7 Bird Box

Bird Box is as gripping as it is stressful. Pitting a blindfolded mother and her two children against seemingly formless Lovecraftian creatures that, if you see them, you kill yourself, is panic-inducing enough and, honestly, not far off from how it feels to worry as a parent. It makes for a compelling story, especially when you consider that, in an apocalyptic world so full of loss, Malorie (Sandra Bullock) distances herself from her children by calling them Boy and Girl. By the end, however, she finally and truly connects with them, giving them real names, after their perilous journey to find a sanctuary for survivors.

Therein lies the source for a sequel: trust in this new world has been completely rewritten. Although Malorie and her children are safe, how do you trust people moving forward? What's going to happen to them? It wasn't long before a complete stranger forced survivors to "see" the creatures. If The Walking Dead is any indication, people can be just as bad as zombies or invisible creatures. I don't want to just see humanity learning to adapt beyond blindfolds and caged birds, but how they redefine their close relationships.

6 They Cloned Tyrone

They Cloned Tyrone isn't subtle with its commentary on the myriad forces working against Black Americans. When Fontaine (John Boyega), Yo-Yo (Teyona Parris), and Slick Charles (Jamie Foxx) discover an underground government operation that's cloning residents of their neighborhood, including Fontaine, for nefarious reasons, things get crazy. It is a movie that brings attention to oppression and its systemic roots, and the trio eventually uncovers the national plot to whitewash Black people across the country.

They Cloned Tyrone is perfectly poised for a sequel, with the group set on bringing down the whole operation, especially after it's revealed Fontaine has yet another clone named Tyrone in California. There's also more that can be explored with the struggles and exploitation of minorities. The movie missed an opportunity to delve deeper into the practice of redlining, as well as how having very little wealth and opportunity can affect generations.

5 Leave the World Behind

Leave the World Behind wants you to think about its social commentary and really chew on it, which is wrapped in two families slowly breaking down amidst the start of an apocalyptic world. It leaves bare the problems of today’s disinformation, escapism, social media, and the dangers of power in the hands of a select few. It shows just how easy it is to disrupt and throw the delicate systems of the modern world into chaos.

Now, the movie is focused more on the interpersonal effects of an event. People are quick to judge, like Amanda (Julia Roberts) unwilling to trust Ruth (Myha'la) and G.H. Scott (Mahershala Ali), Danny’s (Kevin Bacon) selfish attitude towards helping only himself, or Clay’s (Ethan Hawke) overly friendly demeanor potentially putting them in danger. Since Leave the World Behind is the start of an apocalypse, those kinds of themes can stretch comfortably into a sequel. I’d like to see commentary on one person with overwhelming power in this new world.

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4 I Am Mother

The philosophy on display in I Am Mother is the through line of the movie. Having an AI robot (voiced by Rose Byrne) with an understanding of ethics trying to shepherd the next generation of humanity is also an engaging idea, like a reverse Skynet (although, technically, Mother caused the extinction). The movie is very clear with its messaging, too: humanity cannot thrive unless we cooperate. Daughter (Hilary Swank) internalizes that message to share with the next generation.

I Am Mother ends with the door wide open for the conversation to continue because there's more to it than that. Yes, humanity must care for one another, but the movie doesn't answer what that would look like and how it would be done. More importantly, how would humanity go about preventing this in the future?​​​​​​​

3 Okja

When young Mija's (An Seo Hyun) beloved genetically designed pet super pig is destined to be slaughtered by a heartless multinational corporation, she embarks on an epic adventure to save her. Sound familiar? But this isn't Charlotte's Web, this is Okja. From director Bong Joon-ho (Parasite, Mickey 17), Okja is the vehicle for a deeper meaning, this one being anti-capitalism. The relationship between Mija and Okja is the purpose of the film—her love for Okja and being one with nature—as Mija teams up with the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) and its leader Jay (Paul Dano) to take down Lucy Mirando (Tilda Swinton) and her morally questionable company.

Obviously, Mija and Okja make it. But in a sequel, I'd like to see this kind of messaging explored even more, on a global level. Okja is a more localized story, a critique of how humanity exploits nature for the sake of profit. The destruction of wildlife in and of itself is tied to global warming, so the door to a sequel is there. At the end of Okja, Jay is still hot on the trail of Mirando Corporation, and there was even a baby super pig at the end of the movie that could be tied to the next chapter.

2 Klaus

My heart isn't made of ice. I like a good Christmas movie. Jim Carrey's take on the Grinch is on my watch list every year. Klaus creates a wonderful mythos for Santa by rewinding the clock on the story and starting at the beginning. Klaus is an origin story, combined with an art style that looks and feels like a classic Disney movie.

With how Klaus (voiced by J.K. Simmons) and Jesper (voiced by Jason Schwartzman) work together to make and deliver gifts, there is an opportunity for a sequel. Like Okja's, the theme of doing good for the sake of goodness is mostly localized. What Klaus was missing is how those acts of kindness can stretch continents. That would drive home the message of family and love and thoughtfulness is the meaning of Christmas, not the gifts themselves.

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1 Wendell & Wild

​​​​​​​Wendell & Wild was, well, wild and fun! Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key being mischievous demons, Wild and Wendell respectively, reminded me so much of Pain and Panic from Disney's Hercules. Antagonists in the technical sense, but ultimately harmless. And Kat (voiced by Lyric Ross), our protagonist, struggling with the death of her parents and getting mixed up with the wrong crowd, is textbook self-destruction. As a bonus, the representation on-display goes a long way in making a diverse cast of characters.

With the movie touching are some tough subjects like grief and guilt and aimed at adolescents, having a sequel that leans into the struggles of becoming an adult would be my wish. It needs to keep that punk-rock vibe, though. The anti-corporate layer is integral to the movie, as is its inclusiveness.

Too much of a good thing is bad, I know, but these Netflix original movies were too good not to get a second helping, especially if the original crew is at work. Maybe then I'd shut up about Kaos getting canceled. No promises.

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Even if we never get sequels, these originals are available to stream on Netflix, along with plenty more licensed and exclusive shows and movies.

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