Explore These 5 Hidden Gem Documentaries Currently Streaming on Netflix

With such a wide selection, it’s easy for some documentaries to remain unnoticed on Netflix. Though these films may not have garnered the widespread acclaim or popularity of more famous documentaries, and some even lack sufficient reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, they still present compelling and essential tales. From the criminal activities on Telegram to the miraculous rescue of children in Colombia, these lesser-known Netflix documentaries deserve attention.

One such hidden gem is “Into the Deep: The Submarine Murder Case,” a Danish documentary that originally set out to profile inventor Peter Madsen, who was renowned for his personal submarine and rocket-building ambitions. The narrative took a dramatic turn when journalist Kim Wall embarked on the submarine with Madsen and failed to return. Initially, with both Madsen and Wall missing, concerns centered around a potential submarine mishap. But when Madsen reappeared without Wall, suspicions began to mount.

“Into the Deep” was released on Netflix in 2022, following its debut at the Sundance Film Festival two years earlier. The documentary underwent re-editing as certain interviewees requested their removal. Although it might not be classified among the most unsettling true-crime documentaries, “Into the Deep: The Submarine Murder Case” has received critical acclaim, achieving a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes.

What began as a movie about engineering and invention turns into a gripping crime documentary. Director Emma Sullivan expertly moves back and forth between footage of Madsen captured before Wall’s disappearance, and the aftermath consisting of interviews with Madsen’s employees. Their opinion steadily changes, though there’s initially apprehension as to what happened due to the ever-changing nature of Madsen’s stories.

“Into the Deep” released on Netflix in 2022, two years after its Sundance Film Festival debut. The documentary required some re-editing, as some individuals who were interviewed later wanted their likeness removed. Even it isn’t among the most disturbing true crime documentaries of all time, “Into the Deep: The Submarine Murder Case” is nevertheless an acclaimed effort, boasting a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.

There have been plenty of documentaries about the bitcoin boom, but “Biggest Heist Ever” shows a different side to the cryptocurrency market. Dubbed the “Bonnie and Clyde of bitcoin,” Heather “Razzlekhan” Morgan and Ilya Lichtenstein were arrested for stealing bitcoin with the intent to launder the money.

“Biggest Heist Ever” gives an inside look into the pair’s life, and how, despite having successful tech careers, they had bigger aspirations. They’re multi-faceted people and not what you might picture when you think of someone hacking into a bitcoin exchange. The story feels outlandish, but also rooted in a reality that feels in line with the lengths people are willing to go to in today’s world — and it’s because you get to know Morgan and Lichtenstein as people.

While the case made headlines at the time, the project itself didn’t receive much fanfare. Like some other underrated documentaries, it does not have a Rotten Tomatoes score. Nevertheless, critics highlighted how well-rounded the documentary captured Morgan and Lichtenstein’s lives. “Heather’s rapper alter ego and outlandish social media content make the pair seem like extremely unlikely criminals,” Tyler Doupe’ wrote for Dread Central. “But the more we learn about each of them, the more things fall into place.”

“Cyber Hell: Exposing an Internet Horror” explores the investigation of “Nth rooms” on Telegram by journalists in South Korea. Led by online user Godgod, the “Nth rooms” consisted of eight Telegram chat rooms where explicit content from young women and girls was sold to users in a subscription model. The documentary chronicles the case and the legal aftermath that followed.

“Cyber Hell” focuses on how the sexual exploitation of women continues online, with victims being tricked into chat rooms to gather their personal information and then extorted into sending explicit content under the guise of helping their modeling careers. It shows how easily people can be tricked, even in a world that preaches internet safety — but also how abusers will go to any means necessary to exploit their victims.

With an 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, “Cyber Hell” is a distressing documentary not because of its content, but because how often these scenarios happen. “This control and oppression of women is sadly nothing new and is something that will continue as the threat to women is still widespread and extreme,” Romey Norton wrote for Ready Steady Cut, calling the movie “an interesting and frustrating watch.”

Chef Graham Hornigold believes he has unlocked a part of his past when someone claiming to be his biological mother reaches out via email. What starts is extravagant love bombing in the form of luxury cars and trips, only for the mother to reveal a terminal cancer diagnosis and begin requesting money from her son.

“Con Mum” is the ultimate email scam. While we’re often told to watch out for predators in our inbox, you wouldn’t think someone would reach out pretending to be your parent. In an era where its easier to access your genetic family tree than ever, it seems pointless to try. What’s even worse is when you realize the scam is happening, but find out that its much darker than you imagined. The third act twist takes the documentary from a simple film about scamming in the 21st century to a story about family, trust, and emotional manipulation.

“Con Mum” received praise for how well the project depicts the scam’s damage on Hornigold’s life, and how heartbroken it leaves audiences feeling.

In 2023, a small plane crashed in the Colombian jungles. Four children, the oldest being 13, survived, while all three adults died, leaving them alone. “The Lost Children” follows the search for the kids, who were successfully rescued after 40 days, and the cooperation it required.

Many different searches were happening at the same time for the children. The Colombian military began looking for the plane after receiving a distress call from the pilot. Local Indigenous peoples and other volunteers joined the search, despite the general uneasiness of working with the military because of the country’s political climate. While the military had more resources and trained personnel, the Indigenous peoples were more familiar with the land, and their combined knowledge helped save the kids.

“The Lost Children” shows the importance of working together for the greater good, especially when, after the wreckage was found, the children weren’t there. Critics have praised the strength of this theme. The Guardian’s Cath Clarke wrote that the documentary “is a valuable reminder about the power of coming together,” calling it “an extraordinary story.”