The Best Cult Classic Films You Can Watch On Netflix Right Now

There are people out there who will try to convince you that Equilibrium is not a campy film. Do not heed them. Equilibrium delights in every nonsensical bit of its heavy-handed storytelling, but it's made all the better for it by its game cast and minimalist design. It also flew a bit under the radar on its release due to it being perceived as a bit of a knockoff of The Matrix. We think it fits perfectly into the "unknown, but shouldn't be" section of cult classics.

Here's the basic premise: the world is in a totalitarian lockdown, held in check by a ruling class that drugs the population. These drugs block people from feeling any emotion, while propaganda and a militaristic police force keep everyone in line. Christian Bale plays John Preston, an elite member of the police force who uses "gun kata" to take down dissidents without mercy. And gun kata? It's a special martial art that treats a firearm as an extension of the body.

It's bonkers, and has more than its share of ridiculously choreographed action sequences, more philosophical debates than you can shake a pistol at, and plenty of awesome sci-fi outfits. There's also a whole lotta Taye Diggs, and no one's complaining about that.

Somehow, Drive is still under a lot of radars. The movie got a lot of critical buzz upon its 2011 release, and even netted major award nominations (including an Oscar nod for sound editing). It's got a tremendous cast, a hotshot young director, and plenty of great action scenes. Even still, it remains relatively unknown except in die-hard film circles. That needs to change.

Drive is the story of an unnamed character played by Ryan Gosling. He is a Hollywood stunt driver by day and a getaway driver by night, and to say much more would ruin the tension that permeates every second of the film. Expect some amazing driving work and badass action scenes here.

Gosling is great in Drive, and the rest of the cast is equally impressive. The film also features Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Oscar Issac, Albert Brooks, Christina Hendricks, and Ron Perlman. It's also based on a book by James Sallis, so if you really want to dive into the lore, you can check that out as well.

If you want a cult classic that leans into the camp factor, you can't find a much better movie to watch than To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar. If the basic premise of "Three drag queens, played by Patrick Swayze(!), John Leguizamo(!!), and Wesley Snipes(!!!) go on a cross-country road trip, stopping in a small town for car repairs and helping organize a local festival" doesn't float your boat, you might want to look elsewhere.

The three are headed to a national drag queen pageant, snagging an autographed picture of Julie Newmar off of a restaurant wall for good luck. Unfortunately, their car breaks down in a small town, and much of the film's comedy comes from the three larger-than-life queens trying to fit in among a quiet, roadside community.

Despite the subject matter, To Wong Foo never really delves into anything too tasteless or falls far into the trap of "jokes that were acceptable in 1995 but aren't now." It's silly and relatively harmless, with a great nostalgia factor. Plus, Wesley Snipes in drag will never be not amazing.

If you can't tell from the name, everything about Killer Klowns from Outer Space screams "B-movie." The film was written and directed by the Chiodo Brothers, who are better known for creating elaborate practical effects and animation (like the puppets from Team America: World Police or Large Marge from Pee Wee's Big Adventure) than actually running an entire film. If you love B-horror movies, you don't want to miss this one.

The basic plot is that aliens crash land on Earth and set about terrorizing a small town, capturing, killing, and eating the inhabitants. The whole movie seemingly exists as a stage for the aliens to kill people in a variety of circus-themed ways. Because, you see, they all look like clowns... err, "klowns." People are killed by sentient balloon animals. They are encased in cotton candy. They are devoured by monstrous popcorn. It's completely bananas.

Killer Klowns from Outer Space seems like a movie made for a drinking game — just please be careful if you decide to play along. This is a movie that knows no limits to its insanity, and it's tacky in all the best ways.

The early 1990s were a rough time for horror, but we still got some gems out of it. One of the best is still 1992's Candyman, a film that is every bit as relevant today as it was when it first released. With a reboot/sequel on the way from director Nia DiCosta and producer Jordan Peele, there's no better time than now to catch up on the cult classic.

