February is winding down, but there are still a few more weeks of winter ahead before the temperatures start to rise. And frankly, wouldn’t you rather stay at home where it’s warm than go outside in the cold? If so, Netflix has you covered with a wide variety of underrated movies that are perfect to watch for the winter. Some of these movies may even make you question the need to ever travel again!
Our picks include a real-life tale of survival, a serial killer thriller, a horror story, a Quentin Tarantino film, and an unexpected sci-fi/action flick. We tried to find something for everyone with these films, but if you need more options then you can always check out our list of the best movies on Netflix right now.
Society of the Snow (2024)
Don’t let the name of Society of the Snow fool you into thinking that this is some kind of lighthearted winter story. This is a modern retelling of the infamous 1972 crash of Uruguayan Air Force flight 571 that was previously dramatized in the 1993 film Alive. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom director J. A. Bayona adds a greater sense of urgency and reality to the new film. And if you don’t know who lived and who died, then the tension is even more intense.
Only 33 of the passengers survived the initial crash, and just under half of that number made it off the mountain with their lives. The reason this story is still widely remembered with vivid detail is because the survivors took drastic steps to stay alive in the frigid temperatures. It’s only an unthinkable solution until there are no other options.
Watch Society of the Snow on Netflix.
The Snowman
Michael Fassbender and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One‘s Rebecca Ferguson headline The Snowman, and it’s about as far from Frosty the Snowman as possible. Detective Harry Hole (Fassbender) is struggling with his personal life when he meets investigator Katrine Bratt (Ferguson), a recent recruit to the Norwegian Police Service who enlists his help in uncovering a series of missing persons cases dating back several years.
However, someone started sending enigmatic messages to Harry even before he met Katrine. Now that Harry and Katrine are on the trail of a serial killer, the games can really begin. And the Snowman earns his nickname from the way that he displays the bodies of his victims while leaving taunting notes for Harry to find.
Watch The Snowman on Netflix.
30 Days of Night (2007)
Based on a comic book by Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith, 30 Days of Night asks an intriguing question: What would happen if vampires came to Alaska in a part of the state that is stuck in perpetual darkness for a month? The residents of Barrow, Alaska, find out the hard way as Marlow (Danny Huston) leads his fellow vampires to feast on the townspeople.
Sheriff Eben Oleson (Oppenheimer‘s Josh Hartnett) and his wife, Stella Oleson (Melissa George), are completely overmatched by the vampires. And the number of human survivors is dwindling by the day. If Eben can’t find a way to strike back, then there won’t be anyone left alive to tell the story of what happened to Barrow.
Watch 30 Days of Nights on Netflix.
The Hateful Eight (2017)
Quentin Tarantino ratchets up the tension in The Hateful Eight, which easily ranks among his best movies. Over a decade after the Civil War, bounty hunter John “The Hangman” Ruth (Kurt Russell) is attempting to bring “Crazy” Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh) to justice when he encounters fellow bounty hunter Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson) and Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins), the new sheriff of Red Rock.
Although Ruth is wary about his new travel companions, a harsh blizzard forces all of them to seek shelter at Minnie’s Haberdashery among strangers, some of whom hold grudges against the new arrivals. There’s not much trust between any of them, especially when someone poisons the coffee. From there, all Hell breaks loose.
Watch The Hateful Eight on Netflix.
Snowpiercer (2013)
While we’re waiting for winter to end, Snowpiercer takes place in a world where it will always be cold. An attempt to solve climate change and global warming resulted in permanent winter, and the few surviving members of humanity are forced to live on a train that is constantly moving across the globe. Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho (Parasite) made his English-language debut with this film, which features Chris Evans as Curtis Everett.
Because the rich and powerful live in luxury at the front of the train, Curtis and the people in the back are barely surviving in dire conditions. But once Curtis and his allies realize that the guards no longer have the ammunition to keep them in line, the battle for Snowpiercer begins — and this revolution is going to be bloody.
Watch Snowpiercer on Netflix.
