Forgotten. Unknown. Foreign.
That about sums up this list you’re about to partake in. These are films you probably missed out on, and I’m here to make you feel stupid, or at least guilty, about it.
Here’s the good news: it’s not too late! Between the numerous outlets available to us these days, I’m sure all of these can be watched in the privacy of your own home in your pajamas. Mine is a full body dinosaur suit with real teeth in the hoodie.
Anyways, read then watch. IN. THAT. ORDER.
KILLING THEM SOFTLY
Killing Them Softly is a stylish, gritty film that does not shy away from being brutal and in your face. With the boost of Pitt’s darkly exciting portrayal, director Andrew Dominik creates an atmosphere full of intensity and fear. He lets everyone shake, rattle, and roll and makes no apologies for it.
THE HANDMAIDEN
Nothing is what it seems in this lavish and sexual thriller where underestimating is the fatal flaw. Director Chan-wook Park beautifully places love inside violent hands with stunning results. The sensational cast cleverly seduces you in a film where romance and betrayal gloriously devours everything in sight.
HAMLET 2
It becomes very clear throughout the movie that they make fun of everyone including Christ himself. Come on, there is a song that is performed in the play called “Rock Me Sexy Jesus.” That has to be a clue. It’s actually pretty catchy though. Steve Coogan plays the drama teacher beautifully by really buying in to his “deep” acting abilities. His character takes drama and himself way too seriously. Due to the ego of Coogan’s character, situations become funnier and funnier. There are even times during the movie where nothing has to be said. Coogan just has this look on his face that explains it all.
MOON
Moon is a sci-fi thriller that has not been made for decades. It’s a refreshing story that’s simple, but mysterious. This one man show puts a spotlight on the underrated yet spectacular Sam Rockwell while he loses his sanity on the Moon. This is Duncan Jones first feature film and what an impressive debut, breathing new life in to the sci-fi genre. Looking just as rich and slick as the big budget studio movies, but don’t be fooled, Moon is smarter and more absorbing than most of them combined. Jones makes you wonder and think about his story and characters. Moon comes through as an entertaining, suspenseful psychological space film that brings out the very best in all involved. Sam Rockwell should be appreciated as should the film itself.
THE HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE
An off-kilter, effusive film about finding one’s place in this world, while learning anything you can from those you meet, no matter who they are or where they come from. Director Taika Waititi spreads hilarious moments, enormous heart, & striking beauty of “majestical” New Zealand all over his wondrous story. Sam Neil & Julian Dennison are oddly perfect together, giving marvelous performances.
ALL IS LOST
All Is Lost entails a character with no name or past with barely any use of music and almost no dialogue. Being his second feature film, director J.C. Chandor (Margin Call) displays top-notch visual storytelling and in doing so, defying how we think a film should be presented and told. Then there is Robert Redford, who not only stars in the film, but is the only person in the film. Chandor had to find an actor who emotionally and physically could carry this film while holding the audience’s attention, and if you cannot count on Redford then who the hell can you count on? He’s obligated to convey every ounce of emotion through his gestures, looks, and overall presence on-screen. He reinvents what he has already mastered.
NINE
Nine is a slick, sexy musical with great musical numbers and strong performances from its star-studded cast. Though no one shines more than Daniel Day-Lewis and Marion Cotillard as Guido and Luisa Contini. Director Rob Marshall (Chicago) was a dancer so he’s strongly involved with the choreography and all of the dance movements. Every single musical performance is superb. The dancing and singing is fantastic. The set pieces and lighting bring out the colors and beauty of each scene. It’s exquisite art on the big screen.
HEADHUNTERS
A sleazy headhunter can’t keep his hands off extravagant, stupidly expensive art, but it’s all just a piece of the lifestyle he’s been living. That comes to a screeching halt after one grave decision. Directed by Morten Tyldum, this slick thriller captivates in its twists and nasty violence. Between that and the sly humor, Headhunters is an insane, non-stop cat-and-mouse game with tremendously ruthless players playing for keeps.
GONE BABY GONE
Ben Affleck’s very first film as a director, and then he goes and casts his baby brother, now Oscar winner, Casey Affleck in a morally complex story of a girl kidnapped in the mean streets of Boston. Pumping with authenticity, this crime thriller is unpredictable, ensuring with each new scene, you’re questioning the one before. Full of pain and ugliness, the dilemma in this story is a destructive, devastating one to say the least. The last shot of the movie lets it all sink in. Morgan Freeman, Amy Ryan, and Ed Harris are all phenomenal; but Gone Baby Gone became the first indication of what the Affleck brothers were capable of, behind and in front of the camera.
ROCKNROLLA
There is one word that comes to mind when I think about this movie: Cool. Directed by Guy Ritchie (Snatch, Lock, Stock, and 2 Smoking Barrels), the way the movie opens is cool, the way it ends is cool, and of course, the music is damn cool. It is full of unique characters that have their own unique quirks. RocknRolla is a crime actioner that sets itself a part by allowing the freedom in its storytelling to rock out with its cock out. That’s Ritchie’s way of doing things. At least it was back then.
THE READER
The Reader is about a 15 year-old boy named Michael and his love affair with Hanna, a woman twice his age. Their affair only lasts a summer, but stays with Michael for eternity. After her disappearance, Michael is left with a broken heart. His sincerity and passion is lost, becoming very fragile and emotionless over the passing years. Kate Winslet is stunning as Hanna, a deeply insecure woman willing to do and endure unfathomable consequences to hide her humiliating secret. Director Stephen Daldry breaks your heart by uncovering her regrets and shame, while never discounting her unshakable strength. And every bit of it can be seen engraved on Winslet’s face.
WIN WIN
Win Win is gratifying in every way a film can be. It has flawed, unpredictable, and realistic characters. It is funny when it should be and treats every moving scene with tremendous tenderness. Paul Giamatti’s performance is pitch-perfect. Whether you agree with his character’s decisions or not, he’s not afraid to show Mike’s flaws and pay the consequences for them. Director Thomas McCarthy (The Visitor, Spotlight) depicts a man’s struggles, a lost childhood, and a unique family environment with humor and care.
GREENBERG
Ben Stiller, in possibly the best performance of his career to date, is restricted in many ways as Roger Greenberg, but has a new kind of freedom as well. Greenberg is outspoken and can be a real prick. At the same time, he is vulnerable and living with regret. Greenberg is a film where characters have flaws. You may even hate them at times, and that’s okay. Writer/director Noah Baumbach has such a unique and interesting vision, making his stories personal and complex. Life is not easy and he gets this wholeheartedly.
Brandon Vick is the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and star of Brandon’s Box Office In Your Mouth. Follow him on Twitter@SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
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