Which are lesser-known movies that are well worth seeing?

The Man from Earth

It's a small budget indie movie, and if you don't like people talking and prefer action, then maybe this isn't for you. Buut, for me, it was a great movie. It only uses one set, a room or two, for the entire movie. And it's still great.

Huh, I need ti actually rewatch I've been suggesting it so much lol

Edit "Timecrimes" was a good one imo as well iirc https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0480669/

I think no one has mentioned "the man from earth", it is a great movie that got a lot of success thanks to piracy, enough that it allowed it to even get a sequel (I haven't watched it it seems to be far less recommended).

I recommend to just watch it without looking too much at the theme or plot. I'll just say that it's a movie with a lot of conversations and basically no action at all. You could compare it in that sense to the classic "12 angry men", not in plot or theme, but style, mostly something that happens between a small cast of actors through dialogue.

Edit: and just a few minutes before me someone did actually share it...

Stay 2005

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters

https://youtu.be/ytA4_dI2mjc?si=9ds_I5_w39-Yphoz

I enjoyed it, it's an artsy Japanese film directed by Paul Schrader who wrote Taxi Driver. Unique and engaging film that touches on gender roles and fighting for "valiant causes."

I liked the cinematography and how they wove the chapters together.

Flight of the Navigator

My favorite: Stranger than Fiction

Also, Fandango, Passengers, Life or Something Like it, Birdy, Home Office

Some can be hard to find.

Rustlers Rhapsody. A comedy western that mixes eras and has a genre savvy protagonist.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cIE1fT395HM

Thunderpants.

Late to the party but didn't see it listed yet.

Chumscrubber

"But, it's for school..."
Shows how wrapped up people become in their own stories they become totally disconnected from what's happening around them. Sheriff doesn't realize his son is kidnapped Bunch of teens run around with a kid they've kidnapped, even tell one of their moms, who gets too wrapped up in who his mom knows to take it seriously.

Jamie Bell, Camilla Belle, Justin Chatwin, William Fichtner, Allison Janney, Ralph Fiennes, Glenn Close, Carrie-Anne Moss, Rita Wilson, Rory Culkin

We saw it back when it was "new to dvd" desperate to see something new at the time, and have gone through a couple copies now because it doesn't come back when we lend it out. Happy to spread it though!

Iceman is a 2017 German-Italian-Austrian adventure drama film written and directed by Felix Randau. It is a fictional story about the life of Ötzi, a natural mummy of a man discovered on 19 September 1991 in the Ötzal Alps.

The film, which was filmed in the Tyrolean and Bavarian Alps features almost no dialogue, with a minimal amount in untranslated language based on reconstructed Rhaetian, created for the film by a linguist.

I give you lesser known movies that also have popular actors! (And I think they're very good)

"With Honors"

"Renaissance Man"

"Regarding Henry"

@original_reader I feel like no one talks about Deerskin, which was an excellent low-key comedy/horror/satire/weird-ass film from a few years back.

Perfume: Story of a Murderer

Jacob’s Ladder.

A largely forgotten psychological horror film from 1990 with Tim Robbins and Macaulay Culkin.

Saw it on TV once by chance and loved it ever since.

I’d say it’s must-watch for being influential despite its moderate success and being incredibly gripping as you try to get your head around what’s actually going on.

The Nice Guys

Rubber.

Rampage, it's such a good popcorn flick. It's so over the top that I wouldn't blame you for writing it off without watching it, but give it a chance, it's ultimate action silliness.

Cabin in the woods, its a top 2 horror satire, but you may have heard of that one

Tucker and Dale vs evil, maybe watch this one before cabin in the woods, it's the best horror satire.

Galaxy quest, easily the best star trek movie ever made, one of the top 5 movies ever made.

I'm not sure how many of these are hidden gems, it depends on your viewing habits (not many people would consider horror to contain much good cinema)

Repo: A Genetic Opera

Cashback I feel is pretty unknown. Maybe not but still very good. Also Gentleman Broncos is fantastic if you’re into the napoleon dynamite style of comedy, same creators.

