15 Best Hidden Gem Movies Of 2018

9. American Animals

Although it came and went without much fanfare, American Animals managed to make an impression as one of the most inventive crime movies of this decade. Telling the real-life story of a 2004 library heist conducted by four students, Bart Layton's flick jumps between a cinematic representation of what went down and documentary-style commentary from the actual robbers themselves, who offer insight into the movie's own validity and portrayal of events.

It's an ambitious idea that could have fallen so terribly on its face, but somehow American Animals manages to synergise both elements effortlessly. Not only is it a successful crime drama, then, but also an engaging quasi-documentary, each part fuelled with real directorial flair and a palpable passion for the material that's being adapted.

At the very least, you won't see anything quite like American Animals this year.