Underrated films and hidden gems: Spoiler-free recommendations for those cozy film nights!

These days, finding a not-so-well-known movie on IMDB with an intriguing plot summary and a low score seems almost like a good sign. 

What do I mean by this? At risk of sounding like a pompous ass, I must say that the big majority of consumers of media are painfully average. Even with the inexhaustible variety of options that are easily accessible on the internet, most people are naturally satisfied with the average and commonplace – to reflect this, the word “basic” has become one commonly used insult nowadays. Moreover, they don’t like having to do a lot of thinking by themselves and prefer to assimilate pre-filtered, lightened down material and imitate what others do. Most people are followers, and they just feel more comfortable being told what to think or do.

But hey, the quirky and strange wouldn’t be special, quirky and strange if it was universally liked, right?   

Many of the most original, creative and imaginative films that now achieved cult status flopped at box office. Donnie Darko was a flop. So were the Big Lebowski, the beautifully tragic Requiem for a Dream and Blade Runner. Yes, Blade fucking Runner, one of the best movies of all time and also my personal favorite.  What do all of these movies have in common?   

• They are out of the ordinary. 
• They pushed the boundaries.
• They don’t have a happy ending (or at least, a 100% positive, soap opera/Julia Roberts romantic comedy kind of ending).
• They are thought-provoking (something some people have a strong aversion for) and require some attention to detail, patience and curiosity in order to be fully understood and enjoyed.    

Watching films is one the activities I enjoy the most and invest most time in. I am always looking for quirky and cool films to watch. And judging by my numerous hours spent perusing "top [insert number here] best movies" lists, sometime it would seem like all of us have seen the same 200 movies or so. Sure the world has much more to offer, right?    

One of my favorite ways to spend a quality evening...

In this series, that I will update periodically, I will present you some not-so popular options, but unexpectedly good finds in my search for cool and offbeat movies. May they enrich your cinematic experience and become a new addition for your repertoire!

I will start with one for those looking for some light fun for a relaxed evening:

Gentlemen Broncos (2009) 

Director: Jared Hess  

By reading the title, I expected this to be one of those American football movies where Keanu Reeves saves the day in the end and everyone in the team are “bros”. I’d rather wash my clean laundry, thanks. 

However, as soon as the introductory credits started, I could notice it was something special.

What is it about? 

The film introduces us to an imaginative but shy/awkward teenage boy with a passion for writing science fiction stories. His name is Benjamin and he lives in what seems to be a tiny world full of singular and freaky characters (starting with his mother) that sprout everywhere like mushrooms. He enrolls in a writing camp where he gets to meet his hero –a famous science fiction writer called Chevalier– and gets him to read one of his stories; as a result of this Benjamin’s life as a writer will be forever changed (and not for the reasons you think).  

What makes it special and worth watching? 

It is directed by Jared Hess (of Napoleon Dynamite fame), and I would dare to say it is funnier and better written than ND. As soon as it starts, you realize that you are in for something special: the opening credits are composed of old-school looking sci-fi covers, like you would find in the coolest, most eccentric and hidden second-hand library of your dreams. Then you are introduced to this teenage writer boy whose world looks almost normal, except it is constantly permeated with freaky happenings and overall bizarre –and hilarious- situations. The story is very simple and predictable, yes, but the merit lies in the way they tell it and the myriad of quirky details and hilarious over-the-top imaginative scenes that is made of.    

Taken from real life science fiction novel covers, and turned into a creative opening credit sequence. You can learn more about it (from Jared Hess himself!) here.

One of the user critics in IMDB describes the movie as being “heavy on personality and light on depth”. While such statement holds some truth, it reminded me of that lady I overheard going out of a screening of Kick Ass complaining that the movie “wasn’t realistic”. You should know what you’re in for; this is not a drama, nor a psychological piece: it is just a movie intended to be funny, entertaining, slightly cheesy and ironic. Take it for what it is, otherwise is like going shopping to H&M and then complain they don’t offer any haute couture in there.

Give it a try! If you were a geeky kid (you still are, be honest with yourself!), you’ll surely find plenty of recognizable elements and reminiscences of your past happy days. 

Have you watched it already or know any similar films that you would like to share about? Let us know in the comments!

Thank you for reading,

Irime

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Image sources: Photos are mine except #2 (modified by me, source unknown!), and 3-5