10 Brilliant Streaming Movies No One Is Talking About
Michael Block is a 14 time GLAM Award nominated writer, producer, and host of the podcast Block Talk. Throughout his time in the entertainment industry, he has worked on and off Broadway as a stage manager, written several produced plays, critiqued hundreds of theatrical performances, drag and cabaret shows, and has produced events randing from drag competitoons to variety concerts!
On Block Talk, he interviews nightlife personalities, covers the wide world of entertainment through features, ranking episodes, and recaps ALL of Drag Race, as well as Dragula and Survivor. He has interviewed hundreds of RuGirls that span the globe at DragCon NYC, DragCon LA, and DragCon UK.
In his free time, he makes one-of-a-kind jewelry and gift baskets with his mom. He is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community.
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We tend to head to the cinema to see a film in all its glory, but in the age of streaming, how we consume movies has changed drastically. Not every movie made today is designed for the big screen; some are designed solely for streaming services, and while they don’t get a wide release like their counterparts, they are often equally brilliant. We are here to celebrate ten of the very best streaming movies that no one is talking about.
Despite the critiques and the online scoring, these ten streaming films don’t get the same praise as others like F1 and The Irishman. We’re here to rectify this unfortunate reality. From underrated comedies to profound adaptations of classic texts, these streaming movies are worth a watch, even though you probably haven't. Get your queues ready for some truly brilliant movies.
'Flora and Son' (2023) - Apple TV
A modest indie delight, Flora and Son is a big-hearted story. Written and directed by John Carney, the musical dramedy follows Flora (Eve Hewson), a mother in Dublin, as she tries to bond with her rebellious teenage son, Max (Orén Kinlan), through music. When he rejects the gesture, Flora doesn’t let it go to waste as she takes virtual Zoom lessons from Jeff (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a struggling American musician based in Los Angeles.
A celebration of the power of song, Flora and Son reminds us of music's healing power and ability to unite even the most fractured individuals. Though the film is filled with pure heart, Carney avoids making it overtly sugary. There is an edge when it comes to establishing a broken home, but there is hope and light at the end of the tunnel. Between limited individual release and being lost in the shuffle of Carney’s other films— Once and Sing Street—Flora and Son doesn’t earn the praise it deserves. It’s time to rectify it.
'Hedda' (2025) - Prime Video
Don’t let the premise of a Henrik Ibsen reimagining get you— Hedda is brilliantly provocative. Directed by Nia DaCosta, Hedda transplants Hedda Gabler to 1950s England, where Hedda (Tessa Thompson) is a newlywed woman suffocated by her life and trapped in debt to her academic husband, George Tesman (Tom Bateman). Her lavish dinner party is thrown into chaos as long-repressed desires, hidden tensions, and cruel manipulations erupt.
By flipping genders and emphasizing queer dynamics, Hedda offers a vivid, vibrant take on a classic drama. DaCosta’s revisionist take opens Ibsen’s text to new opportunities. Rather than playing Hedda as merely suicidal or passive, Thompson makes her a fervent and unpredictable woman dying to survive, thirsting to dictate her destiny and becoming a rapid-tongued, enigmatic chaos creator. The boldest move the movie makes is the gender swap of Eileen Lovborg (Nina Hoss), her unexpected arrival introducing intense romantic and sexual tension. It’s a daring, risky film that didn’t reach mainstream audiences, leaving many missing out on something remarkable.
'Late Night' (2019) - Prime Video
Late Night depicts a very different workplace, where the fight for survival is female. Directed by Nisha Ganatra and written by Mindy Kaling, the comedy follows Katherine Newbury (Emma Thompson), a legendary TV host whose ratings are dropping with the threat that she’ll be replaced with a younger man. To quiet claims that she is anti-woman and out of touch, she hires Molly Patel (Kaling), the first female writer on her team who just so happens to have no prior comedy-writing experience.
