20 Best Hidden Gems on Netflix In January 2017

By Meghan O'Keefe @megsokay

Published Jan. 5, 2017, 11:30 a.m. ET

If You LOVED *Buffy The Vampire Slayer* and *Supernatural*, Try *Crazyhead*
Words cannot express how perfect and delightful *Crazyhead* is. This bold, sweet, and raunchy demon-hunting comedy is addicting to say the least. Amy and Raquel see demons and have been tasked with hunting them...if only they knew what they were doing! [Watch *Crazyhead* on Netflix] Photo: Netflix

**If You Like *The Hunger Games,* Try 3%**
*The Hunger Games* films might be finished, but there's still plenty of dystopian kill-or-be-killed drama out there. Netflix's Original series 3% is a gritty look at a world where the upper class is selected through a harrowing series of tests. [Watch 3% on Netflix] Photo: Netflix

If You Miss The *30 For 30* Sports Doc Collection on Netflix, Try *The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young*
Love watching athletes triumph over all sorts of inhuman challenges? The warped sports documentary *The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young* should be right up your alley. It's the darkly comic look at the world's so-called hardest race. [Watch *The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young* on Netflix] Photo: Ramo Law

If You Love Tarantino At His Craziest, Try *Kung Fury*
This insane short film is an homage to Hong Kong action films, '80s adventures, and Nazi-hunting adventures. Warning: This is only for the weirdest among you. [Watch *Kung Fury* on Netflix] Photo: Everett Collection

If You Like Hard-Boiled Crime Dramas, Try *Terriers*
*Terriers* is one of those few shows that was was literally ahead of its time. It's darkly humorous take on crime-solving would fit right in with today's hits, but it passed by unnoticed when it came out. Think of it as Sherlock meets Elmore Leonard. [Watch *Terriers* on Netflix] Photo: Everett Collection

If You Wish *Friends* Was A Bit More Like, Say, *Fleabag,* Try *Crashing*
Fun fact: Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the star and creator of *Fleabag*, has also starred in one of the freshest sitcoms about singletons produced in ages. *Crashing* follows some cash-strapped Brits as they live together in an abandoned hospital. Needless to say, hijinks ensue. [Watch *Crashing* on Netflix] Photo: Everett Collection

If You Like *The Magicians,* Try *Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell*
Can't get enough of grown up magicians hooking up and making deadly mistakes? The gothic miniseries *Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell* will take you to an alternate history where magic is real and a mythic king is staging his comeback from another realm. [Watch *Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell* on Netflix] Photo: Everett Collection

If You Ever Wished *Casablanca* Was A Bit More Like *Alias,* Try *The Time in Between*
Real talk: I'm obsessed with this glamorous Spanish soap opera about a beautiful woman who lives the most improbable life. Follow Sira as she goes from shy seamstress to Moroccan couturier to Allied spy. [Watch *The Time in Between* on Netflix] Photo: Boomerang TV & Atresmedia

If You Like *Chef's Table*, Try *Cooked*
Netflix's banner food doc *Chef's Table* might take you on a global journey to the greatest restaurants in the world, but *Cooked* wants you to embrace the chef within. Michael Pollan leads us on a journey through science and history to explain why home-cooked is the best diet there is. [Watch *Cooked* on Netflix] Photo: Netflix

If Your Favorite Part of Any Nature Doc Is The Penguins, Try *Penguins: Spy in the Huddle*
This adorably intense docuseries gets closers to penguins than ever before. Bonus: it's narrated by David Tennant. That means you get to hear all about penguins from a honeyed Scottish brogue. [Watch *Penguins: Spy in the Huddle* on Netflix] Photo: BBC

If You Miss *Downton Abbey*, Try *Dancing on the Edge*
*Downton Abbey* left a big void in '20s and '30s British soaps. Fill the void with *Dancing on the Edge*. This miniseries juggles race relations, mysteries, romance, and heart-pounding jazz. [Watch *Dancing on the Edge* on Netflix] Photo: Everett Collection

If You're Looking To Expand Your LGBT Film Repertoire, Try *The Wise Kids*
When you think of LGBT cinema, you might be guilty of thinking it's all about adult romances, campy comedy, bitter politics, and tragedy. *The Wise Kids* is just about the opposite of that. It's a tender coming-of-age story about three Southern teens that infuses self-discovery with a heaping dose of spirituality. [Watch *The Wise Kids* on Netflix] Photo: Wolfe Video

