12 Movies In The IMDB Top 250 You've Probably Never Seen

Not many people know that talented movie star Sean Penn is also a competent director.

The proof? Into The Wild must have been an incredibly difficult story to write (Penn also lent the movie his... pen) and direct. It follows the story of Christopher McCandless, who, after graduating from university, gives his life-savings to charity, leaves behind all his material possessions and hitchhikes to Alaska to start a new life in the wilderness.

The film is presented in a nonlinear fashion, cutting between Christopher's time in the wild and the lead up to his epic journey. Penn had to juggle these two timelines, give the film focus and, you know, make it interesting, and somehow, he succeeds on all fronts.

The movie manages to be incredibly bleak and dark while remaining full of hope and spirit; Christopher's suffering in the wilderness reminds him that happiness is best when shared with friends and family, for example.

Into The Wild only made $56 million worldwide so it wasn't seen by many, and since lead Emile Hirsch isn't exactly the biggest of movie stars, there wasn't a big name to get people hooked.

It's a shame more people didn't see it - had this landed with more of a splash, Penn may have gone on to direct even more movies afterward.