Known for their exclusive shows like Stranger Things and Wednesday, Netflix has produced some of the greatest TV projects of all of the 21st century. Their ratings are consistently unparalleled, but through all the popular shows that Netflix may produce, even more go unknown in the grand scheme of television.
While dozens of Netflix original shows could be deemed underrated, I've narrowed down 13 Netflix shows that most appropriately fit the bill.
Let's get the list started with a Netflix show canceled way too soon.
13. Santa Clarita Diet
Considering the star-studded cast attached to this wonderful horror-comedy, there's no telling how Santa Clarita Diet (2017-2019) ultimately came up short in the realm of popularity. Those who checked it out would live and die by its quality as Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant play a couple experiencing marital issues due to the wife's recent ailments.
Portrayed by Barrymore, the co-protagonist in Sheila Hammond has recently become a zombie, and her husband Joel stays by her side the entire, bizarre way through. Hilarious dialogue and perfect performances make Santa Clarita Diet essential Netflix viewing, and while it did run for three total seasons, there's no denying the lack of name value that's been attached hereto.
12. Kaleidoscope
Going down out of order, the episodes of Kaleidoscope (2023) can be viewed at one’s leisure, holding up on their own as individual stories while ultimately coming together to make a greater whole, one that revolves around a heist gone astray. Great plot, but here’s the twist: While every viewer will end with the same episode, they begin at different points within the heist’s timeline.
Each episode title is the name of a color that’s followed by a parenthetical—such as Yellow (6 Weeks Before the Heist) or Violet (24 Years Before the Heist)—leaving viewers to piece the plot points together themselves. Unique experience from Eric Garcia, an underrated creative who typically works as an author. He displays his showrunning prowess here with the Netflix anthology.
11. Brigands: The Quest for Gold
The first of a few period pieces to be featured on the list, Brigands: The Quest for Gold (2024) is an Italian production that went sorely beneath the radar of general household prominence. It centers on a woman in nineteenth-century Italy who forms a band of renegades, this protagonist being played by talented Italian actress Michela De Rossi.
Thanks to wonderful shot value and keen tactics of editing, Brigands: The Quest for Gold is a true visual spectacle, and its story holds up for each of its six episodes. Performances could also be mentioned, but either way, this unsung Italian show deserved far more love from Netflix users when it came out in 2024.
10. Long Story Short
One of two animated series to be featured among the list, Long Story Short should without a doubt resonate with fans of modern comedy television. Its first season aired last year in 2025, while the second series of episodes have been slated to premiere in 2026.
Overlapping dialogue and over-the-top plot points render Long Story Short a consistently hilarious adventure, one that's brought to life by several talented performers. That includes Ben Feldman, Angelique Cabral, and Abbi Jacobson as members of the Schwoopers, a Jewish family of middle-class civilians who lead Long Story Short into sheer animation glory.
9. The Watcher
Despite a lukewarm response from critics, fans were generally on high on The Watcher (2022), a Netflix exclusive thriller that stars Bobby Cannavale and Naomi Watts. They play a married couple who move into a new home that's located in New Jersey, and while their dreams seem to be coming true on the surface, letters materialize from someone named "The Watcher" and quickly disrupt their plans.
Based on a 2018 article that was published on The Cut, this unsung Netflix thriller features an alluring plot that will keep the viewer guessing, and the strong story elements are consistently bolstered by a talented, star-studded cast.
8. The Woods
With an unfortunate dearth of name value, The Woods (2021) deserved more love from international audiences, but considering it's a Polish-language production, it does make sense as to why not many viewers know that it exists.
Adapted from a Harlan Coben novel that was penned in 2007, it revolves around the investigation of a murder that becomes linked with a case that took place twenty-five years prior. Thrilling stuff, and while The Woods may not have any actors that are bound to ring a bill, that shouldn't take away from their respective impressive efforts.
7. Marianne
Despite receiving widespread acclaim from critics and audiences alike, the French-language horror show Marianne flew beneath the radar of general household prominence when it was released in 2019.
