10 Underrated Films From Great Directors

A recent film from one of the greatest directors of all time, Silence was a passion project for Martin Scorsese that took years to get to the big screen. The story follows two Portuguese missionaries who must travel to Japan in search of their former mentor who is rumoured to have apostatised and forsaken Christianity in a country where that religion is illegal.

Deeply personal and incredibly thought-provoking, Silence is a series of discussions and debates about the place religion has in this world and whether a God that remains silent during so much suffering is much of a god at all. Andrew Garfield gives a career best performance as the devout Jesuit priest and Adam Driver, Liam Neeson and Issei Ogata all provide stellar supporting work.

But, this is not a film about the characters, its focus is purely on the contemplative spirituality of everyone involved. The conversations that Garfield has with Ogata about Christian metaphors or that he has with Neeson about the Japanese worshipping him instead of God are all exceptionally written scenes and completely engaging.

Aside from the performances and writing, this is a film that looks gorgeous from start to finish. Predominantly shot in Taiwan, the whole film could be an advertisement for the country as the scenery is beautifully captured. This is one of Martin Scorsese's best films of his career and is a must watch for any of his fans.