Netflix has been leading the way in streaming since its inception in 1997. As soon as it took its services online, many companies followed suit, but Netflix reigns supreme with over 300 million subscribers worldwide. Every year, the streaming giant releases a plethora of original movies and TV shows. However, older movies and series also get broad exposure as well.
While there is no set schedule, movies are added to Netflix weekly. As well as competing with the likes of Prime Video and Disney+ for the hottest films, Netflix also show love to movies that didn’t land with audiences at the cinema. To that, many forgotten and underrated pictures manage to find a second audience. So, here are 5 movies that got a second wind on Netflix.
5. ’71 (2014)
2014 was a huge year for British actor Jack O’Connell. First off, he landed his first-ever leading role in a Hollywood movie with Angelina Jolie‘s Unbroken. Prior to this, he was well-known in the UK for his role as James Cook in the popular teen series, Skins. His role in Unbroken was piggybacked by a leading role in the British indie war drama, ’71.
Starring as Gary Hook, O’Connell delivers a quiet and understated performance as a soldier who is stranded by his unit during a riot in the deadly streets of Belfast. Set during one anxiety-ridden evening, ’71 is relentless in its pace and blends action with poignant historical explorations. While the film was met with critical praise, including two BAFTA nominations, it only grossed $3,062,178 worldwide. However, it became available on Netflix in 2023 and has now returned in 2025. O’Connell is poised to have one of the biggest years of his career in 2025, starring in Sinners and 28 Years Later. His growing appeal has undoubtedly led many to backtrace his filmography, in turn giving ’71 a well-deserved second lease of life.
4. Deep Impact (1998)
Deep Impact was released in 1998 when disaster movies were booming thanks to likes of Dante’s Peak, Volcano, and Twister. However, this movie had much more of a sci-fi spin thrown on it. The plot follows the lives of a journalist, a high-school student and many government officials as they face the threat of a comet that is heading towards earth at rapid speed. Despite a stacked cast including Morgan Freeman, Téa Leoni, Robert Duvall, Jon Favreau, Elijah Wood, and Vanessa Redgrave, the movie was heavily slated by critics. However, it made quite the stomp at the box office, grossing over $379 million against a reported budget of $80 million.
Deep Impact was overshadowed by its predecessors and then further cast aside by many movies that came after in the ever-growing disaster genre boom. Projects got much larger when filmmakers like Michael Bay (Armageddon, Pearl Harbor) stepped into the game. Yet, in 2023, Deep Impact found a second audience when it landed on Netflix and charted in 20 countries. This new lease was perhaps due to the disaster genre starting to resurface from movies like Greenland and Deepwater Horizon, two disaster films that performed exceptionally well on streaming platforms.
3. Horsemen (2009)
Dennis Quaid was one of the biggest stars of the late 80s and early 90s but wavered in the 2000s. So, when Horsemen was released in 2009, he didn’t possess enough might to draw in a large crowd at the box office. This mystery thriller had echoes of David Fincher‘s classic Se7en, however, it only brought in $2,405,815 worldwide against a significant budget of $20 million, making it a disastrous flop.
Over the past decade, Netflix has often shined in the murder mystery genre, both in TV and film. Documentaries like Making a Murderer and TV series like Mindhunter have invoked people’s morbid curiosity, leading to a growing fascination with the dark and disturbing world of killers. Horsemen landed on Netflix during the height of this genre resonance, capturing the attention of subscribers across the globe. As a result, 16 different countries had the movie in their top 10 list. The plot follows a recently widowed detective whose investigation into a series of murders leads him down a path that uncovers connections between the murders and the Biblical prophecies of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
2. The Losers (2010)
The 2010 action film The Losers may have only grossed a lukewarm $29 million at the box office upon release, but it stands as a film that experienced a remarkable resurgence of interest on Netflix, a phenomenon arguably fueled by the meteoric rise of Marvel movies and the comic book genre’s newfound dominance in pop culture. While The Losers may be one of the more obscure modern adaptations of a DC comic -drawing inspiration from an early 2000s Vertigo series by Andy Diggle – it flaunts an impressive cast that includes Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana, Idris Elba, and Chris Evans, all of whom have since become major stars in their own right.
This dynamic lineup may well be a contributing factor to the film’s unexpected success on the streaming platform, as viewers are drawn to the familiar faces of these future mega-stars. When it made its way to Netflix, The Losers appeared in the top ten lists of nine countries, including Australia, Indonesia, and New Zealand, demonstrating that sometimes, hidden gems from the past can shine brightly in the present, especially when re-contextualized within today’s superhero landscape. While not a superhero movie, this comic book adaptation has a superhero feel to it, making it easy to appeal to today’s lovers of over-the-top yet stylish action.
1. Without a Paddle (2004)
Coming-of-age movies have enthralled audiences for decades, with classics like Stand By Me and Sixteen Candles truly standing the test of time. Another genre that has proven timeless is the road trip genre. Without a Paddle merges these two genres together in a light and playful way, resulting in a feel-good movie with some underlying heart. Only, this film is a coming-of-age movie focused on three adult friends who revisit their childhoods and escape the mundane aspects of adult life to carry out an unrealized dream. When their friend passes away, Jerry, Dan and Tom decide to go on a camping expedition for the lost D. B. Cooper bounty, but encounter many troubles along the way.
With three rising stars at the forefront – Seth Green, Matthew Lillard, and Dax Shepherd – Without a Paddle seemed set for major success. As with most zany comedies, it was not met with critical praise. However, it grossed a modest $73 million at the box office. Although it is not widely considered to be a classic comedy, it made quite the positive stir when it arrived on Netflix, landing on top 10 lists in different regions all around the world, including the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Oceania.
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