It’s been a very busy start to 2020. In fact, it’s one of the busiest ever and with the amount of new Netflix Originals flooding onto the platform, there’s no doubt going to be a few that slip through the net. Here, we’ll be taking you through five Netflix Originals we think have gone criminally missed out by the masses.
So far in 2020 (as of June 21st), Netflix has added 332 Originals to the service hence the need for lists like these to sift through the weeds and find the true gems.
As always, you can find more recommendations on what to watch on Netflix from our various guides found on What’s on Netflix.
Now, let’s get into five Originals you may have passed up so far this year.
Giri/Haji (Season 1)
Type: TV Series
Often when Netflix does a co-production with the BBC the results are great. We’ve seen that to be the case with the likes of Bodyguard and Peaky Blinders but one mini-series that arrived in early 2020 has gone criminally under looked.
Giri/Haji is a co-production with a Japanese/British storyline involved a detective from Tokyo coming to the United Kingdom to search for his missing brother.
The series will have you second-guessing as it truly is one of the most unique pieces of crime drama we’ve seen in ages.
Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts (Seasons 1-2)
Type: TV Series
Despite getting a large YouTube view count (2.3M at last count) this series seems to go overlooked and is, in fact, not only one of the best-animated kids series Dreamworks has made for Netflix, it may easily be the best Netflix Original kids series to date.
Featuring a wide range of characters and a truly original setting, the two seasons released thus far are perfect for a wide age range, not just for the younger ones.
The series follows a young girl who is exploring a post-apocalyptic world where everyone has turned into strange talking monsters.
The Coldest Game (2019)
Type: Movie
Part of the reason most have passed this Bill Pullman flick up is the fact it was so under-promoted when it released. That’s still the case to this day with Netflix not even doing the bare minimum of uploading a trailer to YouTube.
Despite this, we hope you give it a chance as it’s a tense historical drama set during the Cuban missile crisis. Bill plays the role of Joshua Manskey who is drafted to play in competitive chess which has multiple layers to it involving the crisis at the time and growing tensions between the USA and the Soviet Union.
Medici (Seasons 1-3)
Type: TV Series
All three seasons of this fantastic historical co-production with Rai from Italy is often overlooked despite featuring some excellent talent throughout the years and compelling storylines.
Season 3 arrived on Netflix in May 2020 and represents the final chapter in the Medici series on Netflix meaning if you’re a completionist, you can now go from start to finish in a single sitting.
The series basically Game of Thrones without the action. So if you loved the earlier seasons’ political drama, this will fill that void to a tee. It’s set in the 15th century and each season tells a new story with a new set of characters.
Drifting DragonsType: Series
Netflix picks up loads of anime every year and its no surprise some gets forgotten about. One of the best new anime series of the year (and this is coming from someone who doesn’t particularly enjoy anime series) is Drifting Dragons.
Twelve episodes in total were added to Netflix earlier in the year with more likely on the way. The series follows a crew of an airship whose job is to hunt down mystical dragons. It’s beautifully animated and seems to have gone completely unnoticed as demonstrated by the fact it only garnered a couple of hundred reviews on IMDb.
And there you have it, our top five underrated gems added to Netflix so far in 2020. Have we missed one you think should be on the list? Let us know in the comments.