It's a top-level show, one that incorporates hardcore elements of witchcraft and deals with hard-hitting themes from the pilot's earliest scenes. Despite being a freaky show with brilliant performances, Marianne was cancelled after a mere single season, and it thus remains among the most underrated original shows that Netflix has ever produced.
6. Deceitful Love
Romance fans would really be remiss if they skipped Deceitful Love, a 2024 series with Italian-language dialogue. It stars Monica Guerritore in tandem with Giacomo Gianniotti, a pair of renowned Italian performers who put forth valiant efforts here with Deceitful Love, which is based on a TV show from Britain that's actually titled Gold Digger.
Consisting of six episodes, Deceitful Love revolves around Guerritore's protagonist as she falls in love with a much younger man, the latter character being where Gianniotti comes into play. The performers share a wonderful rapport in a top-notch romance show, one that's deserving of far more love from a perspective of popularity.
5. The Get Down
Created by Baz Luhrmann and Stephen Adly Guirgis, a TV show called The Get Down consisted of a singular season before its abrupt cancellation. The episodes came out between 2016 and 2017, rendering The Get Down the earliest Netflix original to be featured on the list.
It's about a group of teenagers who traverse the booming hip-hop and disco scene of a 1970s New York City, specifically in the Bronx. It's a setting that comes to life through high production values and wonderful performances, with The Get Down hitting home around every corner of production.
It's a shame it was cancelled, but perhaps the greatest injustice to the committed cast and crew is that the show remains unknown even a decade later. Here's hoping The Get Down collects the devout cult following it so rightfully deserves.
4. Caught
Another adaptation of Harlan Coben's work, Caught (2025), is an Argentine production that stars Soledad Villamil as a journalist by the name of Ema Garay. She takes on a case involving a sixteen-year-old girl, but circumstances are complicated by the prime suspect being someone who's respected among their community.
Replete with gorgeous shot value and some world-class performances, Caught will hold your attention for multifarious reasons. Despite this quality and its tandem acclaim from critics, the Harlan Coben adaptation at hand is entirely underrated, easily deserving to be known among the unsung Netflix exclusives.
3. American Vandal
Mockumentaries don't get much funnier than American Vandal (2017-2018) on Netflix, which stars Tyler Alvarez as protagonist Peter Maldonado, a high school student who created the titular documentary series for which the series draws its name.
Poking fun at true-crime documentaries, American Vandal kicks off when high school senior Dylan Maxwell is pinpointed as the prime suspect of a prank that sparked widespread dissension. Hilarious moments will be left for the viewers to indulge in, as American Vandal remains among the freshest TV experiences in all of the twenty-first century.
2. Song of the Bandits
While some shows such as Squid Game (2021-2025) have garnered household name value, most of the Netflix productions with South Korean dialogue have flown beneath the radar of international prominence. Perhaps the most underrated is Song of the Bandits (2023), another period piece.
Packed with action in each well-paced episode, Song of the Bandits is set during the Japanese occupation of South Korea, revolving around a group of mercenaries who gather to guard their country. With emotional performances and high production value, Song of the Bandits (2023) should be considered a staple show among the exclusive Netflix library.
1. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off
Based on a graphic novel series that was created by Bryan Lee O'Malley, the animated Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (2023) represents the fourth medium in which the titular, iconic comic book character has been prominently portrayed. First, we had Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), and released in tandem was a video game spinoff that was well beloved by fans.
Now portrayed on television, Scott Pilgrim comes to life through the voice of Michael Cera, the same American performer who played the comic book character in the 2010 film. Several other cast members therefrom, like Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Kieran Culkin, reprise their respective roles as Ramona Flowers and Wallace Wells, while also among the voice cast is the famous Chris Evans.
Hilarious through and through, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off was even more obscure than its feature-length counterpart. Several of the Netflix animated shows could have taken this spot on the list, but considering its quality and tandem lack of name value, the Scott Pilgrim show should undoubtedly take the cake.