7 Underseen 2015 Films You Should Seek Out
As 2015 comes to a close, I wanted to look back on a few movies I saw this year that I didn’t think got enough attention from audiences. Here are seven underseen 2015 films you should seek out if you’re looking for something good to watch.
Big Game
If you’re a fan of the kinds of over-the-top action movies that littered cineplexes in the 1990s, Big Game is for you. Don’t be put off by the fact that takes place in Finland and features some Finnish subtitles — this is a fast-paced, action-heavy survival thriller that’s all about big, broad fun. Bonus: it features a nice Samuel L. Jackson performance as the U.S. President who’s being hunted by terrorists and must team up with a 13-year-old Finnish boy to survive.
Cop Car
A taut, edge-of-your seat thriller that reminded me of what Stand By Me would have been if it was written and directed by the Coen Brothers, Cop Car didn’t have a huge marketing push behind it when it was released earlier this year. But because it’s directed by Jon Watts (the director of Marvel and Sony’s upcoming Spider-Man reboot), it has a terrific Kevin Bacon performance, there’s a ton of natural-sounding dialogue between its two young leads, and it treats the kids like real characters instead of typical “movie kids,” I’d highly recommend giving this one a chance.
Bone Tomahawk
A crackling screenplay from a first-time writer/director, a superb cast, and a plot that dips the western genre in a bubbling vat of horror, Bone Tomahawk caught me completely off guard in the best possible way. Since Tombstone is one of my favorite movies, it made me happy to see Kurt Russell as a western sheriff again, and his relationship with the absolutely fantastic Richard Jenkins (in one of the best roles of his storied career) takes this to the next level. And speaking of “next level,” make sure you have a stomach for tremendous violence if you decide to give this one a go. There’s a scene that happens near the end that will sear its way into your brain forever, and you’ll never be the same again. This movie made me incredibly excited to see what writer/director S. Craig Zahler does next.
The Diary of a Teenage Girl
So many coming-of-age stories are told from male perspectives — both in front of and behind the camera — that a sense of sameness can often permeate them. When I watched the critically acclaimed (but disastrous box office performer) Me and Earl and The Dying Girl this year, I felt a little like I’d seen this story told a handful of times before, with small tweaks to it. (Caveat: Yes, I’m familiar with the idea of every story being comprised of one of seven basic plots, so no need to bring it up in the comments.) And even though The Diary of a Teenage Girl could be dismissively described as “just another coming of age story” about a sexual awakening, the fact that it has a female protagonist (Bel Powley) and a female writer/director (Marielle Heller) gives it a fresh perspective and a non-judgmental quality that you don’t often see in films like this. It’s won a handful of awards already, and it’s a truthful, enjoyable indie film that you should track down if you’re sick of seeing a dorky high school guy fall for the hot girl and somehow goof his way into her heart.
The Final Girls
It seems like a small crime that The Final Girls wasn’t an instant smash hit upon its release, but because it only came out in a handful of theaters and probably attracted most of its audience through VOD, it’s tough to measure its financial success. But creatively speaking, this movie completely knocks it out of the park. It’s a rare slasher movie parody that isn’t cheap, annoying, or stupid — not only is it very funny, but it also has a shockingly emotional core to it. Legitimate emotion is not something I expected to find here, but the way the film handles it’s main relationship between a daughter (Taissa Farming) and her actress mother (Malin Ackerman) is genuinely moving. This is one of my favorite movies of the year, and it’s a shame a lot of people have never even heard of it.
Mr. Holmes
Sir Ian McKellen as Sherlock Holmes. What more do you need to know? How about that he plays the world-famous detective across three different time periods, adopting different makeup and postures for each? He’s wonderful in this film, and while Oscar nominations have not been released as of this writing, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get a nomination for Best Actor. With Sherlock Holmes very much in the public consciousness right now with shows on the BBC and CBS as well as the threat of a third Guy Ritchie/Robert Downey Jr. movie, Mr. Holmes provides a cool look at the character at a point in his life which we don’t often see him. I wouldn’t go as far as to call it one of the best films of the year or anything, but if you’re an Ian McKellen fan (and who isn’t?), it’s definitely worth catching up with on a rainy day.
Room
A harrowing, gut-wrenching experience, Room largely succeeds on the backs of its two lead actors, Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay. The youngster gives what might be one of the best child performances in any movie ever made, and Lenny Abrahamson’s direction puts you in Tremblay’s character’s shoes, capturing childhood sensations in a way I haven’t seen on film before. If you’ve never seen a trailer and don’t know anything else about the movie at all, that’s the best way to see it — but even if you know the premise and know how the story plays out, it’s still a tense, heart-pounding movie. It’s unfortunate that this film didn’t get as much attention as I thought it deserved this year, but maybe some of you will give it a shot if you haven’t yet.