get this: Tim Gunn makes a surprise appearance. He manages purgatory.
Plot: Korean nun must impersonate her twin brother for the sake of saving his career — which places her in the country’s hottest boy band. This means she is in close proximity to his cute band mates, who are off limits because she is a nun in drag.
Why You Press Play: Hello? Did you just read that tantalizing description?
Do you go back to browse? Absolutely not. The only catch is that the show is Korean; therefore if you don’t speak the language, you have to read subtitles.
“A Young Doctor’s Notebook and Other Stories”
Plot: A young doctor, Daniel Radcliffe, in a Russian village navigates his new gig during the Russian Revolution.
Why you press play: Jon Hamm-some and Harry Potter
Do you go back to browse? Maybe. Great cast and witty story based on the autobiographical works of Mikhail Bulgakov, Russian author and playwright. But, the dialogue between Radcliffe and Hamm can be hard to get into because they play the same man at different ages.
Plot: A model dies and comes back in plus-size lawyer’s body. Introspection and girl power ensues.
Why You Press Play: Because this show is ridiculously fabulous television for women.
Do you go back to browse? Hell no. Drop Dead Diva is amazing. I inhaled the Netflix seasons and am watching the current season on mylifetime.com. Jane Bingum is my hero.
Plot: “In this comedic fantasy, biotechnological implants count down to the moment one is supposed to meet his or her soul mate,” states the Netflix synopsis.
Why You Press Play: “Because you watched comedies featuring a strong female lead.”
Do you go back to browse? Nope. It is a small budget indie film but the story is interesting. What if your future was decided for you and there was no mystery or chase to love?
Honorable Mentions, A.K.A. Movies Still in My Queue:
“The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec” (an explorer’s Egyptian adventure is complicated by a Pterodactyl in Paris), “The Angels’ Share” (a father uses his whiskey prowess to start anew … and they’re wearing kilts on the cover) and “Dr. Jin” (a Korean drama where a modern doctor is transported back in time).
