10 Underrated Films From The Last 5 Years That Flew Way Under The Radar

Of the many hundreds of movies that come out of Hollywood every year, it seems inevitable that a few will slip through the mainstream cracks and escape the notice of the average movie-goer. A total of 462 pictures were produced in Tinseltown in 2015, meaning an average of almost 40 new films hit our cinema screens every single month.

Of course, a good chunk of these were un-noteworthy efforts that went unnoticed for a reason, though year upon year a number of talented filmmakers watch on helplessly as their fine work fails to get the praise it deserves. On the surface, the reason for this is pretty obvious – Hollywood are making too many movies.

In truth, however, this has been the case for at least the past decade. The trouble nowadays is the aim of the industry rather than their desire to churn out picture after picture. In an age when Hollywood’s originality has increasingly been called into question, it is disappointing to see studios throw all of their eggs into the big budget franchise basket and watch as the number of films grossing less than $100 million continues to dwindle.

Not one of the films on this list hit that golden nine figure amount, with some of them struggling to surpass even the $1 million mark. This isn’t surprising when you take into account the small number of screens the following films opened across when compared to their bigger, glossier cousins.

Whatever the reason, whether it be market saturation, limited distribution or changing tastes, these great movies somehow managed to fly way under the radar…

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score: 95%

Box Office: $514,000

Many films lack style, and even more lack substance, but Iranian-American Ana Lily Amirpour’s A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night has bundles of both. The writer/director called her film the first Iranian feminist vampire Western ever made, and while the comment was tongue in cheek, it goes to show just what a unique work it is.

Shot entirely in high-contrast black and white in city outskirts, it tells the story of the residents of a run-down Iranian town (referred to only as Bad City) and their resident ghoul, a vampire (known only as The Girl) who preys on men that disrespect and mistreat their women. While the subject matter is plainly a political statement, the film itself is a bizarre genre mash-up that works brilliantly, with pulp, noir and new wave just a few of the many styles that Amipour blends seamlessly.

While it isn’t likely to get a release in Iran (unless the brief nudity is edited out, at least) western audiences were treated to a film that is alien yet strangely familiar at the same time, with an underlying madness that would make David Lynch proud.