Best Underrated Movies Of 2. Two 2. 01. 6 films were on the tips of everyone’s tongue this winter: the La La Landagainst Moonlight, and their dust- up at the Oscars, where Moonlight emerged victorious.

For a few weeks, these were the two most talked about movies in the world – two independent films, made by auteurs. It was a refreshing change from the typical discourse about which action blockbuster will get to $1 billion dollars the quickest. La La Land and Moonlight, but there were a litany of other movies that went overlooked by the majority of filmgoers. It had little to do with a lack of star power nor a dearth of good writing. In fact, many of these movies had huge names attached and almost all of them were well written.

Thus, in the interest of giving credit where it is due (and in the interest of education), here are 1. Great Movies You Missed In 2. Train to Busan. A South Korean film about a train and a post- apocalyptic world may sound familiar (Snowpiercer anyone?) but Train to Busan somehow manages to break original ground, fighting an uphill battle against the trite convention of zombies in the process. This shouldn’t exactly be surprising, though. South Korean cinema has, in recent years, been dominating the market and proving its mettle in a tough industry that is desperately looking for originality and substance. Audiences were, clearly, thrilled to see something that was decidedly not a superhero film or a coming- of- age story about a white guy, because Yeon Sang- Ho managed to make the first Korean film to break the movie theater audience record of 1.

• · We've seen Trey Edward Shults' next movie and it's very good.but the new It Comes at Night trailer is selling something very different.
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It also became the highest grossing Korean film in Malaysia, Hong Kon,g and Singapore simultaneously. It’s hard to overstate just how much people liked this movie. It had the added benefit of being a critical hit as well, garnering praise for its social commentary and well- written characters. Century Women. With a primarily (as the title might imply) female main cast, 2. Century Women, in some part, dwelled on the differences between men and women.

Granted, this is a fairly tired concept that dates back at least to When Harry Met Sally, if not further, but the dynamic of mother and son (played by Annette Bening and Lucas Jade Zumann respectively) is a an interesting and under- explored avenue. Especially when it comes from the viewpoint of the mother. Annette Bening’s character enlists the help of two younger women, Elle Fanning (playing a classmate of her son) and Greta Gerwig (playing an aspiring photographer) to help her raise her her teenaged son, helping him to understand her a little bit more in the process.

Trey Edward Shults follows up his debut feature, ‘Krisha,’ with 'It Comes at Night,' a minimalist deep dive into apocalyptic horror starring Joel Edgerton. The best part about 2017 is getting to spend all year watching all the great movies that came out in 2016. Here are just sixteen you may have missed.

He is, after all, in that stage of his life where rebellion starts to take hold and, without a father, Bening is raising him on her own. In short, Mike Mills made a touching tribute to a mother’s desire to keep her son close without pushing him away in the process, and an evocative ’7. Midnight Special. It is hard to talk about Midnight Special without mentioning its surface resemblance to Steven Spielberg’s alien classic, E.

T. For one, it’s a science fiction movie about normal folks harboring an innocent being (in this case, Michael Shannon’s child) from a nefarious entity. But forget the notion that this is a ripoff, and see it for what it really is: a highly original chase story with some amazing acting. The latter is carried out by Michael Shannon, Adam Driver, and relative newcomer, Jaeden Lieberher. The movie also stars Sam Shepard, Kirsten Dunst, and Joel Edgerton.

The basis of Jeff Nichols’ film is that Michael Shannon’s character “steals” Jaeden Lieberher’s character (playing his son) from a radical Christian sect who wants to use his telekinetic powers for their own gain. Upon Shannon’s theft, Driver and Shepard (playing a cult leader and NSA- type respectively) are dispatched to find them. What ensues is a near two hour jaunt of through tense and exciting material that, as critics say, may or may not whet your appetite in the end. The Edge of Seventeen. A depressive middle- class high schooler struggles to come of age – it’s well trod ground, and yet The Edge of Seventeen works. In fact, it works really well. Hailee Steinfeld, of True Grit fame, plays Nadine, a socially awkward and sexually frustrated teenage girl who really only wants to hang out with her one friend, Krista (Haley Lu Richardson). Then there’s her popular brother Darian (Blake Jenner from Everybody Wants Some!), her high- strung mother Mona (Kyra Sedgwick) and her hilariously dry teacher Mr.

