15 Best Netflix Original Movies You Probably Missed

11. Imperial Dreams

Imperial Dreams John Boyega
Netflix

The Plot: Upon being released from prison, 21-year-old Bambi (John Boyega) looks to make the most of his fresh start, seeking to get back to work and provide for his young son. However, he uniformly finds the deck stacked against him at every turn.

Imperial Dreams was actually shot several years before Star Wars: The Force Awakens was released, premiering at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival but only being scooped up and released by Netflix this past February.

It's a shame, because Malik Vitthal's drama is a deeply felt, tragic and often straight-up feel-bad look at the limitations placed on former felons making a genuine attempt to turn their lives around.

A breezy chamber piece of a film that sells itself on Boyega's exceptional performance, the drama also skirts around genre cliches and makes it easy to root for Bambi on his quest for a better life.

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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.