Underseen Movies of the Decade Part 1

This idea started with a tweet. Someone shared a photo from Maps to the Stars and I thought to myself. "I love that movie, why does no one, including me talk about it anymore?" I decided to take a deep dive into my Indie Gems collection and find some films from the past decade that deserve a bit more conversation. As I selected nearly forty, this post is going up in four parts. I'll also link my old reviews in case you want more information. Be nice to me, it took me a while to find my writing voice.


1) Maps to the Stars

This film is apparently meant to be a satire of the fake Hollywood life but I never felt like it was. To me, it felt more like a window into how fucked up some lives can be. The actors were extraordinary and I loved the story. Review

2) I Used To Be Darker

 I mean, you know me and my dysfunctional stories. There was a time in my life I could relate very easily to our main character. Depressed, confused, and drifting through life quietly about it. Review 

3) The Stanford Prison Experiment

This film about a real life study of men in a mock prison situation felt like it was a hot topic for about a week. Then it disappeared. It was one of my favorites of that year. I found it incredibly fascinating. Review

4) Luce

Yes, there are a few 2019 picks on this list. But seriously how is this movie not being talked about more? The topic of conversation alone should've gotten it more attention. Review

5) Chatroom

I started writing about this film for an upcoming TMP post and even I forgot how much I liked this. The concept is so interesting - people in a chatroom but it's set up like a play. Highly recommend. Review

6) For A Good Time Call...

This movie is so funny, I just adore it. It's about two friends that start a phone sex line. It's very raunchy and I still think about it from time to time. Review

7) Night Moves

Kelly Reichardt is a director I struggle to connect with even though I try, but this one is the exception. I adore this film. Dakota Fanning and Jesse Eisenberg play a pair of environmentalists and they were wonderful together. Review 

8) Charlie Countryman

I could go on a separate rant about how Shia LaBeouf is in another movie out now not getting talked about enough - Honey Boy, but we're talking about Charlie here. This one is pretty batshit but it has Shia, Evan Rachel Wood, Rupert Grint and Mads Mikkelson. Why wouldn't you watch this? Review

9) The Sound of my Voice

I read an article recently where Quentin Tarantino described a movie as "frustrating in a bad way" and I thought to myself "Are you ever frustrated in a good way?" Then I remember this film. Brit Marling has a decent following but Sound of my Voice didn't seem to catch on as much. Review

10) Wish You Were Here

I haven't thought about this film in a long time, but when I saw my review (which I admit is comically vague) I instantly remembered why I liked this so much. It's a great little film, and yes, the less you know the better. Review

Comments

  1. So far, I've seen Maps to the Stars (awesome film), The Stanford Prison Experiment (a must-see), and The Sound of My Voice (very underrated). I have Night Moves in my hard drive as I hope to watch it once I finish my MCU project and get back to work on the Auteurs series for Kelly Reichardt.

    I really want to see Charlie Countryman mainly for ERW.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Evan's great in Charlie Countryman. I struggle a lot with Reichardt films but Night Moves is great.

      Delete
  2. Haven't seen all these, Chatroom looks interesting!! As does Luce, that one went under my radar too,

    As for Stanford, Night Moves and Maps to the Stars, I'm totally with you. I loved all those films, and I feel the same about Reichardt too. Her last film 'A Certain Woman' I think it was didn't grab me =/

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    Replies
    1. I didn't care for A Certain Woman either. I think only 1/3 of it really stuck with me.

      Thanks for reading!

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  3. It's been years since I saw Maps to the Stars (the only on the list I've see) but I remember that I really got that Hollywood satire. And I loved the performances.

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  4. Shit! I thought I hadn't seen any of these, but ironically enough, I totally forgot about #6 For A Good Time Call... I have seen that one.

    But, uh... I have no idea how I felt about it.

    It's funny what you say about reading your old reviews - it really can be hard to see how we all started. Kind of painful at times, no doubt (mine, not yours). If I could only watch one of these....what would you recommend?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No mine IS painful lol. Of these...that's tough. Either Chatroom for how different it is or Maps to the Stars.

      Delete
  5. Map to the Stars has always been on to my-watch list. Thanks for making this post because it reminded me to watch it. :)

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