10 Forgotten Movies You Must See Before You Die

2. Redbelt

If you ever wondered what a David Mamet fight movie would look like, well, your prayers were answered back in 2008. A then-little known Chiwetel Ejiofor headlined the film, which followed a mixed martial arts instructor taken advantage of by various business associates.

Struggling to make ends meet, and constantly put down by his brother-in-law, Mike Terry (Ejiofor) finally loses his sh*t when his unique idea for a particular handicapped fighting style/training technique is taken and used as a gimmick in a televised MMA tournament.

This culminates in one of the most emotional, earnest, earned endings put to film. Mamet's script purposefully flies in the face of what you might expect from a movie about a fighter, and the ending is the cherry on top. It'll stay with you long after the credits roll, as does for those who saw it upon release eight years later.

Contributor

Cinephile since 1993, aged 4, when he saw his very first film in the cinema - Jurassic Park - which is also evidence of damn fine parenting. World champion at Six Degrees of Separation. Lender of DVDs to cheap mates. Connoisseur of Marvel Comics and its Cinematic Universe.