10 Netflix Movies With Zero Cultural Impact (That Were Actually Good)

Netflix has been putting out original movies for a full decade now and, as could be expected, the results have been mixed. But regardless of quality, a lot of their movies manage to enter the public’s consciousness in one way or another. They have a level of cultural impact. What defines cultural impact? For the sake of this piece, we’re going to label it as a movie that either got some awards season love (even if it was just nominations) or led to chatter about just how many people saw it (e.g. KPop Demon Hunters, which is now an Oscar nominee as well). Furthermore, if a Netflix Original movie generated a lot of controversy, like The Ridiculous 6, that too qualifies it as having had cultural impact. Be it positive or negative chatter, people are still chattering.

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The following movies may have had a good opening weekend, to put it in box office speak, but there wasn’t much outside of that. Today they’re mostly seen as footnotes in the entire Netflix catalogue.

10) The Fundamentals of Caring

One of Netflix’s earlier originals, Rob Burnett’s The Fundamentals of Caring is a sweet little drama that carries a tone similar to something like The Way Way Back or The Perks of Being a Wallflower. It’s just, instead of solely being a coming-of-age story, it’s a bit of that mixed with a man faced with a genuine crisis towards the middle of his life, and feeling a need to bring some change into his days to get a sense of himself once more.

Even with Paul Rudd and Selena Gomez as two of the leads, The Fundamentals of Caring seems to have left the memories of most of those who have seen it. But for those who can get on board with a 90-minute dramedy it’s worth adding to the queue.

9) I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore

I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore essentially functions as a buddy comedy, but instead of cops it’s a recently robbed nursing assistant (Melanie Lynskey) and her neighbor (Elijah Wood). It’s a very low-stakes story, focusing on just a few characters none of whom feel any different from average Joe or Joanne. And in that lies its charm.

But the real key to the film’s appeal is the fact that it gives Lynskey a lead role to chew on, which doesn’t happen nearly enough. Both this and director Macon Blair’s sophomore film, The Toxic Avenger, are delightful and underseen.

8) The Pale Blue Eye

A twisty gothic murder mystery with a typically excellent lead performance from Christian Bale, The Pale Blue Eye is certainly a movie people have seen. If Bale is your headliner you’re going to have an audience, but it’s not as if this one stayed in the number one spot for months on end. It had its brief moment then slipped quietly into the glut of Netflix’s other mystery thrillers.

The Pale Blue Eye is not without its faults. It can drag its feet in spots. But Bale and Harry Potter franchise vet Harry Melling are excellent, with the latter being a perfect choice for Edgar Allen Poe. It’s also a thriller that has its impact greatly buoyed by its snow-coated, hazy-sky winter setting. It also comes equipped with an ending that both isn’t the easiest thing to predict and lands the thematic punch it intends to.

7) 1922

Netflix released two fantastic Stephen King adaptations in 2017. Thanks to Carla Gugino’s performance and tight direction by Mike Flanagan, Gerald’s Game was the buzzier one, especially given how many thought the source material unfilmable.

But 1922 is nearly as good. It captures the ratcheting-desperation sense that coats the novella and is another display of how Thomas Jane really knows how to knock a King adaptation out of the park.

6) Day Shift

It’s pretty surprising there hasn’t been any forward momentum on a Day Shift sequel. It sets up a fun, vibrant, sunny world that just so happens to be filled with vampires and those who hunt them. It’s a fun premise, and there were clearly directions it could have gone in a follow-up.

This is the best of the Netflix movies with Jamie Foxx in the lead. It’s not as inventive as They Cloned Tyrone, but it’s a far sight better than Project Power and Back in Action. This film coasts on its style, bouncy script, world-building, and Dave Franco’s energetic supporting performance.

5) Steve

Here’s a recent one that didn’t seem to make much of a splash on the streamer in spite of playing well at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. It’s surprising, considering the movie features Cillian Murphy, Tracey Ullman, and Emily Watson.

It’s the type of film that really makes you feel for the teacher protagonist. Overseeing students with behavioral difficulties is no easy task, and the movie makes sure to show you just how much Steve is put through the wringer, so this can become tiresome for the viewer, but it also elicits empathy for those who devote their lives to helping those facing mental health crises.

4) The Polka King

Jack Black was always good at making morally dubious characters somewhat likable. For instance, in the fantastic Bernie, which had him play a killer, and yet we kind of liked the guy. Black just has that wide-grinned charm.

Toss The Polka King into that same bucket because he plays convicted Ponzi scheme “artist” Jan Lewan with a similar level of amiability and enthusiasm. Thanks to this movie’s balance between a serious issue and a lightly comedic tone, it comes off as the ultimate companion piece to Bernie.

3) The Dirt

First off, if you don’t love Mötley Crüe you’re not going to like The Dirt. If you don’t like party animals acting like party animals, you’re not going to like The Dirt. But for those who have read The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band, the movie does a good job of capturing its living dangerously ’80s vibe.

On some levels, it’s a pretty standard biopic, but it’s a biopic with the right people behind it. If there were a better director for this material than Jackass vet Jeff Tremaine it sure is hard to imagine who that might be. Then there’s the occasionally inspired casting, such as bringing on Iwan Rheon as Mick Mars, Colson Baker (aka MGK formerly known as Machine Gun Kelly) as Tommy Lee, and Breaking Bad‘s David Costabile as the band’s manager, Doc McGhee. It’s disappointing the movie didn’t try harder to show how Crüe’s ways hurt those around them, but it won’t disappoint those who hold a soft spot for glam metal.

2) Hold the Dark

Jeremy Saulnier’s Hold the Dark isn’t as compulsively compelling as his Rebel Ridge, but it deserves more credit than it’s received. It’s all too rare that we get a movie with Jeffrey Wright in the lead and, as one might expect, he doesn’t disappoint here.

But the true asset in Hold the Dark‘s corner is its capturing of the dangers in the Alaskan wilderness. Even better, it captures the dangers lurking in human nature. Some may find it slow, but it’s a slow burn worth that’s worth the viewer’s patience.

1) The Stranger

It may have Mission: Impossible franchise standout Sean Harris and the Star Wars franchise’s Joel Edgerton, but The Stranger seemed to come and go. And it’s strange because if Netflix consistently churns out excellent content of any genre, it’s the psychological thriller, and this is one of their best.

This is a movie to press play on if you love tour-de-force performances. However, be forewarned that it is thematically pitch black, and it rarely slips out of its atmospheric, hair-raising comfort zone.