Bruner, played brilliantly by Woody Harrelson. One thing that sets this particular exploration of teen angst apart is the writing. The naturalistic and recognizable way that everyone (namely the teens) talk is a result of writer and director, Kelly Fremon Craig’s extensive research of teenage speech and notions about the world. The research pays off, because the back and forth conversations feel like overhead snippets from any small- town burger joint where students gather after a winning football game. Then again, Craig’s protagonist wouldn’t be caught dead at a football game. Call it hipster nonsense, but The Edge of Seventeen is effortlessly entertaining without sacrificing substance. Things to Come (L’Avenir)The business of portraying misery in cinema is booming.

· Director Trey Edward Shults earned attention for his 2015 cult indie "Krisha," a personal family drama, starring himself and members of his own family. Low-budget scifi movies may have had their heyday during Roger Corman’s rise to B-movie greatness in the 1950s, but they’re still going strong today—proving. · Sign in now to see your channels and recommendations! Sign in. Watch Queue Queue. · Don't miss out on movie gems, whether an epic blockbuster, an indie comedy, or a mind-melting foreign drama. With the Movie Machine, we'l. · 1. ‘NO HOME MOVIE’ This was the final feature from Chantal Akerman, who died of an apparent suicide in 2015. Akerman explained that “No Home Movie.

Cynics might equate this to an overall mounting misery in the world at large, but that’s remarkably reductive. One of the the themes of Things to Come (L’Avenir), though perhaps not the central one, is that misery is the path to peace. However, there seems to be a concerted effort to avoid tacking on any real central theme to L’Avenir, as the movie (directed beautifully by Mia Hansen- Løve) follows Nathalie (portrayed here by the incomparable Isabelle Huppert) through one particular stage of her life, mostly free of commentary. After a divorce from her long- time husband and the death of her mother, Nathalie, a high school philosophy teacher, feels adrift in the world. Her emotions are muted, but poignant, and life plods on through the 1. L’Avenir captures the human experience without complicating it with contrived plot points. Instead, it is a portrait of life – not a particularly happy one, but one that celebrates a certain optimism in the worst of circumstances. American Honey. Road trip movies are one of the first genres any aspiring screenwriter should mark off their list, especially road trip movies ab out America and finding yourself and your place in the world.

Kicks Movie Review & Film Summary (2. In a recent Boston Globe article, Ty Burr declared, "Someday we may look back on 2. That’s a blanket statement, but nothing that came out of the multiplex this summer contradicts it." Burr acknowledges that there was a lot to see in the arthouses, but if you only judge the state of the industry on the quality of summer tentpole blockbusters, then yes, movies may seem to be in a very sorry state. But open the lens up a little wider, and there is an entire galaxy of stuff going on—challenging/complex films (where the flaws are more interesting than anything you'd see in a more risk- averse film), first features, foreign films, microbudget films with unknown actors, films doing what films—at their best—have always done.

Outside of mainstream Hollywood, 2. The Witch," "Cemetery of Splendour," "Krisha," "The Fits," "Everybody Wants Some!!", "The Hunt for the Wilderpeople," "The Nice Guys," "Disorder" (the list goes on) ..

You don't even have to go far off the beaten track to find an entire landscape of interesting stories told in unique ways. Advertisement"Kicks," director Justin Tipping's feature debut—the story of a teenage boy attempting to get back the sneakers stolen from him—is one of those special films. Kicks" is not without its flaws, but even the flaws show Tipping's willingness to take risks, to go for the big gesture and to go for it honestly. Kicks" is a coming- of- age story with many nostalgic callbacks to other films, but it takes place in its own environment, upending the suburban cliche. Kicks" is knowing and innocent, profound and goofy. Tipping grew up in the East Bay area of Oakland, and understands first- hand the teenage Cult of Sneakers, sneakers that create and affirm social status, sneakers as powerful signifiers. Those who judge "bling" and "conspicuous consumption" probably have never wanted for anything in their lives.) Sneakers send a message: "I am somebody." Sneakers also make you vulnerable to those who want what you have. There are sections of "Kicks" that are surreal and dreamlike, where time slows way, way down, and other sequences where the jagged reality of life in the neighborhood is palpable. Tipping and cinematographer Michael Ragen create a subjective and poetic mood from the very first shot, a mood that serves the film—and its pure emotionalism—very well.

