Let's be honest, guys — with all of the new original movies [1] that Netflix releases every year, some of them are bound to be stinkers. (We're not pointing any fingers, but those movies know who they are.) However, among all of those ho-hum flicks are some incredible gems [2] (Roma [3], anyone?), and 2019 has already delivered a few movies that deserve your immediate attention. With gorgeous movies hailing from Japan, China, Nigeria, New Zealand, Denmark, Taiwan, and — of course — here in the US, Netflix's best may not be for a casual Sunday afternoon, but they're definitely worthy of your consideration.
The Breaker Upperers
Set in Auckland, NZ, this hilarious rom-com follows platonic, codependent, cynical besties (who only became friends when they learned that they were dating the same guy) and the agency they run together to help clients break up with their significant others, which usually involves some pretty unorthodox methods. The onscreen chemistry between writer-director-star duo Jackie van Beek and Madeleine Sami will make you wish that both the actress and their characters, Jen and Mel, were your BFFs IRL.
Watch it now [5].
High Flying Bird
This sports drama, which stars Moonlight's André Holland and Atlanta's Zazie Beetz, follows a sports agent who pitches a rookie basketball player on a potentially problematic business proposition, and — like director Steven Soderbergh's Unsane — the movie was shot entirely on an iPhone. It's beautifully acted, almost uncomfortably intimate at times, and so subtly political that you don't realise its incredible power until it's over.
Watch it now [6].
A Fortunate Man
This Danish 19th-century drama (based on the heartbreaking epic by Henrik Pontoppidan) tells the story of a pastor's son who decides to break free from his devoutly religious family in Western Denmark to pursue a career in engineering, never expecting to fall in love with a progressive, intellectual Jewish woman who will never be accepted by his family. The movie is one of the most expensive Danish film productions in history, and when you see the incredible costuming and period detail, you'll be glad the producers made the investment.
Watch it now [7].
Dear Ex
This Taiwanese dark comedy follows a recently bereaved widow who drags her teenage son into a complicated financial dispute when she learns that her late husband left his inheritance to someone else: his free-spirited gay lover, creating the most complicated love triangle ever. The movie manages to be both heartwarming and heartbreaking, and the characters are so nuanced and believable that you'll feel as though you know them personally by the end.
Watch it now [8].
A Land Imagined
This Chinese mystery thriller revolves around Lok, a tireless police officer attempting to track down a Chinese migrant worker who disappeared from a land reclamation site in Singapore, only to discover that another Bengali worker — a friend of the first worker — has also gone missing. Though it's difficult to feel any empathy for the characters, the whole movie feels like a dark dream that you can't help but be drawn into.
Watch it now [9].
River's Edge
Based on a manga of the same name by Kyoko Okazaki, this dark Japanese comedy-drama takes place in a 1990s Tokyo suburb, telling the story of a teen girl who befriends the school outcast, a relationship that becomes complicated when he tells her about the dead body he found near the riverside. It will definitely remind you of the 1987 Keanu Reeves [10] movie of the same name, and even though it's a bit of a bummer, it's too raw, poignant, and smart to miss.
Watch it now [11].
Lionheart
In Netflix's first original film from Nigeria, Lionheart revolves around a competent but overlooked young woman named Adaeze who must find a way to work alongside her eccentric uncle, Godswill, in order to save her father's failing bus company. The insanely talented Genevieve Nnaji both stars in and directed the movie, and if you're in need of a fun, lighthearted flick, this is the perfect pick.
Watch it now [12].
Paddleton
Starring Everybody Loves Raymond's Ray Romano and The League's Mark Duplass (who also served as writer and director), this Sundance drama follows two neighbours who form an unlikely bond after Duplass's character is diagnosed with terminal cancer. It's a slow burn, but it pays off in a big way, and you're going to want to keep your box of tissues close.
Watch it now [13].