These days, many of the more popular movies out there are simply getting tiresome, so why not try something different? This is a list of incredible little-known movies that may not have found themselves a large audience, but certainly deserved one.
1. Hard Candy
Chances are that you know who Ellen Page and Patrick Wilson are, but that you know more of their recent work and not of this little independent drama from the same director of 30 Days of Night and Twilight Saga: Eclipse. The movie revolves almost exclusively around 2 characters – one a 14 year old girl, and one a 32 year old man who’s been fooled into capture and interrogation on his actions around teenage girls. The dynamic between the two is unbelievably scary, and their acting is nothing short of masterful. This is one of the best movies I’ve ever seen, and the fact that most people have never heard of it is a shame.
2. Red
Many of you are probably familiar with revenge movies. Most of them are pretty formulaic (though awesome), and though I can’t say Red goes by a much different formula, I can say that I’ve never been as invested in a revenge story as I was in this one. Red revolves around an old man whose family died in a tragic accident, and whose only companion left is his dog, named Red. One day a teenager shoots and kills Red just for the fun of it, and the man goes after the boy in search of an apology. But when he doesn’t get one and the teenager and his father go deeper and deeper to cover it up with money and lies, the story intensifies greatly. Easily one of the most immersive, deep tales of revenge that I have ever seen.
3. Sunshine
The fact that this movie is overlooked is so surprising to me that it’s almost hard for me to put it on this list. But the fact remains – many people have not heard of Sunshine. This comes from Danny Boyle, the director of 28 Days Later and Slumdog Millionaire. The plot revolves around a group of people sent on a mission to reignite the sun as it is burning out, leaving Earth frozen in a solar winter. Don’t let the slightly hokey premise fool you – the movie goes far with it. The actors (Cillian Murphy and Chris Evans included) play their roles very well, and the movie has enough twists and turns to keep you consistently guessing, not to mention some of the most beautiful CGI I’ve ever seen, and an incredible score to accompany it. Don’t miss this one. Easily in my top few favorite sci-fi movies.
4. The House of the Devil
If you don’t like horror movies, skip this one. But if you do, pay close attention. This little movie released almost right alongside Paranormal Activity and practically nobody noticed. But it certainly deserves your attention. Not only does the movie have some terrifying moments, but the simple premise (a story of a babysitting job gone horribly wrong, set in the 80’s) is executed with style and a very thorough knowledge of what keeps a viewer in suspense. This is not a horror movie to be overlooked.
5. Ink
Of all the movies on this list, Ink could quite possibly be the most obscure. It is a dark fairy tale about a little girl who is kidnapped in her sleep by a creature named Ink, whose origin is unknown. The movie proposes that in this world, every time we go to sleep there is someone there to either give us good dreams or bad dreams, and there is a struggle between the two. I will say that the plot of the movie has some holes, but it could potentially be the most gorgeously shot movie I’ve ever seen, with some scenes that made my jaw hang low because of how stylishly they were executed. It may not be the deepest plot you’ve ever seen, but it’s impossible not to respect its mastery over the art of filmmaking.
6. Transsiberian
When I mention Transsiberian to people, a lot of them have actually ‘heard of it’, but have no idea what it is or what it’s about, so given that few of these people have actually seen it, I still consider it a little known movie. It revolves around a couple that is going on a Transsiberian train, and accidentally gets involved with another couple that smuggles drugs. To say any more would be a disservice to the reader, but know that this movie is a wonderfully executed thriller that takes its time getting to know the characters before thrusting them into some very difficult decisions. An excellent movie for anyone who likes a good, emotional thriller.
7. Gloomy Sunday
As the title implies, this movie isn’t exactly cheerful. But it’s an incredibly unique plotline that likely will never be found anywhere else. During World War II, there was a composer who composed a song so sad that it coined the nickname “The Hungarian Suicide Song”, because many people connected it to a string of suicides that happened around the same time. This story revolves around that composer, a Jewish restaurant owner and a young waitress that get involved in a love triangle as World War II starts to rear its ugly head. The stories of the song, the romance and the war are intertwined so well that you will never see a movie quite like this.
8. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
This is one of the saddest movies I’ve ever seen, and is certainly not for everyone. It is very slow and requires a lot of careful attention to get invested in its characters and its world, but it’s a worthy emotional journey to take. The story is of two college aged girls that live in the midst of a Romanian dictatorship. One of the girls needs an abortion, which is considered manslaughter by the regime. She gets help from her roommate, who goes with her to a hotel room where they hire a black market abortionist to do the job, which gets more complicated each step of the way. The movie is incredibly dreary and honestly very slow sometimes, but the dialogue is so immersive and natural that it’s often hard to even notice you’re watching a movie. Again, not for everyone, but still among my top recommendations on this list.
9. Death at a Funeral
No, I’m not talking about the American remake that was just released into theaters, I’m talking about the original British version, which did not get nearly as much attention over here as it should have. This is a dark comedy about a dysfunctional family at its most insane, and though there’s not much I can say without spoiling it, I will say that anybody who appreciates a good British comedy will get a kick out of this one.
10. He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not
This is a French movie featuring Audrey Tatou (famous from Amelie and the Da Vinci Code) in a role of a woman who’s desperately in love with somebody when the relationship starts to go horribly wrong. The movie initial seems to be a romantic one but be aware – this is definitely more of a thriller. The twists and turns it takes are unbelievably clever, and though the movie runs a little longer than it should, it will definitely be another unique find in many people’s eyes.
While many of these movies appeal to a more specific audience group, they are all excellent films and deserve as much attention as any of the blockbuster movies out there. For anybody seeking something original in cinema that makes them remember why they love movies, look no further. Happy viewing!
