7 Underrated Movies From MCU Directors
4. Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck - Mississippi Grind
Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck are the two directors that brought, arguably, the strongest Avenger to fans' screens with Captain Marvel. Boden and Fleck introduced the '90s era film into the MCU canon, showing Nick Fury and Phil Coulson as active SHIELD agents as well as the complicated history behind Carol Danvers.
Three years before Captain Marvel was released though, Boden and Fleck directed the under-the-radar gambling movie, Mississippi Grind. The film followed a struggling gambling addict who befriends a man he believes to be a lucky charm. What follows is a buddy gambling road trip across the south of the USA.
The chemistry between Ryan Reynolds and Ben Mendelsohn shines brightest as Boden and Fleck expertly explore the less talked about issue of gambling addiction. The acting is incredible and the script flows naturally with realistic dialogue. Reynolds brings his regular humour and charm and Mendelsohn never glamorises his addiction, displaying all the pitfalls and problems a genuine addict would show.
Mississippi Grind slipped through the box office without much attention. The too-often explored road trip genre ultimately meant that Mississippi Grind's popularity did not live up to its brilliant plot and premise.