Five underrated Netflix shows that will emotionally ruin you
There are shows that break your heart in loud, dramatic ways. Then there are Netflix shows that do it quietly. A mother cleaning houses to survive. A teenager trying to be believed. A woman smiling on stage while she falls apart inside. These stories do not feel like fiction. They feel like emotional bruises you carry for days.
The five shows here never topped the charts. They were not trending for weeks. But if you give them a chance, they will stay with you long after the credits roll. They tell stories that feel too close to real life. Stories that are hard to watch but impossible to ignore.
Each of them shows people who are barely holding it together. There is no big music moment or sweeping monologue. Just loneliness, quiet pain, and choices that never feel easy. You do not watch these shows for comfort. You watch them because they make you feel something real.
If you are ready to be wrecked and weirdly grateful for it, queue up these five hidden gems that sit quietly on Netflix, waiting to ruin your day in the best possible way.
Five underrated Netflix shows that will emotionally ruin you
Maid (Multiple directors, 2021)
Maid does not glamorise struggle. It throws you right into it. A young mother runs from abuse with her toddler, hoping for safety and finding a broken system. She starts working as a cleaner while trying to keep custody of her child, her sanity, and her future. Margaret Qualley gives a performance that feels completely real.
This show is not built for casual viewing. It pulls you into every low moment. Each time Alex finds a bit of peace, something knocks her down again. But nothing feels exaggerated. It just shows how hard survival can be when no one is really helping. Maid is honest, exhausting, and quietly unforgettable.
Unbelievable (Multiple directors, 2019)
Unbelievable is based on a true story. A teenage girl reports being raped, but no one believes her. She is called a liar and a drama queen and eventually charged for wasting police time. The story cuts between her pain and the work of two women detectives solving a similar case years later.
The heartbreak comes not just from what happened to her but also from how easily she is ignored. Kaitlyn Dever plays the lead with raw honesty. Her silence says more than most characters’ long speeches. There is no big revenge, no victory lap, just damage, disbelief, and a small moment of justice that comes too late.
Seven Seconds (Multiple directors, 2018)
Seven Seconds begins with the death of a Black teenager. A police cover-up follows, and a mother is left to grieve in public while fighting for answers. Regina King plays that mother, and she turns the whole show into something deeply human and painful.
This is not a twist-heavy drama. It is slow, heavy, and full of silence. It shows how pain lingers in daily life and how injustice wears people down. There are points in the show where you will feel hopeless. Seven Seconds makes sure you do not walk away from it feeling satisfied. You walk away angry and heartbroken, because everything about it feels like it could happen again tomorrow.
Thicker Than Water (Multiple directors, 2023)
This French series follows a journalist who gets pulled into her brother’s world of crime. She is trying to keep her family together while hiding what she has done. At first, it looks like a thriller. But it quickly becomes a story about loyalty, pressure, and how far you will go for people you love.
The characters are all messy and real. There are no easy choices. Everyone is lying to someone, including themselves. And that is what makes it so emotional. You might not always agree with what they do, but you feel the weight of every choice. The damage is not just legal. It is personal.
Feel Good (Ally Pankiw and Luke Snellin, 2020–2021)
Feel Good starts with a love story, but it is not a romantic comedy. Mae, a stand-up comic, falls hard and fast for someone new. Underneath the charm is a lot of pain, addiction, shame, family trauma, and the fear of being too much for someone to love.
What makes this Netflix show special is how honest it is. The humour never hides the emotion. In one scene, you are laughing at Mae’s awkward timing. In the next, you are watching them fall apart. It is tender, smart, and brutally relatable. You will smile through tears, and by the end, you will want to hug someone, or maybe yourself.