If You Like *Zootopia* (But Need A Break From It), Try *The Secret of Kells*
The most beautiful animated film can warm the coldest heart -- unless, of course, your kiddos have forced you to watch it ad infinitum. Mix things up with the utterly lovely *The Secret of Kells*. This offbeat Irish cult classic is just the thing to give yourself a break from Disney. [Watch *The Secret of Kells* on Netflix] Photo: Everett Collection

If You Are Still Thinking About *The 13th*, Try *I Will Follow*
Ava DuVernay is one of the most exciting up-and-coming auteurs out there, so why not give her first film a try? See the tender indie that made her a star: *I Will Follow*. [Watch *I Will Follow* on Netflix] Photo: Everett Collection

If You Want A New Kind of Western, Try *The Keeping Room*
Forget a world where cowboys are the heroes; *The Keeping Room* is the story of two Civil War-era Confederate women and their slave. The trio must come together to save themselves from some unwelcome Union soldiers. [Watch *The Keeping Room* on Netflix] Photo: Everett Collection

If *50 Shades of Grey* Is Too Tame For You, Try *The Duke of Burgundy*
Looking for a movie that makes the kinky hijinks of *50 Shades of Grey* look like a Disney flick? *The Duke of Burgundy* is an unflinching look at two women's cat-and-mouse BDSM relationship. [Watch *The Duke of Burgundy* on Netflix] Photo: Everett Collection

If You Miss Smart Rom Coms, Try *Night Owls*
This twisted romantic comedy follows a guy horrified to discover that his one night stand is his boss's ex. Things get worse when she takes a bottle of sleeping pills -- forcing him to keep her up all night to save her life. The rest is...well, there's a reason this is a romantic comedy. [Watch *Night Owls* on Netflix] Photo: Orion Pictures

If You Love Offbeat Thrillers, Try *The Invitation*
What's scarier than going to your ex-wife's dinner party? How about literally surviving it. This indie gem has swiftly become the scariest cult classic of the past year. [Watch *The Invitation* on Netflix] Photo: Everett Collection

If You Like *John Mulaney: The Comeback Kid*, Try *Mike Birbiglia: My Girlfriend's Boyfriend*
Mike Birbiglia was a pioneer in the alternative comedy scene who helped pave the way for the latest generation of hot stand ups. His Netflix special is a charming and hilarious masterclass in both stand up and storytelling. [Watch *Mike Birbiglia: My Girlfriend's Boyfriend* on Netflix] Photo: Netflix

If You Liked *Drinking Buddies*, Try *Your Sister's Sister*
If you're looking for a real and raw (and really complicated) comedy-drama, *Your Sister's Sister* may just be the key. Mumblecore king Mark Duplass stars as a man who finds himself torn between the love of his best friend (Emily Blunt) and a one night stand he had with her lesbian sister (Rosemarie DeWitt). [Watch *Your Sister's Sister* on Netflix] Photo: Everett Collection

Where to Stream:

Crazyhead

If I had to take a wild guess, I would say that the one streaming service that you not only have, but use the most is Netflix. The home of House of Cards and Stranger Things was an early pioneer in streaming and is now virtually ubiquitous. Everyone has Netflix — but is everyone taking full advantage of it.

If you only use your monthly subscription to binge-watch Stranger Things, Friends, and the occasional true crime doc, you are missing out! Netflix’s vast international catalogue is overflowing with under-seen indies, modern cult classics, and, yes, brilliant Netflix Originals that you’ve never heard of!

To make sure you’re getting the biggest bang for your Netflix buck in 2017, Team Decider culled together our favorite hidden gems currently available on the service (as of early January 2017). To help you dive in, we’ve compiled them into a handy-dandy gallery complete with a description that will help you link this offbeat suggestion with a show, film, or genre that you’re already a super fan of. Are you a hardcore Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan? Then you absolutely need to check out the new Netflix Original Crazyhead. Still missing Downton Abbey? Watch Matthew Goode carouse through the British jazz age in Dancing on the Edge. Have you lost faith in the American rom-com? Give Night Owls a whirl.