With a pair of powerhouse performances, Late Night simply was lost in the shuffle. In a sense, it was the precursor to Hacks. The film is quite poignant in the sense that very little has changed since its 2019 release— in fact, it’s gotten worse. Nevertheless, the text was written with sharp industry satire reflecting the realities of diversity, gender bias, tokenism, aging, and changing entertainment tastes. Late Night evokes classic comedy with a brilliantly progressive mindset that made it an easy watch. Though some may have found it formulaic, that comfort made it truly delightful.
'Quiz Lady' (2023) - Hulu
Visibility and diversity are vastly important in cinema, and Quiz Lady is proof. Shattering and prodding stereotypes simultaneously, the Jessica Yu-directed, Jen D'Angelo-written laughfest chronicles the adventures of Anne Yum (Awkwafina), a shy, game-show-obsessed woman, who must team up with her chaotic estranged sister, Jenny (Sandra Oh), to pay off their mother's massive gambling debt. The sisters go on a wild cross-country trip to get the ransom money by getting Anne onto her favorite TV quiz show, Can't Stop the Quiz, hosted by Terry McTeer (Will Ferrell).
An unhinged hoot of a film about the power of blood, Quiz Lady flips the script for a loving story about sisterhood. Oh and Awkwafina go against type, bringing great chemistry to an unexpected story that blends humor with real family emotion. It also pushes out any inkling of a romantic storyline to focus on the central duo, thus strengthening their bond. Joined by comedy legends like Ferrell, Jason Schwartzman, Holland Taylor, Tony Hale, and the late Paul Reubens, Quiz Lady is laughable-out-loud funny alongside profoundly heartfelt.
'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs' (2018) - Netflix
The combination of Western storytelling and the Coen brothers is a match made in heaven. One of their more underrated delights is the black comedy anthology The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, made up of six vignettes in the post-Civil War American frontier. The stories are united by themes, including the unpredictable nature of fate, the inescapable reality of death, and the subversion of the American Dream. From a musical gunfight to a stagecoach full of eccentric characters, each story offers an entertaining take on the mythology of the West.
The brilliance of The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is its ability to present the West as a place of good intent despite the harsh truth of the frontier. In doing so, the Coens bring a singular tone across six distinct tales. They provide quick comedy, quiet sadness, and immense dread that reflects the landscape of the West. The film features standout performances by Tim Blake Nelson, Stephen Root, Liam Neeson, Tom Waits, Jefferson Mays, Tyne Daly, and Brendan Gleeson. Perhaps due to its unique setup, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs had a quiet roll-out with niche appeal.
'The Lost Bus' (2025) - Apple TV
A ripped-from-the-headlines story, The Lost Bus is a fictionalized version of events surrounding the 2018 Camp Fire in northern California. The narrative centers around school bus driver Kevin McKay (Matthew McConaughey), who volunteers to drive into the danger zone rather than evacuate alone to rescue nearly two dozen children and their devoted teacher, Mary Ludwig (America Ferrera). A quick drive evolves into a harrowing, multi-hour battle to survive as they steer through a horrifying inferno to bring the kids to safety.
Directed by Paul Greengrass with a script from Greengrass and Brad Ingelsby, The Lost Bus is a high-octane thriller with heart-pounding tension. Greengrass employs his signature gritty, documentary style, placing the audience squarely in the action. Rather than a looming threat, the wildfire operates like a living, breathing monster, keeping the danger front and center, thanks to practical effects that make the audience nearly feel the heat and smell the smoke. The Lost Bus was almost invisible in the broader streaming landscape, which is truly a shame because it's worth watching for the high-profile team, providing a genuinely raw experience.
'The Stranger' (2022) - Netflix
Coming directly from Australia is Thomas M. Wright's psychological crime thriller, The Stranger. Based on the non-fiction book The Sting: The Undercover Operation That Caught Daniel Morcombe's Killer by Kate Kyriacou, the film follows an undercover police sting led by "Mark Frame" (Joel Edgerton) designed to extract a confession from the prime suspect in an unsolved child abduction and murder case, Henry Teague (Sean Harris).
