What movies do you love that don't receive enough attention?

That’s a good question. What movies do deserve more attention than they are actually given? Filmmaking is such a diverse genre of art that there can be many films which slip under the radar due to distribution issues, meh critical reception, or just being such novelties that theatres just wouldn’t play them.

Remember when I reviewed MirrorMask, a very underrated and barely known fantasy movie that really deserved way more attention? I decided to find other people’s MirrorMask’s, their films which they treasured while no-one else did. This actually proved a bit difficult, as some people weren’t clear what I meant (I don’t think The Sixth Sense is a movie which doesn’t get the attention it deserves, because it made $500 million dollars and got 6 Oscar nominations), but eventually I found a few hidden treasures to list here. Starting with…

10 Things I Hate About You

It is a 90's romcom featuring Australian Heath Ledger, that focuses on two teenage sisters with opposing personalities. Because of a strict father, one sister is not allowed to date unless the other sister does first. This leads to a plethora of drama and a reading in English class of the iconic poem, ‘10 things I hate about you’. The movie is a great light-hearted watch that also shows a strong feminist protagonist, Kat, who stays true to herself and her beliefs throughout the movie. It has a fantastic plot accompanied by comedic elements and great characterisation. – Carla

Bill

The feature-length spin-off of the brilliant children’s TV show Horrible Histories, Bill follows a young William Shakespeare from is time in a medieval pub band to his incidental thwarting of a Spanish plot to invade England. Thanks to an insanely talented cast of British comedians in multiple roles, this movie comes across as every bit as crude, hilarious and witty as the TV show that inspired it. Bill may not have got any real notice from people when it came out (it didn’t even make $1 million at the box office), but it’s certainly an enjoyable Monty Python-esque history comedy for people of all ages. – T-Mac

The Soundtrack of Blade Runner

I think it’s fair to say that Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner is one of the most popular sci-fi films ever made, but one thing that I don’t think gets enough credit for making this movie so amazing is it’s synth score, composed and performed by Vangelis. For someone who can’t actually read sheet music this man really has a gift. His scores are partially responsible for the enormous popularity of electronic scores that we hear nowadays. This score is one of the best atmosphere setters ever. Just listen to the main theme and you will understand. The score evokes the film's bleak futurism with an emotive synthesizer-based sound drawing on the jazz scores of classic film noir, as well as neo-classical elements and Middle Eastern texture.. The love theme from this movie is one of my favourite pieces of all time. There are also some parts of this score that sound incredibly freaky, especially in the final act of the film, which is incredibly fitting. I think this score deserved at least an Oscar nomination.

Charlie and Boots

(No Comment)

Josh

Dodgeball

A family favourite, Rawson Marshall Thurber’s Dodgeball, had us toppling over with laughter from the first whistle blow of a whirlwind underdog tale that is both feel-good and hilarious.

After an accumulation of debt threatens Average Joe’s gym to extinction by name of the wealthy corporate fitness chain, Globo Gym owned by White Goodman (Ben Stiller), Peter La Fleur’s (Vince Vaughn) band of average-joe misfits have to figure out how to save their gym. Miraculously, the amount of debt is the prize money to a dodgeball tournament in Las Vegas. The movie follows the team on their journey to Las Vegas and beyond, having you in stitches along the way whilst always being reminded the 5 Ds of Dodgeball, to “dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge”.

A heartfelt rendition of the value of team spirit and loyalty reflects the title of being a ‘True Underdog Story’. Whilst relatively stupid and low-class comedy, the lines continue to make us laugh and keep coming back for more. I personally really enjoy this movie for the comedic aspect and theme of being in a team, a sort of platonic love if you will, and that no matter your background, you can band together and even a team of Average-Joes can find success. As Steve the Pirate would say, “Garrr! Joe's be the only place for Steve!” Besides, who doesn’t love an underdog story? – Harriet

Freedom Writers

(No comment)

Josh

GATTACA

Probably one the films I reference most in terms of content and thematic ideas, GATTACA is a dramatic sci-fi film that poses ethical dilemmas regarding genetic modification and the nature of science. Featuring a phenomenal cast of Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman and the amazing Jude Law, GATTACA is definitely one of my favourite movies and is, in my opinion, sinfully underrated. It takes place in a future society that is completely dictated by eugenics, where children are conceived through genetic selection to ensure an elimination of hereditary flaws. The film follows Vincent Freeman (played by Hawke), who was not a product of this process and lives a life of struggles in the face of genetic discrimination. The clever title, the cast and their acting, the brilliant use of accent colours (green gold and electric blue), the architectural mastery of the filming location (Frank Lloyd Wright’s Marin County Civic Centre) and the thought-provoking and often dystopian themes – everything about this movie makes it absolutely worth a watch. – Bella

Isle of Dogs

I think this movie never really blew up on a global scale, but the details and storyline make it an excellent film. The animated film received a 90% on rotten tomatoes and was directed by Wes Anderson. It takes place in Japan and follows the story of a boy on an adventure to find his lost dog.

For me, the simplicity of the details and the organic and beautiful craft that comes out of an animation like this gives the film just that extra bit of creative colour which is why the film is still one of my favourites to this day. Throughout the film, the audience can bond with the child and the animals along the crusade in the future, covering all sorts of themes and expressing Japanese culture. – Sara

Perfect Blue

A pop-star tries to shift into acting a decision that deeply annoys her fans one of which begins to relentlessly stalk her. she then takes up a minor role in a crime show which has her character being raped; the scene is deeply traumatizing for her and destroys her public image of being an innocent pop-star. due to the accumulated stresses, she begins to suffer from psychosis and loses touch with reality.

The film is a perfect example of the variability of the soul in the face of the masses. with a compelling story and a perfect blend of warped reality whereby the end it is almost impossible to tell what is real, what is her psychosis and what is her stalker's twisted point of view.

Yhe film, however, is mostly forgotten due to the blending of reality and dream, though for the west mostly because it was only ever released in English as a DVD without any advertisement (in English) and was released to the West in 2005. – Matthew

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

My absolute favourite film of all time is The Tale of Princess Kaguya. It’s a lesser known Studio Ghibli movie released in 2013 (and received 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, look out :o). It details the life of a tiny nymph from the moon that arrived on earth through a bamboo shoot and was found by and taken in by an old bamboo cutting family. She grows up in a small, humble village and enjoys every second. However, her father believes she was a gift of the gods, and the story takes a drastic turn when she becomes a princess, what her parents thought she was destined to become. The Princess, however, is deeply saddened by this new lifestyle and the nightmarish aspects of patriarchy are exposed. I won’t spoil the ending, but it’s a hauntingly beautiful film brimming with emotion and in my opinion, encompasses the essence of being human; the ability to experience and feel, those things pleasing and upsetting alike. Stars kind shine without darkness kind of thing. I think the music is so fittingly beautiful and I really admire the film from an artistic point of view as well; the colours are rather pastel and muted and takes more of an impressionistic style, placing the focus on pure storytelling of the film. Real great for when you need a release of emotions, it’s a real tear jerker let me tell you, but leaves you feeling strangely content at the same time when you reflect on the rich messages it intends to portray. Would absolutely recommend it – Sienna

Well, that's the list. I hope I can do a sequel at some point.

Please note, if anyone wants to submit another film for a sequel, please do so. And send a high-quality image. I have images on this page that're 9KB compared to other images on this page that are 537KB.

It's just more convenient.