Jason Momoa's Underrated 2010s Crime Thriller Series Is A Hidden Gem On Netflix

Before he became one of the biggest stars in the world, Jason Momoa was trying to parlay his "Game of Thrones" success into a long-lasting career. During that time, he starred opposite Martin Henderson in moody crime drama series "The Red Road." Sadly, the SundanceTV show didn't get the attention it deserved at the time, but it's just waiting to be reappraised over on Netflix.

Ever since he broke out by playing ​​Khal Drogo on "Game of Thrones," Momoa has been unstoppable. He was easily the best "Fast and Furious" villain and made Warner Bros. a heck of a lot of money with "Aquaman," which remains the highest-grossing DCEU movie (shame about the sequel, though). But the man also has plenty of overlooked and underseen projects just waiting to be discovered by fans. Momoa's directorial debut, for example, is a forgotten crime thriller that's streaming for free. Then, there's "The Red Road," a similarly overlooked drama that aired on SundanceTV from 2014 to 2015.

You might already have an idea of what happened here. SundanceTV isn't exactly the king of the streamers, and nobody really acknowledged "The Red Road" during its all too brief run. Of course, in the streaming age, nothing is ever truly finished. Platforms churn up forgotten gems all the time, and now fans of Momoa's neglected drama series can check out the show on Netflix.

"The Red Road" was overseen by creator Aaron Guzikowski ("Prisoners") and showrunners Bridget Carpenter ("Friday Night Lights"). It's based on the true story of the Ramapough Lenape Nation, who in the 1970s had been provided with affordable housing on land previously contaminated by a nearby Ford Motor Company plant.

Martin Henderson plays Harold Jensen, the sheriff of the fictitious small town of Walpole, New Jersey, who investigates the disappearance of a college student. Julianne Nicholson plays Jensen's wife, Jean, who treats her undiagnosed schizophrenia with copious amounts of alcohol. The sheriff's investigation leads him into the nearby mountains, home of the Ramapough people. It's here that he clashes with Phillip Kopus (Jason Momoa), a member of the tribe who's also an ex-con. As a rift forms between the town and the mountain people, Kopus uses it to his advantage. Unfortunately for Sheriff Jensen, this makes his already fraught life even more tumultuous.

The first season of "The Red Road" managed a respectable 67% on Rotten Tomatoes, and while critics weren't exactly raving about the series, they did have plenty of positive things to say. Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times wrote that the show was "very good" and "the product of an impressive trust of talent." Variety's Brian Lowry, meanwhile, praised Momoa for doing a solid job of "project[ing] the aura of a very mercurial dude who might go off at a moment's notice."

Unfortunately, despite a decent critical response, the show didn't last long. "The Red Road" was canceled after its second season, but both of those seasons are streaming on Netflix. Those without a subscription, however, can find the show for free on Pluto TV.