Upgrade (Cyberpunk movie from Australia)

In no particular order (and yes some are more well known in film circles, maybe I should've ommited them, but you never know what the reader hasn't seen):

Jojo Rabbit, 2019 - a comedic coming of age in Nazi Germany. Jojo and his imaginary friend, Hitler, face a complicated and rapidly changing world.

The Mitchells versus the Machines, 2021 - animated family adventure for fun with the whole family.

Rise of Leslie Vernon, 2006 - mocumentary following slasher killer Leslie Vernon.

Bunny and the Bull, 2009 - an, in my opinion, gorgeously set film about two friends on a road trip in Spain.

Parallel Mothers (Madras Paralelas), 2021 - not a hidden gem if you know anything about Spanish cinema, but maybe you don't. Penolpe Cruz is a new mother whose life becomes intertwined with another women's when they give birth in the same hospital.

Hero (英雄), 2002 - again, if you know Wuxia film then this isn't a hidden gem. A pinnacle of the genre, a Chinese Rashomon with wire fights.

Blow Up, 1966 - British New Wave classic. A photographer used to a free and casual 60s life becomes certain he has accidentally photographed evidence of a murder.

Berberian Sound Studio, 2012 - exploration of sound and feeling. A mild mannered amateurish British sound technician gets a big job working on the sound effects for a giallo film in Italy.

Martyrs, 2008 - the pinnacle of French New Extreme movement. It made a big name for itself at the time for being the sort of torture porn film that really gave it a point beyond vouyerism. Not for the faint of heart.

Rye Lane, 2023 - a romcom love letter to London.

The Day Shall Come, 2019 - an eccentric black preacher gets caught up in a web of madness that runs deep.

The three tensest films I've seen -

Flight of the Phoenix (original B&W one)

Duel (Spielberg's first film)

And one with David Wotsisname that plays Poirot but he's a terrorist on a plane

Known to horror aficionados, but not to general movie watchers: Lake Mungo (2008)

I highly recommend you don't read up on it. Besides the fact that the film just works so much better when you come to it fresh, most reviews - both in print and YouTube videos - spoil pivotal scenes, including in the artwork they choose to use as a thumbnail/heading. Just watch it. Even if the horror doesn't work for you (many people report being bored by the film), it's still a great film with surprising depth and heart. It's worth checking off your list for sure.

The basics: It's a mockumentary set in Australia, made by a director/writer who hasn't done anything before or since, featuring actors who probably aren't known to you, even if you're an Aussie. Much of the dialogue is improvised, so it feels very real and natural.

Try to watch it alone, in the dark, with no distractions (turn off your phone). This will help maximise your chances of being one of the lucky people the film has managed to scare in a profound way. I'm one of those lucky people, I'm happy to say!

Detective Heart of America: The Final Freedom is a comedy film that will either be the funniest thing ever or an absolute cringefest, depending on your opinion of Jason Steele's brand of humor. There is no in-between. It's available to watch for free on YouTube, or whatever alternative frontend you use.

Jason Steele, AKA FilmCow, you may recognize from YouTube series such as Charlie the Unicorn or Llamas with Hats. Yeah. That guy. Imagine 70 minutes of that.

The film is a sequel to a pair of 4 minute long shorts (here and here). The film contains characters from these shorts and references events from them. So watching the film without watching the shorts first leads to some characters showing up out of nowhere with unexplained details. But that's how every other character in the movie is, so... whatever, lmao.

I still recommend watching the shorts first. If nothing else they can serve as an appetizer for you, to decide whether or not it's your cup of tea. The film is the same vibe as the shorts, just longer. If you hate the shorts you will despise the film.

It's unironically my favorite film, so, I hope you get some amusement out of it. But if you bounce right off, I won't be surprised. If you like it, enjoy quoting every line of it for the next month. If you hate it, sorry for wasting your time.

A decent number of folks have still never seen "Primer", since it was kind of an indie classic before it got a cult following.

It's a a must watch because:

A. It's just really well made. B. It's delightfully mind bending.

Didn't see Big Man Japan (2007) listed here.

