18 Great Overlooked Films Of 2018

So what makes for a great overlooked film, or a hidden gem as I like to call them? For me, it's simple. Any movie that resonated with me, that I found some connection with, and feel others will find a similar connection if they give it a chance. As with any year, there are so many movies that it's easy for a lot of great ones to simply fly under the radar. Fantastic performances go unnoticed, unique storylines sit waiting to be discovered (or copied), and as usual I struggled to find just 15 to put down here.

That's why I cheated and made it 18. Not that it's cheating when it's my list, right?

I went with films that surprised me with their spirit, like the Kodi Smit-Mcphee survival thriller Alpha, or spoke my language politically like The Oath did. Some of these movies spoke to my baser instincts, as the giallo-inspired Let the Corpses Tan did,  while Ibiza put both of my favorite actresses together for a silly international comedy. And that Brett Haley; I think he has a movie on my list every single year. There's a lot of good to be found in each of these movies, so check 'em out below and then check 'em out at home!

And when you're done, be sure to follow all of our end of the year coverage here!

The Mercy (review)
Director: James Marsh
Cast: Colin Firth, Rachel Weisz, David Thewlis, Simon McBurney



Jonathan (review)
Director: Bill Oliver
Cast: Ansel Elgort, Suki Waterhouse, Patricia  Clarkson, Matt Bomer



The Oath (review)
Director: Ike Barinholtz
Cast: Ike Barinholtz, Tiffany Haddish, John Cho, Billy Magnussen, Carrie Brownstein



Final Score (review)
Director: Scott Mann
Cast: Dave Bautista, Pierce Brosnan



Let the Corpses Tan (review)
Directors: Helene Cattet and Bruno Forzani



Alpha (review)
Director: Albert Hughes
Cast: Kodi Smit-McPhee,  Johannes Haukur Johannesson



Night Comes On (review)
Director: Jordana Spiro
Cast: Dominique Fishback, Tatum Marilyn Hall



Hearts Beat Loud (review)
Director: Brett Haley
Cast: Nick Offerman, Kiersey Clemons, Blythe Danner, Sasha Lane, Toni Collette, Ted Danson



Ibiza 
Director: Alex Richanbach
Cast: Gillian Jacobs, Vanessa Bayer, Phoebe Robinson, Richard Madden



Revenge (review)
Director: Coralie Fargeat
Cast: Matilda Lutz



Marrowbone (review)
Director: Matthew Stagg
Cast: George MacKay, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Heaton, Mia Goth



I Kill Giants (review)
Director: Anders Walter
Cast: Madison Wolfe, Imogen Poots, Zoe Saldana, Sydney Wade



Thoroughbreds (review)
Director: Cory Finley
Cast: Olivia Cooke, Anya Taylor-Joy, Anton Yelchin



Monsters and Men (review)
Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green
Cast: John David Washington, Anthony Ramos, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Rob Morgan



Assassination Nation (review)
Director: Sam Levinson
Cast: Suki Waterhouse, Odessa Young, Hari Nef, Abra, Joel McHale, Bill Skarsgard, Bella Thorne



Mom and Dad (review)
Director: Brian Taylor
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Selma Blair, Anne Winters, Zackary Arthur



Kickboxer: Retaliation (review)
Director: Dmitri Logothetis
Cast: Alain Moussi, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Mike Tyson, Christopher Lambert



Never Goin' Back
Director: Augustine Frizzell
Cast: Maia Mitchell, Camila Morrone, Kyle Mooney

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Punch Drunk DVDs: 'A Wrinkle in Time', 'Death Wish', 'Gringo', 'The Hurricane Heist', 'Thoroughbreds', And More!

NEW THIS WEEK

A Wrikle in Time

Accaimled director Ava DuVernay adapts the classic book of the same name, in Disney’s latest family adventure – A Wrinkle in Time. The film follows a pair of brilliant young siblings who set out on an adventure to find their missing scientist father (Chris Pine). Joined by their classmate and a trio of mysterious astral guides (Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, and Oprah Winfrey), the children brave a dangerous journey across dimensions to conquer their fears and save the lost scientist.

We Said: “Clocking in at under two hours, A Wrinkle in Time has a strong lead performance by Storm Reid and enough vibrant costumed characters to keep younger aged moviegoers interested. But even with the lavish budget, visual effects, and A-list stars it only just manages to best its less flashy 2003 made-for-TV predecessor. ” Rating: 2.5 out of 5

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Death Wish

A remake of the cult classic 70’s revenge thriller, this gritty update stars Bruce Willis as a mild mannered surgeon, tipped over the edge of sanity after his family is attacked. Obsessed with setting right the wrongs that were commited, he becomes a morally gray one man vengeance machine, killing anyone who stands in his way.

