Netflix secret categories: roll the dice and win great prizes

Most of us watch Netflix through the app, whether it's on a smart TV, a tablet, or a phone. But millions of us still stream it on our computers, even if only occasionally. There's one advantage to watching on a browser that Netflix has yet to replicate on their app. That would be the famous secret category codes. Or not so famous; that's probably why you're reading this.

The secret categories originated from the dull boring days before streaming. Yes, Virginia, there used to be a thing called DVDs by mail. There used to be video stores, too, but that's a story for another time. When Netflix's primary business was DVD rentals - crazy, right? - they categorized and subcategorized movies ad infinitum to make films easier to find. Sadly, they haven't carried those subcategories forward to the app, but you can find them through a web browser.

When I say they created subcategories, I mean they've gone to the extreme, and beyond. Feel like catching an emotional Japanese movie? There's a code for that - but you'll have to come back for that another time. Cruel, I know; I'm sure there's code for movies about cruel writers, too. There's just one problem: you can't search through all these wonderful categories by name on a browser, either.

Your Netflix secret category: Chinese crime drama movies

A dropdown menu built into the browser or app would be amazing. Unfortunately, the only way to drill down to these minutely grouped categories is by the associated numeric code. Thankfully, several websites are devoted to these codes; netflix-codes.com is just one of many. But even they just go to the basics. Dramas based on books and independent comedies are just two examples. That's a terrific start, but according to Netflix itself, there are over 36,000 subgenres!

The only way to find them is by using the numeric code associated with each one. As I've yet to find an exhaustive list, the next best solution is simply typing in a random number. There isn't a built-in random number generator in Netflix, so I did the next best thing. I just started entering them myself. Trust me, with 36,000 possible codes, you probably don't want to take this on for yourself.

It only took me three tries, which was amazing in itself. Often, you'll simply get a black screen stating, "No matching titles found." Ah, but someday, someday, 32,788 may yield "Lithuanian culinary-themed comedies." Until then, you'll have to be satisfied with today's offering.

The code, should you want it for future reference, is 371. So the entire entry in your browser would be as follows: https://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/371. We hit the jackpot today, with seven selections in all. Unfortunately, I haven't seen a single one of them. Sometimes, you just want to throw something else into the mix besides a Christmas movie, no matter how good it is.

The Pig, the Snake, and the Pigeon

A 2023 release, it describes the journey of Taiwan's third-most wanted criminal to take over from the two ahead of him. Written and directed by Ching-Po Wong, who also directed Revenge: A Love Story and Once Upon a Time in Shanghai. Ethan Juan stars as Chen Kui-lin, the criminal driven to reach the top of the food chain. The IMDB rating is 7.3, which is tremendous, as the site tends to be fairly discriminating. Two caveats: this is a Tawainese film, not mainland China. And most reviewers describe it as a comedy-thriller. I'm sold!

The Post-Truth World

A 2022 release, this also from Taiwan as opposed to mainland China. I doubt many viewers care about the distinction, but it isn't that difficult to be accurate, either. Unlike the previous entry, this reads as an intense crime thriller. Convicted of murdering his girlfriend, a former baseball star (Edward Chen) takes a TV journalist (Hsiao-chuan Chang) hostage. Twists and turns ensue in this drama with an IMDB rating of 6.4.

The Abandoned

Another 2022 release from Taiwan would make a great counterpart to our first film as it co-stars Ethan Juan. The star here is Janine Chun-Ning Chang as a police officer on the verge of suicide in the opening moments of the film. When she finds a body washed ashore, she's launched into an investigation that rapidly escalates into a hunt for a possible serial killer. IMDB rating, a solid 6.3

The Soul

It's clear to me that by now these should have been labeled as Taiwanese crime drama stories. I just want to watch something good, so I'm fine with it. This 2021 release stars Liang Wen-Chao and Janine Chun-Ning Chang (hey, I know that lady!) as a prosecutor and detective investigating the murder of a biotech company chairman. This film throws science fiction and the occult into the mix as well. Most viewers approved, as it has a 6.6 rating on IMDB.

Miss Shampoo

2023 brings us another comedy-drama, and yes, it's from Taiwan. Listen, mainland China saw the release of nearly 800 films last year, while Taiwan released a tiny fraction of that. I'm happy to promote the little guy here. As for Miss Shampoo, it stars Yu-hong Hong as a gangster who ducks into a beauty salon to escape a rival gang. Vivian Sung is the beautician who saves him - of course, things get very, very complicated from there. These character names show this tends more to the comedic side: Fishy, Messed-up Hair, and Badger Game Girl, among others. 5.7 IMDB rating.

Hand Rolled Cigarette

My gosh, this movie is ancient; it came out in 2020. Boom, we get a Hong Kong movie. A young South Asian immigrant (Bipin Karma) and a former officer of the British police (Ka-Tung Lam) are thrown together by circumstance. Abandoned by the new society of Hong Kong, they're soon pitted against a powerful crime boss. Not much levity here, gang, just intense drama. 6.6 IMDB rating.

Bad Education: Director's Cut

Originally released in 2022, the director's cut adds six minutes to the original run time. This Education should not be confused with any of the other half-dozen or so films with the same title. On graduation night, three high school students share the stories of the worst things they've ever done. The limits of friendship are soon pushed to - well, you'll just have to see how far they go. One one-star review pushed it down to an overall 6.3 IMDB rating.

Gatao: The Last Stray

Released in 2021, Gatao is the final film in a trilogy of Chinese gangster films. Preceded by Gatao (2015) and Gatao 2: Rise of the King (2018), the third film focuses on a gang enforcer (Cheng Jen-shuo) who meets a photographer (Nikki Hsieh) hired to cover the birth of his boss's son. Both soon get tangled in a turf war between rival gangs. As this is the third of a trilogy, it's hard to recommend unless you've already seen the first two. And yes, it's a Taiwan production. 6.0 IMDB rating.

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