Through a dark atmosphere that evokes a harrowing danger, The Stranger is a masterclass in tension and character. Wright relies on a haunting, minimalist score and moody visuals to create a dangerous backdrop. Edgerton and Harris take the text and nearly transform it into a frightening two-hander, their chemistry keeping the narrative enthralling. Though the film doesn't show the victim or the crime itself, it's based on a true event. Pushback caused it to be largely overlooked, but it has aged quite well, meaning it will be just as good today as it was in 2022, if not better.
'The Tragedy of Macbeth' (2021) - Apple TV
A film version of a Shakespeare play may not sound alluring, but when it's done right, your perspective will change. Joel Coen's high-art adaptation takes the classic story and gives it a dark, expressionistic twist. The Tragedy of Macbeth follows the prophetic ascent of the ambitious Macbeth (Denzel Washington), who kills King Duncan (Brendan Gleeson) to seize the throne. Littered with guilt and paranoia, Macbeth continues further down a path of murder as his wife, Lady Macbeth (Frances McDormand), falls into deep paranoia.
The Tragedy of Macbeth focuses on Shakespeare's classic prose through a minimalist vibe. It blends a stage sensibility with a magnificent cinematic vision that plays out like a haunting nightmare. Rather than filming in vast open landscapes, Coen captures the story's restrictive nature, creating a claustrophobic atmosphere. Washington captures the exhausted nature of a seasoned soldier eager to exhale with power, while McDormand's Lady Macbeth is a woman living in deep regret, only to have it exacerbated by her own doing. The Tragedy of Macbeth is a stark, fog-soaked thriller that provides a Shakespearean experience as you've never seen before.
'Uncle Frank' (2020) - Prime Video
Perhaps one of the most tender period-set queer stories is Uncle Frank. Written and directed by Alan Ball, the comedy-drama set in 1973 follows Frank Bledsoe (Paul Bettany), a closeted literature professor at New York University, and his relationship with his teenage niece, Beth (Sophia Lillis), after she learns that Frank is not only gay but living with his long-term partner, Wally Nadeem (Peter Macdissi). When Frank's harsh father, Daddy Mac (Stephen Root), passes away from a heart attack, Frank and Beth take a road trip home where they must face long-harbored trauma.
At its core, Uncle Frank is about acceptance, both of ourselves and from others. On one hand, it forces a conversation about childhood trauma, rejection, and the emotional toll of hiding from your loved ones. On the other hand, it dives deep into a coming-of-age story for Beth, who learns about personal independence and a rich understanding of the complexities of life from the adults she looks up to. Uncle Frank explores generational trauma, fear, and the road to self-acceptance while examining the difficulties of queer individuals in the '70s.
'Wolfwalkers' (2020) - Apple TV
Every so often there comes an independent project that rivals the major studios, but rarely is it through animation. Then Wolfwalkers arrived. Written and directed by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart, the third installment of the "Irish Folklore Trilogy" tells the tale of Robyn Goodfellowe (Honor Kneafsey), an English apprentice hunter who moves to 1650 Klikenny, Ireland, under the rule of the Lord Protector (Simon McBurney), to exterminate the local wolf pack to clear the surrounding forest. During her journey into the woods, she meets Mebh MacTire (Eva Whittaker), a "Wolfwalker," who is looking for her missing mother, Moll (Maria Doyle Kennedy), the leader of the pack.
A stunning hand-drawn animated film about family, freedom, and the natural world, the Cartoon Saloon classic has become a hidden gem. The animation looks like a moving painting, a truly magical tale that draws upon whimsical Irish myths. Through the wolfwalker's lens, the film explores how fear and strict societal rules can trap people while searching for genuine freedom. The film flourishes through two key relationships: Robyn and Mebh, and Robyn and her father, Bill (Sean Bean). Through friendship and the connection between a child and their parent, Wolfwalkers transcends cultures as a genuinely heartfelt film.
Wolfwalkers
- Release Date
- November 13, 2020
- Cast
- Tommy Tiernan, Eva Whittaker, Simon McBurney, John Morton, Honor Kneafsey, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Jon Kenny, Sean Bean
- Runtime
- 103 minutes
- Director
- Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart
- Writers
- Will Collins
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