As someone who spends a lot of time endlessly scrolling through Netflix, there are definitely some hidden gems in the depths of the red-and-black rabbit hole. If you look hard enough, you are sure to encounter some of these diamonds in the rough!
TV Shows
Riverdale (2017)
Genre: Thriller
Length: 7 seasons
Starring: Cole Sprouse, Camila Mendes
Want something that blends coming-of-age, romance, and mystery? Riverdale sounds like the perfect show for you! This binge-worthy thriller kicks off with a mysterious murder that exposes some of a seemingly-perfect town’s darkest secrets. The show follows Archie Andrews and his friends, Betty Cooper, Jughead Jones, and Veronica Lodge as they try to save their beloved town from crime, cults, and corrupt board games.
Kim’s Convenience (2016)
Genre: Sitcom
Length: 5 seasons
Starring: Simu Liu
Kim’s Convenience follows the hilarious ups and downs of the Kim family as they run their neighborhood convenience store in Toronto. Mr. and Mrs. Kim juggle store drama and crazy customers, while their kids, Janet and Jung, navigate work and relationships. Each episode mixes comedy with sweet familial moments.
Atypical (2017)
Genre: Drama
Length: 4 seasons
Starring: Keir Gilchrist
This drama focuses on Sam, a teenager on the autism spectrum, who decides he is ready for romance. To start dating, though, Sam must become less dependent on his family: his mother’s worst nightmare. His family navigates support groups and therapy to better understand Sam’s world. They also adjust to too much change with Sam’s newfound goal of romance, forcing both them and Sam to define what it means to be “normal.”
The Perfect Couple (2024)
Genre: Drama/Thriller/Mystery
Length: 1 season
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Meghann Fahy
The Perfect Couple, a romance-turned-murder mystery, will keep you wanting more! When a body washes up on the shore of a Nantucket mansion, the Winbury family’s lavish wedding is cut short before it can even begin. Each person is brought in for questioning, and the affluent family’s secrets are revealed. With affairs, runaways, and suspicious wire transfers, everyone is a suspect.
Movies
Bride Wars (2009)
Genre: Rom-Com
Starring: Kate Hudson, Anne Hathaway, Chris Pratt
This classic 2000s rom-com centers on two best friends who, since they were little girls, have been planning every aspect of their future weddings. As adults, they get engaged around the same time and immediately launch into their planning. All seems to be going swimmingly until a clerical error causes a clash in wedding dates. The two discover just how far they will go to keep up with their lifelong dream of a perfect wedding, even if that means compromising their lifelong friendship.
In The Heights (2021)
Genre: Musical/Romance
Starring: Anthony Ramos, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Melissa Barrera, Leslie Grace, Corey Hawkins
Based on the Broadway hit musical, In the Heights is all about dreams. Set in Washington Heights, New York, the adapted movie-musical follows Usnavi de la Vega as he saves every penny for a trip back to his birthplace, the Dominican Republic. Viewers meet his friends, family, neighbors, and his abuela. This feel-good movie is sure to bring a smile to your face and will have you singing along in no time!
The Adam Project (2022)
Genre: Action/Sci-Fi
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Walker Scobell, Jennifer Garner, Zoe Saldaña, Mark Ruffalo
Time-traveling fighter pilot Adam Reed accidentally lands in 2022 and meets his 12-year-old self, who struggles with being bullied at school. The two team up in a fight to save the world from their father’s partner, whose invention of time travel threatens to destroy the future. On their adventure, they confront grief, school bullies, and their delicate relationship with their mother.
My Oxford Year (2025)
Genre: Romance/Drama
Starring: Sofia Carson, Corey Mylchreest
An ambitious American student travels to England to study at Oxford University and develops a deep connection with one of her professors. As their relationship intensifies, she begins to notice inconsistencies in his stories and that he rarely discusses his past. She finally uncovers his secret, and she realizes it’s one that is bound to change their lives forever.
Whether you’re craving a romance, a mystery, a comedy, or a sci-fi adventure, these titles prove that Netflix still has plenty of surprises. So the next time you start down that road of endless scrolling, let one of these gems be the thing that finally pulls you out of the rabbit hole! You might just find your next television obsession.