Pecker 1998

A talented young photographer, who enjoys snapping photos of his satirical, perverted Baltimore neighborhood and his wacky family, gets dragged into a world of pretentious artists from New York City and finds newfound fame.

Written and directed by John Waters.

Starring Edward Furlong, Christina Ricci and Bess Armstrong.

Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em

Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em is a 1988 Australian short feature about an underground party held in post-apocalyptic Melbourne. The film is a product of nuclear anxiety at the height of the Cold War.

Director: Ray Boseley. Cast: Rob Howard, Nique Needles, Polly Croke, Daniel Lillford, Fred Dugina, Maddog Bott, George Huxley, Chris Windmill, Ian 'Quinsy' Maclean, Lindsay Brundson, Clayton Jacobson, Adam Learner, Myrtle Woods, Bill Johnston, Smiley Rowe, John F. Howard, Claire Bordas, John Flaus, Wayne ullman, Dennis Tupicoff, Peter Lane, Wain Fimo, Bruce Barnes, Angus Algie, Loretta Bell, Grant Barling, Claire Boseley, Julian Faull, Zlatko Kasumovic, Anthony Kay, Ollie Martin, Penny McKimm, Dennis Prosser, Adrian Scully, Aleksi Vellis.

These are some of my favourite, in no particular order:
The Phantasm series
Dale and Tucker Fight Evil
Cabin in the woods
Snowpiercer
Equilibrium
A bitter sweet life
The man from nowhere
I saw the Devil (you may not want to watch this one)
Train to Busan (1 and 2)
Lady Vengence/Sympathy for Lady vengence
Sympathy for Mr Vengence
OldBoy (the Korean version - you may also not want to watch this)
Wrath of man
The Family (DeNiro and Pheiffer)
Keeping up with the Joneses
Gran Torino
Boondock Saints
Layer Cake
RocknRolla
Operation Fortune
Lucky Number Slevin
A man called Otto
Stand up guys
King of New York
The Dead Zone
7 Psychopaths
Biloxi Blues
In Bruges
The Matador
From Paris with love

I want to say Kin-Dza-Dza. It's a very silly and memorable work of Soviet science fiction.

Wong Kar-Wai’s films, particularly his 90s Hong Kong vibes of Chungking Express and its spiritual counterpart Fallen Angels.

The Slammin Salmon. Same group that did super troopers and beerfest. Great comedy, I don't see people ever talk about it. Enjoy!

Snatch mighhhhht be well known? It is hilarious and just fun to watch!

It's a Guy Ritchie movie that follows a few groups of people and how they all come to be involved in either chasing or having been in the presence of a diamond that was stolen. It's a lot of fun to see the interaction between the different groups they follow and some of the lines are absolutely hilarious.

I few are talking about lesser-known movies then

Gloria Bell

The movie is a remake of a 2013 film and is directed by the same guy who made the original.

It's about a middle-aged woman living in LA (or it New York? Idrc) and dating.

The reason it's one of my fav movies of all time is that Julianne Moore gives a performance that is so human that you can see yourself and everyone else and all our normal human experiences in just one woman who is living her life and dating, it's a beautiful experience.

Tomorrowland

Wake in Fright.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067541/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

An Aussie movie from the 70's that was thought lost until a print was discovered and a restored version was released.

I'm not going to spoil it, it's well worth a look but there are scenes of a real-life kangaroo hunt which might put some people off.

Here are a few movies from my Jellyfin server that I loved and that seem less popular:

• Blow the Man Down
• The Holdovers
• Jojo Rabbit
  • This movie made me shriek at points. Like, not because I was scared, but just from... I dunno, delighted outrage?
• Me and You and Everyone We Know
  • ))<>((
  • If you haven't seen the movie, don't look this up.

Gummo https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119237/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Pontypool, a Canadian indie film with a unique take on zombies

I’m always surprised at how few people have seen “Oh brother where art thou”

Also manborg

Sir! No, Sir! (2005, 1080p)

Sir! No Sir! is a documentary film about the anti-war movement within the ranks of the United States Military during the Vietnam War. It consists in part of interviews with Vietnam veterans explaining the reasons they protested the war or even defected. The film tells the story of how, from the very start of the war, there was resentment within the ranks over the difference between the conflict in Vietnam and the "good wars" that their fathers had fought. Over time, it became apparent that so many were opposed to the war that they could speak of a movement.

