12 Surprisingly Awesome Straight-To-Video Movies
3. The Man From Earth (2007)
Why It Should've Sucked: You know what kind of movies thrive on STV? Dumb action movies, not dialogue-dense, single-location dramas with no stars, nor any kind of action to speak of. There's a special place in bargain basement Hell for films like this, especially ones from the director of not only Lusty Liaisons but also Lusty Liaisons 2!
Why It's Awesome: Had it been released about five years later, there's a good chance The Man from Earth would've been a solid VOD hit, though its profile was boosted significantly by the amount it was torrented thanks to strong word-of-mouth, enough that a sequel is currently in development.
The film revolves around a professor (David Lee Smith) who explains to his intellectual friends that he is in fact an early form of human and has been living for over 14,000 years, all while his pals attempt to disprove his various claims.
It may not amount to much more than a debate, but the smart, fascinating dialogue easily papers over the low budget and amateur acting to make this an uncommonly thoughtful meditation on existence and humanity's potential. Don't feel bad if you've never heard of it, though.