Top 15 Netflix Original Films of All Time From Around the World

The best Netflix original films from around the world are not always the big titles on the home screen. This list picks 15 lesser-known Netflix originals, from the horror of Cam and 1922 to the Golden Bear winner On Body and Soul and the Redford and Fonda romance Our Souls at Night, all worth finding.

Netflix makes and buys films from many countries, and the smaller ones are often lost under the next big release. The films below range from American indies to Hungarian, French and Georgian dramas. Some were made by Netflix, others were picked up at festivals and released under the Netflix banner.

Top 15 Netflix original films of all time from around the world

The list

1. I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House (2016)

A slow, quiet horror film about a live-in nurse who starts to suspect that the house of the elderly author she cares for is haunted. It is more about mood than jump scares, so watch it late at night with the lights off and your phone away.

2. Roxanne Roxanne (2017)

A biopic of Roxanne Shante, one of the early stars of hip-hop. Chante Adams gives a strong lead performance, and the film is honest about how hard that early fame was on her.

3. Cam (2018)

A psychological horror film about a cam girl whose online show is taken over by an exact copy of herself. It is one of the sharper films about internet identity and the pressure of online popularity, and it feels even more relevant now.

4. 1922 (2017)

Zak Hilditch’s adaptation of a Stephen King story, from the collection Full Dark, No Stars. A farmer pressures his son into helping him commit a murder, and the guilt slowly destroys him. It is bleak, patient and one of the best King films of recent years.

5. Our Souls at Night (2017)

A gentle late-life romance starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda, based on Kent Haruf’s novel. Two widowed neighbours decide to spend their nights together, simply to talk and feel less alone. It is warm without being sugary.

6. Win It All (2017)

A comedy about a small-time gambler who loses money that belongs to a friend and goes on a binge to win it back. Critics called it an endearing crowd-pleaser, and it is an easy weekend watch.

7. Tigertail (2020)

Alan Yang’s debut as a feature director is an immigrant drama about a Taiwanese factory worker who leaves for America in search of a better life. It is a personal, low-key film about family, distance and what a move abroad costs.

8. On Body and Soul (2017)

A Hungarian romantic drama from Ildiko Enyedi, which won the Golden Bear at the Berlin film festival. Two shy co-workers discover that they share the same dreams, in which they turn into animals. It is odd, tender and memorable.

9. Private Life (2018)

Tamara Jenkins’ comedy-drama about a New York couple desperate to have a child. After many failed attempts, they turn to their niece for help. It is funny and painful in equal measure.

10. Barry (2016)

A drama about a young Barack Obama as a student at Columbia University in New York in 1981. It is a quiet character study about identity and belonging, years before he entered politics.

11. Tallulah (2016)

A comedy-drama about two women who end up caring for a baby taken from an unfit mother. It turns into a story about two very different people and what it means to be a parent.

12. I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017)

Macon Blair’s directorial debut. A woman whose house is burgled teams up with her strange neighbour to find the thief, and things get violent very quickly. It is darkly funny and moves fast.

13. Divines (2016)

Houda Benyamina’s debut is a coming-of-age story about a teenage girl in a Paris suburb who wants money, respect and a way out. It is energetic and angry, with a lead performance that stays with you.

14. My Happy Family (2017)

A Georgian drama about a mother who decides to leave her chaotic extended family and live on her own. It is a small story told with great care, and very relatable for Indian viewers who know joint families.

15. Tramps (2016)

An indie romance about two strangers who are thrown together when a shady deal goes wrong, and slowly fall for each other. It is one of the better recent American romantic comedies, light and charming.

How to find these films on Netflix India

Netflix catalogues differ by country and change over time, so a film listed here may not be available in India on a given day. The quickest check is to search the title in the Netflix app. If it does not show up, it has either left the Indian catalogue or was never licensed for India.

For more streaming picks, see our movies section and Hollywood coverage.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: Wikipedia: On Body and Soul, Wikipedia: Our Souls at Night, Wikipedia: Stephen King adaptations.