The point of view is always clear: This is the world as seen by 1. Brandon (Jahking Guillory), smaller in size than most of his classmates, who wishes he was taller, bigger, but most of all wishes he had a great pair of sneakers, specifically the magnificent black and red Air Jordans he sees on another boy's feet in the hallway at school. Brandon hangs around with his two best friends, ladies' man Rico (Christopher Meyer) and wannabe ladies' man Albert (Notorious B. I. G.'s son, Christopher Jordan Wallace). There are no parental figures in sight.

The three young actors have an unforced chemistry with one another, with a very real affection behind it. Each character has quirks that annoy the others (Albert ostentatiously buys extra- large condoms as Rico and Brandon roll their eyes at each other; Albert has never had a girlfriend in his life), but they have one another's backs. Their group dynamic is the glue of the film, and also provides necessary comic relief when things get grim. Brandon saves his money and finally buys an impressive pair of Jordans from a guy selling them out of the back of his truck.

Brandon struts out of the house wearing them, like Tony Manero in "Saturday Night Fever," only to get jumped soon after by a gang led by the notorious silver- toothed Flaco (Kofi Siriboe), who steals Brandon's sneakers right off of his feet. Brandon ropes in his reluctant goofball buddies to join him in his quest to get his sneakers back. Advertisement. Getting the sneakers back takes them to many wild and unfamiliar places (namely, Oakland), where the boys meet up with Brandon's terrifying and yet wise ex- con Uncle Marlon (Mahershala Ali, in a brilliant Mariana- Trench- deep performance), and Brandon's two stoner cousins, willing to help out their much- younger relative. Flaco is such bad news that everybody warns Brandon off, tells him to let the sneakers go, but Brandon declares, "They're not just shoes.

They're fucking J's." Nobody really can argue with that. Once in Oakland, the boys plunge into a whirlwind, funny and scary and confusing. One of the strongest elements of the script (co- written by Tipping and Joshua Beirne- Golden) is that Flaco ends up having complexity of his own because Tipping doesn't just follow Brandon, he also follows the sneakers: we see where Flaco puts them, we see who Flaco gives them to. This choice gives "Kicks" an undercurrent of thought- provoking ambivalence. The film opens with Brandon admitting in voiceoever that he has always dreamt of going into space, where it is quiet, where no one can mess with you. He dreams of a "spaceman" companion, a guardian angel astronaut who floats down into the middle of scenes, hovering over the streets, appearing at Brandon's side, encouraging Brandon silently, or just standing watch over his charge. Brandon's wishes for himself—freedom, quiet, to be left alone—is almost as strong as his wish for cool sneakers.

Tipping picks and chooses the astronaut appearances very carefully, and so when the spaceman does appear it's not a gimmick or a device. It's the whole point. The astronaut, with mirrored helmet, hovers over the chaos, beckoning Brandon down this or that path. Sometimes the astronaut urges some pretty sketchy choices, but that's evidence that Brandon is, after all, only 1. He wants to fit in, he also wants to be his own person. How do you reconcile those two things?

The adolescent conundrum. At a certain point along the journey, Brandon steals a gun, in case he needs it for later. The Chekhov's gun plot point is not a fatal flaw, but it is a flaw. Watch Edge Of Darkness Online Full Movie more. So much of "Kicks" ricochets along on its own energy, from hallucinations to chase scenes, to party scenes, to group conversations.

The gun comes from a less imaginative, less personal movie, and the tension it generates is empty. But the weird thing about a flaw in a movie like "Kicks," is that it highlights just how good, how strong, the rest of it really is. Elia Kazan talked and wrote constantly about the "spine" of his films, and how that spine had to be evident in every scene, every character, every moment.