15 Best Hidden Gem Movies Of 2017
6. Columbus
Video essayist and film theorist turned filmmaker Kogonada’s
directorial debut Columbus slipped in and out of public view with a limited run
in just 63 domestic theatres that earned it just over $1 million.
Maybe other romantic dramas released in 2017 simply had more moviegoer pull – after all, a film about love and architecture with a (shock! horror!) Asian lead might not be the easiest sell. But if you’ve seen Fifty Shades Darker and not Columbus then shame on you.
Starring John Cho and Haley Lu Richardson as a pair of lost souls stranded in the titular city – she, a native stuck caring for her recovering addict mother and he, visiting his sick father – it’s an artfully composed and understated film with a stunning aesthetic that meditates on familial obligation, hindered ambitions, human connection and the power of architecture.
Despite the lack of love at the box office, Columbus was recognised on the indie awards circuit with a fully deserving total of four nominations at the Independent Spirit Awards in categories including Best First Feature, Best Cinematography and Best First Screenplay.