Candyman is about a graduate student named Helen who begins studying an urban legend surrounding a supernatural being known as the Candyman. Obviously, things get bloody when she discovers that the being isn't just a legend. As the Candyman begins a new killing spree, Helen and her friends have to find a way to stop him.

At its surface level, Candyman is a solid slasher with a few excellent actors — big shout out to Tony Todd's performance in this one. What really sets the film apart is its commentary on racial injustice and the legacy of racism in the United States. Candyman is a timely and gory good time for horror fans.

Can a movie that's less than a decade old already be a cult classic? We think so, and The Invitation has all the hallmarks of a movie that people will be talking about for years to come. We don't want to say too much about it; it's one of the movies where the less you know going in, the better. But the basic premise should give you some hints as to whether it'll float your boat.

The Invitation is about a man and his girlfriend going to a dinner party. The catch is this: it's being hosted by the man's ex-wife. The two had a son who tragically passed away, creating a wedge between them and ultimately leading to their divorce. A few other people are in attendance as well, but the awkward setup sets the stage for the film's terror. Is there actually something sinister going on, or are people just acting weird because this would be an uncomfortable situation? We'll give you a hint: whatever you think is happening... probably isn't.

The Invitation is probably the best film yet by underrated director Karyn Kusama, and it's definitely one you should watch. Preferably with someone else in the room.

The Witches was a movie that did poorly at the box office despite getting relatively strong reviews. Maybe it was the mistake of a perfect Halloween release coming out in late August, or maybe audiences weren't sure if it was a lighthearted kids' adventure story or a horror movie. Either way, people generally discovered the magic of this movie on home video.

The Witches is based on a Roald Dahl book of the same name, and is about a young boy named Luke who stumbles across a massive gathering of witches. The Grand High Witch, played by Anjelica Huston, has a plan to use her magic to transform thousands of children into mice. Luke has to rope in everyone he knows and use all his ingenuity to try to stop the Grand High Witch's plan and save the children of England.

Huston is in her prime in The Witches, vamping about and chewing scenery whenever she's on screen. It also features some seriously impressive effects work by the Jim Henson Company. Now is a perfect time to catch up on this 1990 cult classic, before the Anne Hathaway-starring remake from director Robert Zemeckis arrives.

One of the joys of the post-John Wick Keanussaince is going back and watching some of his old movies. For pure nostalgia cheese, you can't get much better than The Devil's Advocate. Keanu is almost an afterthought here, as the movie basically serves as an excuse for Al Pacino to shout for two straight hours. If you're paying attention, that sounds perfect for both a cult classic and a drinking game.

Reeves stars as hotshot attorney Kevin Lomax, who is brought on to a high profile law firm by the mysterious "John Milton." Milton is actually Satan, who lures in Lomax and starts manipulating his morality. It's actually a pretty solid movie, even if it never quite hits the levels of biblical drama it's striving for.

Besides Reeves and Pacino, keep a look out for Craig T. Nelson and Charlize Theron in one of her first major roles as Lomax's wife, Mary Ann. Really, though, you're watching this one for Pacino's bonkers (but still strong) performance.

"Sweep the leg."

Every child of the '80s knows that Cobra Kai and their ruthless tactics are pure evil from the second they're introduced in The Karate Kid. As it's an inspirational sports movie, you also know Daniel-san and Mr. Miyagi are eventually going to get the better of their cocky foes. That foregone conclusion doesn't make The Karate Kid any less of a joy to watch.

Ralph Macchio stars as Daniel LaRusso, the new kid in town who starts learning karate from Miyagi (Pat Morita) to fight off his bullies. He eventually befriends the old man and learns a spectacular brand of martial arts that he uses to enter a tournament, defeat his bullies, and (of course) win the girl. We would say "spoiler alert," but c'mon, you know this already.

'80s music, '80s hairstyles, Elizabeth Shue — it would be practically impossible for The Karate Kid to be any more nostalgic for anyone with a fondness for the decade. It's also worth remembering that this movie massively increased the popularity of martial arts in the United States — a trend we're still seeing the results of today. Martial Journal argues that The Karate Kid is "probably the most important martial arts movie ever made."