April is here, and Netflix is still going strong in 2024. Blockbuster shows like The Gentlemen and original movies like Damsel made the streamer dominant in March, and this month will continue that streak with the debut of the thriller series Ripley and the investigative drama Scoop.
If you’re looking for older movies that are just as good if not better, this list is for you. Digital Trends has compiled a selection of three underrated movies on Netflix that are worth watching this weekend. One’s a black comedy from 2023, another is a killer 1980s thriller, and the last one is a charming rom-com.
Need more recommendations? Read our guides to the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, and the best movies on HBO.
Down Low (2023)
Can you really have too much of a good thing? 2023 was an embarrassment of riches for the movie industry, with Oppenheimer, Barbie, and The Zone of Interest reaping critical acclaim and commercial windfalls. But what about smaller movies that, while not as good, are still worth a watch? Rightor Doyle’s black comedy is one of those movies. With a talented cast led by a never-better Zachary Quinto (Heroes) and rising star Lukas Gage (Road House), it’s a low-key movie that gives off good vibes even while it shows in graphic detail the disposal of a dead body.
The corpse used to be Sammy, an anonymous user of Plungr (think Grindr but without the copyright) whom Gary and Cameron had contacted. Gary recently came out of the closet in his 40s and confessed to his masseuse, Cameron, that he’s never had an intimate relationship with another man. Cameron thinks Sammy’s just the ticket, but after a series of unfortunate accidents and not one but two dead bodies, both men find themselves way in over their heads. Who says modern love isn’t complicated?
Body Double (1984)
There’s a fine line between homage and outright ripoff, and Brian De Palma frequently toes this line with a chainsaw. He’s a student of Alfred Hitchcock, and his resume is littered with inspirations from the Master of Suspense’s classic films. De Palma’s 1984 thriller Body Double is perhaps his most blatant attempt at mimicking Hitch’s style, and, for the most part, it works. It’s sensational, and its lurid romanticism and violent sexuality is unlike anything Hitch, or any American director, had done at the time.
Body Double stars Craig Wasson as Jake, an unemployed actor staying at a casual friend’s Hollywood Hills house. One night, he witnesses a beautiful woman being stalked by a man. Jake becomes obsessed with protecting the woman, and it’s this obsession that leads him down a path of voyeurism and murder. The standout performer here is a young Melanie Griffith, who, as porn star Holly Body, gives the film a flirty, fun comic kick.
Plus One (2019)
Rom-coms mounted a public comeback last year with Anyone But You, but they never really went away; they were just released quietly on streaming services. One rom-com that is ripe for rediscovery is 2019’s Plus One. College friends Ben King (The Boys star Jack Quaid) and Alice Mori (Mr. and Mrs. Smith’s Maya Erskine) have reached the stage when their weekend plans revolve around weddings. Yet, wedding season is tough without a date. Ben, an optimist who believes in finding the perfect match, and Alice, a recent victim of a breakup, do not want to attend weddings single.
After discussing their problems, Ben and Alice agree to be each other’s plus-one at their weddings over the summer. Alice will help introduce Ben to girls while Ben attempts to get Alice over her breakup. Rom-coms live or die by their leads’ chemistry, and Quaid and Erskine generate enough of it to make Plus One a worthy addition to the modern rom-com pantheon.
