15 Best Hidden Gem Movies Of 2017

15. Sweet Virginia

Twin brother writing duo Paul and Benjamin China’s Sweet Virginia script nabbed itself a spot on The Black List – an annual compilation of the film industry’s best unproduced screenplays – back in 2012 but didn’t go into production until 2016. It’s a good thing it did because thanks to the China Brothers and director Jamie M. Dagg, we’ve got a great new neo-noir thriller to enjoy.

Set in a remote Alaskan town rocked by a triple homicide, the film stars Christopher Abbott as Elwood – the hitman behind the murders – and Jon Bernthal as Sam, a sad but kind-hearted local motel owner who unwittingly rents a room and develops a rapport with the man responsible for the sudden violence in his town.

There’s twists and turns as it’s revealed Elwood was actually hired by a local woman Lila (Imogen Poots) to off her cheating husband who discovers the insurance policy payout she was counting on for Elwood’s fee is non-existent, but we won’t spoil all of them here.

You might sense a hint of the Coen Brothers to the plot and there’s definitely a touch of Anton Chigurh to Christopher Abbott’s tense, chilling performance but comparisons to the Coens are never a bad thing and Sweet Virginia never feels too derivative. It’s a gripping, moody neo-noir in its own right.