Dersu Uzala (1080p, Eng subtitles)

Based on the work of the scientist and writer, famous traveler and explorer of the Far East V. Arseniev. The story of his friendship with the guide Dersu Uzala with extraordinary personal qualities. Their journey through the taiga-forest, full of dangerous adventures, is the plot of the film, but the meaning of the story goes far beyond the plot: it's a story about the brotherhood of people, that we are all children of the same land.

Year of production: 1975

Directed by: Akira Kurosawa
Screenwriters: Yuri Nagibin, Akira Kurosawa
Composer: Schwartz Isaac
Cinematographers: Gantman Yuri, Dobronravov Fedor, Nakai Asakazu
Production Designer: Raksha Yuri
Cast: Yuri Solomin, Alexander Pyatkov, Maxim Munzuk, Vladimir Kremena, Svetlana Danilchenko, Suymenkul Chokmorov, Mikhail Bychkov, Dima Korshikov, Nikolay Volkov, Igor Sykhra, Janis Yakobson, Alexander Baranov

Prizes and awards:
1975 - FIPRESCI Prize at the IX IFF in Moscow
1975 - gold prize at the IX IFF in Moscow
1976 - "Oscar" by the American Film Academy in Los Angeles (USA) for the best foreign film
1976 - diploma of the II degree "for achieving the best results in the artistic, visual and technical solution of the film" at the I All-Union competition for the best use of domestic negative color films when shooting feature films
1976 - participation diploma at the XIV New York International Film Festival (USA)
1977 - Special Prize of the National Association of Screenwriters of Spain, for the best foreign film shown in the country
1977 - diploma of participation at the IFF in Brussels (Belgium)
1977 - honorary award to producer Krichevsky Georges (posthumously) at the IFF in Brussels (Belgium)
1978 - M. Munzuku French critics' award "for the best acting work"
1976 - diploma of participation at the IFF in Vienna (Austria)
1977 - International Cinema Prize "David di Donatello" (Italy) for the best foreign film shown in Italy

It depends on what "lesser-known" is to you, as we don't know how avid a movie watcher you are. But assuming you mean films that aren't necessarily obscure but aren't too mainstream, I'd suggest:

• Wind River

• The Handmaiden (Korean)

• Incendies

• Blue Ruin

Oh goodness, too many to count: Boy Kills World, I Saw The TV Glow, American Fiction, Kalki 2898-AD, Leave The World Behind, Dirty Girls, and I didn't love it but I think The Beast/La Bete is worth watching as well for its stunningly accurate depiction of what it's like to be lonely while in love and how that affects both men and women over time.

A Man for All Seasons. Excellent legal drama and look into the birth of the Anglican church.

Do you have a favorite genre?

The Kings Of Summer

Coming-of-age comedy about three teenage friends -- Joe (Nick Robinson), Patrick (Gabriel Basso) and the eccentric and unpredictable Biaggio (Moises Arias) - who, in the ultimate act of independence, decide to spend their summer building a house in the woods and living off the land. Free from their parents' rules, their idyllic summer quickly becomes a test of friendship as each boy learns to appreciate the fact that family - whether it is the one you're born into or the one you create -- is something you can't run away from.

Swept Away and really anything else those two co-stared in.

Dororo Based on a Manga from the '60s, the story is about a boy that has to slay a bunch of different demons to reclaim pieces of his body that were stolen from him at birth. It's a rather silly movie, and I found it to be a fun journey.

If you like animation you have to see Son of the White Mare. It's a gorgeous and elegant retelling of traditional Hungarian fairy tales with clever nods to a modern psychedelic sensibility.

Ruben and Ed. It stars Crispin Glover and Howard Hesseman.

As a side note, it was filmed entirely in Utah and, at the time, I actually lived in the apartment building (not the unit) they used when filming.

If you liked Napoleon Dynamite, you will probably enjoy rainbow time.