As the year draws to a close, you’ll see plenty of best-of lists around the net looking at some of Netflix’s best content for the year. While the major tentpoles will undoubtedly get picked, we wanted to pick out five underappreciated hidden gems added to the service in 2022.
Speaking of best-of lists, we recently published our favorite movies of the year and the best K-dramas, with more to come.
Lost Ollie (Limited Series)
Picture: Netflix
The beautifully put-together and tear-jerking mini-series Lost Ollie is easily taking the top spot on this list given that it sadly didn’t make any major top 10s on Netflix worldwide.
Produced by Shawn Levy’s 21 Laps Entertainment and the LucasFilm-owned Industrial Light & Magic, the story revolves around a small damaged bunny going to extreme lengths to return to his owner.
Solid voice performances from Tim Blake Nelson, Mary J. Blige, and Jonathan Groff enhance the incredible visuals and will only run you under four hours in total.
It’s a perfect watch for the entire family, and we cannot recommend it enough.
Mo (Season 1)
Picture: Netflix / A24 Television
Netflix has had a rough time as of late with its comedy slate. Either things aren’t hitting the mark, breaking through, or comedy “just isn’t funny anymore”. As we’ve covered, not a single new comedy series Netflix launched in 2022 has been renewed yet and Mo being included in that roster is a tragedy.
Mo Amer creates and stars in the series that has a lot to balance but executes the more somber themes and comedy perfectly for a genuinely funny series full of heart.
Sadly, after only briefly appearing in Netflix’s top 10s globally, a season 2 is looking unlikely with the creator and main star himself being unsure of the show’s future.
The Sound of Magic
Picture: Netflix
Following the explosion in popularity for Korean series on Netflix following Squid Game, you’d have thought a big-budget fantasy series like The Sound of Magic would break through, but it sadly didn’t.
Full of special effects and magic, the series (also known as Annarasumanara) is about a young high school girl who meets a mysterious magician at a carnival, she decides to follow her dream of becoming one herself.
It scored well with critics and audiences that have seen it but sadly just didn’t get into the mainstream.
Munich – The Edge of War
Picture: Netflix
Perhaps its a function of time (the movie premiered in January 2022) or the fact that All Quiet on the Western Front really has taken all the glory when it comes to historical movie dramas for the year but we think Munich – The Edge of War deserved a bigger chunk of viewership than it ultimately did.
The German-British period spy thriller starring Jeremy Irons and George MacKay told the story of WW2 in a way that’s rarely seen, the days and weeks leading to the most devastating war the world has seen. It weaves a great narrative and thanks to superb performances, it’s stayed with me the entire year.
Super Giant Robot Brothers
Super Giant Robot Brothers – Picture: Netflix
Netflix is increasingly looking towards established IP when it comes to its slate of animated movies and series, leaving original stories to fight for any remaining spots on the roster.
One of the original series that was released in Netflix’s kid’s lineup in 2022 that didn’t get nearly enough attention was Super Giant Robot Brothers.
Created by Víctor Maldonado and Alfredo Torres, the beautifully animated title is about two giant robots discovering that they will have to team up and fight against intergalactic evil threatening Earth’s very survival.
It’s simplistic in nature but that makes it all the more effective with its easy-to-follow story and engaging characters.
Ten episodes were released as part of the first season, and it’s unclear at the time of publishing whether more are on the way.
That’s our picks of the best-hidden gems of 2022; what are yours? Let us know in the comments down below.
