Considering the fact that Netflix debuted 371 original TV shows and movies in 2019 alone, according to Variety, it shouldn’t surprise you that not all Netflix content is created equal. (Our apologies, Secret Obsession, but you didn’t quite deliver the same way Marriage Story did.) This year has provided the same mixed bag of Netflix originals, and while some have been total bombs, others are basically works of art. We’ve rounded up the best movies produced by Netflix so far this year – including films from Japan, Taiwan, Germany, Spain, France, and here in the US – and we have a feeling you’ll love them just as much as critics have.
Related: These 20 Netflix Original Movies From 2019 Are Seriously Works of Art
Everett Collection / Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection
Horse Girl
Alison Brie stars in this darkly funny psychological drama as Sarah, a socially isolated arts-and-crafts store employee whose obsession with horses and true crime eventually leads to surreal dreams that Sarah can no longer distinguish from reality. Horse Girl is about far more than one woman’s struggle with mental illness, and it’s sure to keep you guessing until the very end.
Watch Horse Girl on Netflix.
Everett Collection / Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection
The Platform
This Spanish sci-fi movie tells the story of the Vertical Self-Management Center, a tower-style prison where the inmates are fed according to their rank in the tower – that is, until one man decides that all prisoners should get their fair share, no matter what floor they’re on. Aside from being wildly inventive, this movie is filled with political and economic commentary, but be warned: not everyone can stomach this dark film.
Watch The Platform on Netflix.
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Uncorked
Directed by Insecure executive producer and showrunner Prentice Penny and loosely based on his own life, this father-son tale revolves around a young man who aspires to become a master sommelier, though his father expects that he will someday take over the family barbecue business instead. Though it’s a familiar story, Uncorked makes this parent-child conflict feel fresh and irresistibly charming.
Watch Uncorked on Netflix.
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Tigertail
Set in New York, this bittersweet drama follows immigrant Pin-Jui as he recounts the life he left behind in Taiwan through stories told to his estranged daughter, Angela. While deceptively simple in plot, Pin-Jui’s journey from an impoverished young factory worker in love to a lonely old man will break your heart over and over again, while also turning the idea of the American Dream on its head.
Watch Tigertail on Netflix.
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The Half of It
This LGBTQ+ coming-of-age dramedy revolves around Ellie Chu, a shy, straight-A student who agrees to help a popular jock write a love letter to his crush – with whom Ellie is also secretly in love. The Half of It may sound like a setup for your typical teen-centric movie love triangle, but it is far too smart to rely on classic tropes.
Watch The Half of It on Netflix.
