Hidden Gems

As a movie buff, of course I love all of the big classic films.  I’ve seen Forrest Gump, Shawshank Redemption, and Pulp Fiction countless times, and I watch Raiders of the Lost Arc at what seems to be just about every family gathering.  While huge movies like these have been proven great time and time again, there is something wonderful about finding little unheard-of gems that you stumble across and end up being absolutely incredible.  With movies like this, it can usually be really hit or miss, so when you find a great one, it is extremely satisfying.  So without further ado, here are some movies you most likely haven’t heard of, but you simply must watch.

Columbus, 2017 

This is one movie I hadn’t heard anything about until it popped up on my Hulu.  Upon watching it I was extremely surprised that I hadn’t heard more about it, since it was one of the most original movies I had seen in a while.  It is about a Korean-American, middle aged man and a 20-something woman who find each other and basically explore architecture throughout Columbus, Ohio.  The girl is an architecture fanatic and the man is an uninterested son of a famous architect.  My favorite part of this movie gave me a really new outlook on architecture due to how the characters find beauty in even the most simple buildings.  This movie is visually stunning and has such unique character relationships.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople, 2016

One reason you probably haven’t heard about this movie is that it is quite literally from the other side of the world: New Zealand.  It was directed by Taika Waititi, who I fell in love with from Flight of the Conchords, but is probably best known for directing Thor: Ragnorok.  This movie is about an troubled orphan boy who is adopted by an older couple.  The wife dies and an adventure ensues with the man and the little boy.  It is a quirky and hilarious film, with a lot of heart.  Plus, there is literally no better accent out there than New Zealand in my personal opinion.

Brigsby Bear , 2017

In an industry in which we are seeing so many remakes and repeats, a movie as original as Brigsby Bear is a true rarity.  This film is hard to describe without giving a lot away but here is my attempt:  a man who was kidnapped as a baby is ripped out of the only world he knows and brought back to his real family.  We watch as he tries to adjust to the real world and understand how to interact with other people.  With no idea what to do with his life, he decides to try to finish making his favorite canceled TV show by himself, a show called “Brigsby Bear”.  It stars SNL’s Kyle Mooney (my personal favorite cast member at the moment), so of course it is extremely funny, but it is so heartwarming too, especially if you are an aspiring film maker.

Wind River, 2017

I saw this movie in theaters, and went in knowing very little about it.  Sufficed to say I was quite surprised that it wasn’t making its circuits during award season, since I found it to be one of my favorite films of the year.  It follows a male wildlife officer and a female FBI agent as they investigate the murder of an 18 year old girl on a Native American reservation.  This film is a beautifully crafted mystery with the backdrop of snowy Wyoming.  The story is extremely heartbreaking, due to how honest it is, and the reality it explores of how the native people are so very overlooked in this country.  Overall it is powerful and tells a message that needs to be heard.