Let’s face it — there are only so many hours in the day. Trying to find time to watch anything at all can be a chore, especially when there are so many things currently vying for your attention. Since big-budget movies have big-budget marketing campaigns, a lot of smaller, independent titles tend to fall through the cracks. Below you’ll find a list of impossibly entertaining films that may have slipped through your fingers this year. These flicks come from all over the world, and they may or may not be available in your neck of the woods at this time. So, you know, there might be a very good reason why you missed it. Don’t beat yourself up too much, okay?
Here they are, in no particular order.
The Woman
Some people found director Lucky McGee’s darkly humorous follow-up to Andrew van den Houten’s “Offspring” to be offensive towards women, but I think these individuals may have taken the flick too seriously. Sandwiched in-between the torture and humiliation is a sly commentary on modern society, a sharp satire of suburban morality. What’s more, it’s a damn fine horror flick with one hell of a finale. Telling people how much you enjoyed “The Woman” is also a great way to clear a room of conservative types. Trust me.
Attack the Block
As far as I’m concerned, writer/director Joe Cornish’s feature-length debut is the clear choice for the best movie I’ve seen this year. But, since I have a difficult time ranking movies that aren’t in the same genre, I won’t go there. But know this: I had a hell of a time watching “Attack the Block”, and it’s my go-to recommendation when someone is looking for a flick that’s a bit different than the raw sewage clogging American cineplexes these days. If you have the opportunity to see it on a large screen, by all means, do so.
Beach Spike
I’m sure a lot of you are rolling your eyes right about now, but I honestly don’t give two healthy American bowel movements. The movie is a massive amount of fun, from its cornball romantic subplots to its admittedly cheesy fight sequences. And while you may think that I’m cutting the film some slack because of all the attractive women on-display, you’d be wrong. Well, mostly wrong. I’ll admit that the scenery does make the cheese taste a little better, but it’s really just an added bonus. Cinematic confection at its finest.
The Tunnel
There are so many “found footage” movies on the market that it’s often hard to separate the good from the unwatchable. Director Carlo Ledesma’s deeply suspenseful outing is easily the cream of this year’s crop. It’s an exceptionally well-crafted horror flick, an endlessly eerie experience filmed beneath the streets of Sydney, Australia. The tunnel system is bizarre in and of itself, and Ledesma and crew do a fine job of using these naturally creepy passages to their advantage. “Paranormal Activity” wishes it was this scary.
Head
This was one of the biggest surprises I’ve had all year. There’s nothing overly remarkable about Cho Un’s delightful action/thriller, nor does it redefine the genre. However, “Head” moves at such a break-neck pace that it almost dazzles you with its spectacle. Park Ye-jin is utterly delightful; her fight scene in the retirement home is an absolute riot. And while the shifts in tone are a little jarring at times, it doesn’t dampen the experience whatsoever. Here’s hoping someone snaps this flick up for North American distribution very soon.
Pages: 1 2