 We Said: “The Death Wish story has been watered down for decades by hundreds, maybe thousands of copycat movies. While nobody expected this reboot to break the mold or anything, the complete lack of any ambition is also a real drag. Despite the violent times we live in this Death Wish would rather go off half-cocked than have anything useful to say.” Rating: 2 out of 5

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Gringo

The new action-comedy Gringo follows mild-mannered U.S. businessman Harold (David Oyelowo) who finds himself caught in a Mexican drug war after reluctantly accepting a high risk job from his shady employers (Joel Edgerton and Charlize Theron). Stuck way over his head in a situation he barely comprihends, Harold fights for survival at every turn, and the in the process, crosses the line from law-abiding citizen to wanted international criminal.

We Said: “As you can tell there are a lot of moving parts in Gringo, but they all manage to fit well with each other. The end result is a hell of a ride and quite the good time.” Rating: 4 out of 5

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The Hurricane Heist

A small rural town is faced with two monsterous problems at the same time – a hurricane bearing down on the Gulf coastline, and the well armed mercenaries who intend to take of advantage of it, using the storm as cover for their robbery of the local branch of the treasury department.

We Said: “The Hurricane Heist is a broken movie. Is it good? No. But it’s also not the worst thing I’ve seen all year (looking at you, 15:17 to Paris). It’s not something I would recommend shelling out actual money to see in a theater, but if you happen to come across it on Netflix one day, it might give you a chuckle. An EXTREME chuckle.” Rating: 1.5 out of 5

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Thoroughbreds

A viscious dark comedy, Thoroughbreds follows an affluent overacheiver (Anya Taylor-Joy) who reluctantly befriends a strange and troubled classmate resently released from a mental health facility (Olivia Cooke). While the two initially seem to have nothing in common, they soon bond over their mutual moral ambiguity, hatching a violent plan for revenge with the help of a local drug dealer (Anton Yelchin).

We Said: “The film isn't overly concerned about the high school social scene, but peer pressure? Toxic friendships? Entitlement? [Director Cory] Finley's conclusion doesn't wrap up his various ideas in a way that truly grips, but Thoroughbreds more than leaves an impression, it'll have you hoping to see these troublemakers reunited on the big screen.” Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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Also Available: Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Complete Series, South Park: The Complete Twenty First Season, Devil’s Gate, The Midnight Man, The Last Ship: The Complete Fourth Season, Freak Show, and Every Day

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Review: 'Thoroughbreds', Anya Taylor-Joy & Olivia Cooke Lead A Killer Dark Comedy

A thoroughbred is a creature of such exquisite breeding that they are beyond reproach. Something foul must have creeped into the gene pool and infected the murderous teens at the heart of Cory Finley's directorial debut, Thoroughbreds, because they are seriously messed up. A film full of twisted, despicable characters and savage wit, Finley doesn't dare ask us to sympathize with any of them. Smartly, he bursts that bubble pretty early on, and by letting these privileged, overly mannered monsters run rampant our expectations for them are subverted enough that we begin to care how they turn out. I felt the same way about the devilish duo in Funny Games, characters that Thoroughbreds' murderous antagonists share a lot in common with.

Rising stars Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy are Amanda and Lily respectively, two childhood friends who grew up in the posh luxury of the Connecticut suburbs. Long estranged, they try to rekindle their dormant friendship when Amanda returns to town a total pariah after a series of disturbing events, including an opening scene where she seems to be preparing to butcher her horse, the oft-mentioned Honeymooner. Still outwardly odd and distant, willingly offering that she doesn't "have any feelings", Amanda is bluntly aware that her mother paid Lily to be friends with her again, even though Lily won't admit to it. Not at first, anyway. Lily has been playing the polite goody two-shoes for so long that she's a pressure cooker ready to burst.

The most fascinating aspect of Finley's script is the shifting power structure between the girls.  Amanda's blunt honesty and reputation for violence draws something ugly out of Lily, but really it's just her natural, wicked self. Together they cook up a nasty scheme to murder Lily's stepfather (Paul Sparks), a douchebag who walks around indoors in goofy sunglasses and uses the workout machine at al hours of the day and night. The rumbling of his workouts adds an ominous note to the sparse, chilling score, especially in a tense latter scene.

Finley isn't keen on exploring why Amanda and Lily are who they are. There's no deep commentary on their privileged upbringing turning them into disaffected killers. We're left to consider that, hey, maybe they're just naturally sociopathic, with no regard for the lives of others regardless of their social class. Anton Yelchin, in the late actor's final screen performance, plays Tim, a petty drug dealer with big aspirations and minimum wage realities. Blackmailed into helping with the murder, Tim is just collateral damage in the overall scheme of things. While their haggling over the murder's details is the one point when the movie drags (it's always at a very deliberate pace), Tim is important for putting into context just how bad Amanda and Lily really are. They're going to be fine no matter what happens; but somebody like Tim, with no resources and nobody to come help him, will be screwed for life. Do they care? Nah, not really. It's just not in their nature.

