15 Best Hidden Gem Movies Of 2017

Despite a standing ovation after its Sundance premiere, being scooped up by distributors Sony Pictures Classics for a cool $5 million and a not-too-shabby 80% Rotten Tomatoes rating, director Dave McCary’s feature film debut Brigsby Bear largely flew under the radar in 2017, earning only a little over $500,000 at the box office.

It’s a little oddball of a movie starring McCary’s SNL colleague Kyle Mooney as naïve man-child James whose world is rocked when finds out the people he thought were his parents actually abducted him as a child. On top of that, the weird, educational kids’ TV show he’s watched since childhood about an animatronic, Teddy Ruxpin-like character called Brigsby Bear was actually an elaborate ruse to keep him occupied.

After returning to his bio-family James sets about making a movie to both conclude Brigsby Bear’s journey and find closure himself. Strange and sad but still very sweet, it’s a touching tribute to fandom, filmmaking and those weird kids’ shows they used to make back in the 80s that’s perfect for those who like their films heartfelt and quirky.