5 Fantastic Films You Haven’t Heard Of

Well, despite that awfully presumptive title, you may have actually heard of some of these films. That being said, whether or not you’ve heard of any of these doesn’t detract from the fact that they are fantastic. As a man with a penchant for recommending things, I would like to offer—for your viewing pleasure—five criminally under-seen and overall amazing movies.

1. Brick

The debut film of director Rian Johnson, Brick takes the clichés, melodrama, and dialogue of classic noir films in the vein of The Maltese Falcon and juxtaposes them into a modern day high school setting. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Brendan Fry, a troubled teenager forced to become a detective after his crush is murdered. His investigation takes him through the entire high school hierarchy, from theater geeks to drug kingpins. Brick is incredibly well directed, with gorgeous, gritty cinematography and excellent acting all around. The anachronistic dialogue might be a bit hard to get used to, but once you accept it, you’ll find one of the most compelling and complex detective stories in modern film.

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2. Withnail and I 

This witty, bleak comedy follows a pair of alcoholic, unemployed actors in late 1960s England as they take a holiday in the rainy English countryside. With a smart, subtle, and intensely quotable script by writer-director Bruce Robinson, Withnail and I feels more like a Tom Stoppard play than a traditional comedy. The film features a pair of great performances by Richard E. Grant as the deranged, manic Withnail and Paul McGann as quiet, introspective narrator Marwood (the titular “I”). The whole thing is a hilarious, tragic, and incredibly memorable experience.

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3. This Is England
A semi-autobiographical story set in the early Thatcher years, This Is England follows 11-year old Shaun (Thomas Turgoose) as he falls in with a gang of skinheads. His experience with them is innocent at first, until white supremacist and gang leader Combo (Stephen Graham) gets out of prison and leads him down a dark, brutal path. The film is very reminiscent of American History X in its stark, honest portrayal of a taboo subculture. The frankness with which This Is England treats its subject matter is outstanding, taking a completely neutral stance towards skinhead culture and allowing the audience to see both the good and the bad inherent in it. Touching on the themes of nationalism, gang dynamics, and family, the film is riveting from its innocuous beginning to its tragic, heartbreaking ending.

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4. Beginners
This charming, quirky dramedy follows Oliver (Ewan McGregor), a graphic designer whose dying father (Christopher Plummer) comes out of the closet at the age of 75. His father’s quest for true love inspires Oliver to try and find love of his own after his father dies. The acting is great, but no one in the film compares to Plummer, who steals every scene he’s in with his sweet, heartfelt portrayal of a man embracing his identity at death’s door. Beginners is marvelously and whimsically written, juggling the time before and after Oliver’s father dies gracefully, and expertly directed by Mike Mills, whose excellent cinematography and organic scene work make the film feel very true to life.

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5. The Fisher King

While The Fisher King might be Brazil director Terry Gilliam’s least outlandish film, it still carries much of his trademark weirdness, whimsy, and creativity. After shock jock Jack Lucas (Jeff Bridges) inadvertently inspires a mass killing, he falls into a deep depression and attempts to commit suicide. Before he can do so, however, he is saved by a crazy homeless man named Parry (Robin Williams), who believes that he is on a mission from God to find the Holy Grail. Though Jack is reluctant to help him on his quest at first, he soon obliges out of guilt after learning that Parry’s wife was killed in the shooting he inspired. The film is a touching dramedy that explores the nature of grief and the healing power of friendship. It features an Oscar-winning performance by Mercedes Ruehl as Jack’s girlfriend, an incredible, Oscar-nominated performance by Williams, and an Oscar-deserving performance by Bridges. Equal parts weird and wonderful, The Fisher King is a beautiful film that sticks with you long after it ends.

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