With The Witch, Split, and Bates Motel under their belts, Anya Taylor-Joy and Olivia Cooke are no strangers to genre at this point. They've still never played characters quite like Lily and Amanda, though. Lily is the outwardly emotive one, and Taylor-Joy expresses it in self-doubt that evolves into a dangerous level of confidence. Cooke is the polar opposite, and while her character is referred to as "the crazy one", there's just enough vulnerability shown to make you wonder what's really going on inside Amanda's head. Meanwhile, their performances are matched by Finley's skillful, patient hand at the camera. He's smart enough to keep the focus on his two brilliant young stars and their unhinged performances, although he occasionally gives us an offbeat image or two. A scene where Amanda plays chess on a life size game board is a particular highlight, and had me thinking of those backyard cricket matches in Heathers. 

Funny Games, Heathers...while it may seem crazy to put Thoroughbreds in the same sentence as those classic movies about killer teens, they explore many of the same themes just from different angles, with similarly snarky banter. The film isn't overly concerned about the high school social scene, but peer pressure? Toxic friendships? Entitlement? Finley's conclusion doesn't wrap up his various ideas in a way that truly grips, but Thoroughbreds more than leaves an impression, it'll have you hoping to see these troublemakers reunited on the big screen.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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'Thoroughbreds' Trailer: Anya Taylor-Joy And Olivia Cooke Plot A Murder

Wealth, boredom, and destructive tendencies coalesce into murderous rage in Thoroughbreds, the new dark comedy that boasts the starring duo of Olivia Cooke and Anya Taylor-Joy.  Written and directed by Cory Finley, the film debuted at Sundance last year to strong reviews, and features one of the final performances by Anton Yelchin.

Finley also wrote the script, which follows childhood friends who reconnect in suburban Connecticut, and set out on a plan to kill one's stepfather. Indirectly, of course.  Here's the synopsis:

Childhood friends Lily and Amanda reconnect in suburban Connecticut after years of growing apart. Lily has turned into a polished, upper class teenager, with a fancy boarding school on her transcript and a coveted internship on her resume; Amanda has developed a sharp wit and her own particular attitude, but all in the process of becoming a social outcast. Though they initially seem completely at odds, the pair bond over Lily’s contempt for her oppressive stepfather, Mark, and as their friendship grows, they begin to bring out one another’s most destructive tendencies. Their ambitions lead them to hire a local hustler, Tim, and take matters into their own hands to set their lives straight.

I've regretted missing this for over a year now and can't wait to finally catch up with it. Thoroughbreds opens March 23rd.

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'Thoroughbreds' Trailer: Anya Taylor-Joy And Olivia Cooke Have A Murderous Reunion

With Sundance veterans Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch), Olivia Cooke (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) and the late Anton Yelchin (Like Crazy), Cory Finley's thriller Thoroughbreds was always going to be one of the buzziest movies in Park City. How it fares outside of friendlier confines is the big question, but the new trailer certainly shows promise.

Taylor-Joy and Cooke play childhood friends who reunite over their mutual murderous ambitions. There are so many of these dark, deeply cynical suburban comedies on the indie circuit that it's tough for anything to make a mark, but I have a feeling this one might. The cast is great, Yelchin looks like he's having a wild time in one of his final screen roles, and the contrasting humor between the two leads is new from them both.

Here is the official synopsis:

Childhood friends Lily and Amanda reconnect in suburban Connecticut after years of growing apart. Lily has turned into a polished, upper-class teenager, with a fancy boarding school on her transcript and a coveted internship on her resume; Amanda has developed a sharp wit and her own particular attitude, but all in the process of becoming a social outcast. Though they initially seem completely at odds, the pair bond over Lily’s contempt for her oppressive stepfather, Mark, and as their friendship grows, they begin to bring out one another’s most destructive tendencies. Their ambitions lead them to hire a local hustler, Tim, and take matters into their own hands to set their lives straight.

Thoroughbreds opens March 9th 2018.

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Anya Taylor-Joy & Olivia Cooke Go Bad In The 'Thoroughbreds' Trailer

Last January's Sundance Film Festival continues to be a bounty of quality films. With a handful preparing to drop in the middle of awards season, one that earned some of the best reviews in Park City is sitting it out until early next year. That would be Thoroughbreds, a thriller that finds rising stars Olivia Cooke (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl) and Anya Taylor-Joy (Split) plotting a murder.

The film also marks the final screen performance by Anton Yelchin, who died tragically last year. Playwright Cory Finley wrote and directed the film about two privileged childhood friends who set out to kill one of their stepfathers. Yelchin plays the drug dealer who helps them out in their murderous scheme. Here's the synopsis:

Childhood friends Lily and Amanda reconnect in suburban Connecticut after years of growing apart. Lily has turned into a polished, upper-class teenager, with a fancy boarding school on her transcript and a coveted internship on her resume; Amanda has developed a sharp wit and her own particular attitude, but all in the process of becoming a social outcast. Though they initially seem completely at odds, the pair bond over Lily’s contempt for her oppressive stepfather, Mark, and as their friendship grows, they begin to bring out one another’s most destructive tendencies. Their ambitions lead them to hire a local hustler, Tim, and take matters into their own hands to set their lives straight.

Also starring Paul Sparks, Kalli Vernoff, and Francine Swift, Thoroughbreds opens March 9th 2018.

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