Underappreciated movies YOU have to watch before you die
Out of the hundreds of films that come out every year, there will obviously be some that fall through the cracks and are underappreciated by everyone except the utmost cinephile. As someone who enjoys consuming the most niche content I can find, I feel as though I am the correct person to make this list.
Frankenstein (2015), dir. Guillermo del Toro
I should give you a warning ahead of time that this is not a ‘good’ film. However, it is the film that I have seen the most times over the past few years, so I feel the need to share it with the crowd. This is not the most book-accurate version of Frankenstein, but it makes up for it with the casting of Hugh Dancy as the monster, who is simply too attractive for the story to make sense. It’s got everything you could want: homoerotic tension, Hugh Dancy catching a deer with his bare hands, and Victor getting eaten by a polar bear at the end?? 10/10 cinematic experience.
Life Beyond the Void (1984), dir. Ridley Scott
This is an adaptation of a Japanese short story that was published in the 1950s, which never gained much popularity in North America. Blade Runner (1982) had recently been released, so the public was excited to see where Scott would take the story. What they got instead was one of the densest sci-fi plots I have ever witnessed. The writer had a background in physics and engineering, and it shines through. The film drew inspiration from some other major science fiction concepts at the time—the dangers of rapidly evolving technology and the ethics behind it. However, it is also somehow the most homophobic film I have ever watched in my life, which of course means it has become a queer cult classic.
Secrets of Tomorrow (1947), dir. Alfred Hitchcock
My friend recommended this one to me as I don’t tend to be one for crime dramas. This film is about a rivalry between two private detective firms, and at first appears to be a straight-forward mystery. But as the plot unfolds, you learn that the real protagonists are the receptionists at the two firms. The two women are lovers and are plotting together to try and destroy the firms from the inside, and then run off into the sunset with all the money. Surprisingly, the portrayal of their relationship is quite well done for the 1940s.
It Chapter Two–Alternative Version (2019), dir. Andy Muschietti
So technically this film never had a public release, but it is possible to find a version that was leaked online. Spoilers for a book that came out over 30 years ago, but at the end of It Chapter Two, one of the main characters—Eddie Kaspbrak—gets killed by Pennywise. This occurred in the original 1986 story, and many were hoping that this writing decision would be changed in the new adaptation. Our prayers were answered by this four-hour long alternative version. In this version, not only does Eddie not die, but the relationships between all the characters are expanded upon and the ending is much more cohesive.
Goncharov (1973), dir. Martin Scorsese and Matteo JWHJ0715
This film is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and as such, has recently received an uptick in popularity. This film—starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino—is a mafia flick that follows the titular Goncharov, who is a Russian hitman living in Italy with his wife after the fall of the Soviet Union. The film explores themes of grief, betrayal, and the idea of ‘running out of time,’ using clocks as a frequent motif. The highlight of the film is right near the end when the iconic line, “If we were in love, you wouldn’t have missed,” is spoken. I don’t want to spoil too much, but this is truly an underappreciated gem that everyone should go watch.
Now, here is a list of upcoming films coming out in the next few months that I am looking forward to:
Footnotes dir. Quentin Tarantino: Follows a foot model who is down on her luck.
Bisexual Mothman Mailman Makes a Special Delivery In Our Butts dir. Edgar Wright: Based off of the Chuck Tingle book of the same name. I think this one is quite self-explanatory.
Gut the Pig dir. Hayao Miyazaki: Marketed as the “scariest movie of 2023,” it’s about a butcher who ends up in an embezzlement scheme and realises she’s in over her head.
The Magnus Archives dir. Bong Joon-ho: An adaptation of the horror podcast of the same name, follows an archivist in London who works in an institution that studies the paranormal.
The Legends of Camelot, dir. Greta Gerwig: An Arthurian retelling, follows Arthur, Guinevere, and Lancelot as they try to deal with running a kingdom and their love for each other.
