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As the year untangles, an average viewer is pretty much already aware what names will be nominated for the big awards, and what titles people will spend months flipping and turning and chatting about. Not only do we observe wannabe movie buffs repeating the wise words and analyses of their equally as wannabe movie gurus, but we also keep seeing the very same commentary and unoriginal interpretations of the very same movies everyone is watching.
We are kind of growing tired of that. With the Academy enlisting quite an interesting new Popular Film category last year, and the same releases being discussed over and over again, we have decided to put an end to the mainstream culture in cinematography.
What follows is our list and a brief description of more or less subjectively obscure movies that got overshadowed by relatively inapt contemporaries.
Fuelling on Originality
It has been said many times before, and we will maintain it for good. If you watch what everyone else is watching, you will become like everyone else. For some individuals that might not be an issue, but if you are in pursuit of uniqueness and individuality, we are on the same page.
Equals (2015)
dir. Drake Doremus
Perhaps the least hipster of all on the list, the 2015 masterpiece Equals (above) is set in a dystopian future where two seemingly emotionless humans grow to develop an infatuation for each other. In a world where feelings are a crime and chatterboxes are de garde to turn any sign of humanity in to the faceless officials, the pair dares to live their common dream and be against the system. However, nothing lasts forever, and Silas (Nicholas Hoult) and Nia (Kristen Stewart) face a predicament that might become the turning point not only for their relationship, but also for their lives.
13 Hours (2016)
dir. Michael Bay
This John Krasinski-starring piece was in fact recognised by the Academy, but for the wrong reasons. 13 Hours is certainly an action-packed film with impressively immersive sound effects which can also be heard in popular video games and online slots that you can find right here on authority websites such as Casino Bloke. However, that is not where this film’s peculiarity stops. The history-based movie takes place during the World War II, and tells a heartfelt story of perseverance, compassion and love for other beings.
Beach Rats (2017)
dir. Eliza Hittman
The modern current flows through every hole, and it is still a puzzle to us who it is that decides who gets to be popular and who does not. The year of 2017 was basically synonymous with Call Me by Your Name, an LGBT+ work of art that obfuscated another quality number of a similar topic. In the spirit of the pride month, we are taking a moment to appreciate the Eliza Hittman-directed and written inclusive and Sundance-winning magnum opus. Beach Rats tells a perplexing and controversial coming-of-age story of a Brooklyn teenager who is experimenting with his sexuality. In his search for his sexual identity, Frankie (Harris Dickinson) deals with numerous obstacles that await a boy throughout puberty.
Arctic (2018)
dir. Joe Penna
Almost entirely deprived of dialogue, Arctic is something we rarely see nowadays. Carrying a strong and poignant message of struggle and survival, this cooling tour de force shows the best of Mads Mikkelsen (top pic). The cast consists of three persons only, and they exchange but a few words before one of them passes away. The remaining two are left to combat the cruel Arctic weather and display to what lengths a human being is capable of reaching when facing a life battle.
Fleuve noir (2018)
dir. Erick Zonca
Similar to the Oscars, we will ironically list a single foreign movie. Vincent Cassel (above) dominates the craft of acting in this one. He plays an addicted, listless and self-centred detective who attempts to solve a series of unclear crimes committed in the small town he lives in. The Black Tide is a must-see for every mystery and psychological thriller lover that is sick of people saying no solid mystery was made after The Silence of the Lambs.