Note: This list is comprised of my own personal opinions, and consists of movies that you might not have seen.
To be honest, I think Spike Lee is one of the most over hyped directors to ever step behind a camera. Granted I haven't seen all his movie, but the only two that impressed me were "Do the Right Thing" and his most underrated film "25th Hour." The film follows a man named Montgomery during his last day of freedom before being sent to prison for seven years on drug charges. This movie does a lot of things right, Edward Norton's performance, the brilliant writing, and Lee's fantastic directing. But what made this movie stand out was some of the subject matter. It was one of the first big movies to really address the events of the attacks on 9/11. It also took a serious look at the hatred of America's so called "melting pot," and the inevitability of our own fates. Despite being arguably Lee's greatest film, "25th Hour" is one of his most overlooked. And if there's one reason to watch this movie, it would be Norton's "F*ck You" monologue.
One of the newest movies on this list, "Short Term 12" has already been listed alongside some of the greatest independent films ever made. The film revolves around a couple who run a group home for troubled youths, and we see as the balance their own lives with the lives of these young people. Bursting onto the scene last year at South by Southwest, the movie was met with critical acclaim and has since gone on to win several awards. Despite that, it only managed to pull 1.6 million at the box office. This movie is an emotional roller coaster; at times it is uplifting and hopeful, and at others it is almost soul crushing that makes you content with the life you have. That's the sign of a great movie, one that can make you feel an array of emotions; and "Short Term 12" is a great movie.
"Rope" is straight up, an impressive piece of cinema. The movie is made up of mostly long shots, lasting from five to ten minutes. Never before have I seen a movie that felt so similar to a play, it really brings a unique aspect to a medium where we've seen just about every trick there is. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, the movie is loosely based true events. It revolves around two friends who want to get away with the perfect murder. Not only do they want to get away with it, but they want to flaunt it. So they invite a bunch of people over for a dinner party while hiding the body in plain sight in a large chest. Hitchcock's most underrated film, "Rope" is one of the most suspenseful films I've ever seen. With such a great filmography underneath his arm, it really does say something about this movie when it's one of Hitchcock's best.
Over the years director Danny Boyle has made some great movies, from "28 Days Later" to "Slumdog Millionaire;" but if you were to ask his fans what his best movie is, the most common answer would probably be "Trainspotting." Often cited as one of the greatest British films ever made, "Trainspotting" is a film that is truly unique. Imagine a funnier, far less depressing version of "Requiem for a Dream." The film follows a group of young, British heroin addicts as they struggle with their addiction while simultaneously trying to keep what little lives they have from falling apart. Despite the dark subject matter, the movie manages to have an often upbeat feel and consistently make you laugh alongside this group of weird and f*cked up characters. Despite being a commercial success, the film didn't receive the proper attention upon its release that it deserved; fortunately, the movie has garnered a cult following over the years, Both depressing and uplifting, "Trainspotting" is one of those movies that stays with you long after you watch it.
What may be the most underappreciated film of the 2000s, "Moon" is one of the most unique and intriguing science fiction movies in a long time. Taking place in the near future, a private energy company has set up a base on the dark side of the moon manned by a single astronaut to mine for Helium-3. Sam Bell has been stationed on the base to run the systems along with the bases artificial intelligence GERTY. After leaving the base and going out on the surface, the rover he is driving crashes and Sam is injured. Waking up at the base a few days later, Sam feels that something is wrong and sets to find out the truth. Filmed on a budget of only five million and grossing only ten, "Moon" is a gem. Fortunately, after its release on Netflix it has gained a cult following. If you ever have two free hours, this is a movie I can't recommend enough.
If I were to make a list of the most artsy, hipstery movies ever made, "Synecdoche, New York" may be at the top of that list; despite that, this is a really great movie. From the writer of "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" Charlie Kaufman, this is one of the weirdest movies I've ever seen. It revolves around a play write who receives a grant, and uses it to put on the ultimate show. Using the money, he rents out a massive warehouse, builds a city inside, and fills it with actors. He then spends years training the actors and to make the show perfect. Filled with motifs and complex themes, "Synecdoche, New York" was one of the best films of the decade and was actually named the best by Roger Ebert. Smart, confusing, and sheer genius, this is a movie that wasn't meant as entertainment but as artistic expression.
Originally released in 1971, "Wake in Fright" was quickly lost to time. With almost all of the original film canisters missing and not being available on VHS or DVD, it became a legend of Australian cinema; but in the mid 2000s, a high quality copy was found in Pittsburgh. After some digital restoration, it was released on DVD a few years later. The film revolves around an Australian grade school teacher, who decides to take a trip to Sydney to see his girlfriend. On his was he stops at an area near the outback known as the Yabba. While there he gambles all his money away and is stuck alongside the crazy, drunk locals. The best way I can describe "Wake in Fright" is an Australian version of "Deliverance," minus the sodomy. Released and re-released to wide critical acclaim, the movie has garnered a reputation as one of the greatest lost films; despite the controversy of a particularly brutal scene involving the hunting of kangaroos. Unsettling, disturbing, and not for the faint of heart, "Wake in Fright" is an absolutely terrifying masterpiece.
There are two trilogies I truly and undoubtedly love, "Lord of the Rings" and the "Before" trilogy. "Before Sunrise" in 1995, "Before Sunset" in 2004, and "Before Midnight" in 2014 tell the single greatest love story ever captured on camera. It tells the story of two young adults who met by choice and have a one night fling, they then meet many years later in very different places in their lives and rekindle the fire. With the series concluding as a legit couple with twins who want very different things with what is left of their lives. Each movie consists almost entirely of the two just talking, and each movie has some of the best dialog ever put into movies. The chemistry between the two leads Ethan Hawke and Julie Deply is unmatched in film history. One of the best film trilogies of all time, these are incredible movies that are worth the total 4.8 hour run time.
I always like to keep my eyes out for up and coming directors, and over the past few years the one young director who has stood out from the rest would be Jeff Nichols. First debuting with "Shotgun Stories" in 2008, and then "Take Shelter" in 2011 which was my pick for the best movie of the year. But his third film "Mud" is his crowning achievement. Feeling like it came straight out of a Mark Twain novel, what "Mud" does such a great job at is that it captures the American spirit, the sheer essence of what American life is like in lower economic class. That's what Jeff Nichols does so well; he can really make you relate to the characters. The hardships they go through, their hope and dreams, all the hard work. "Mud" was released in 2013 and while there were a lot of movies to come out that year, none were better than "Mud."
Despite being nominated for three Oscars, winning several prestigious awards upon its release, and is often mentioned alongside some of the greatest movies of all time, not nearly enough people have seen this movie. Released in 1957, the film made only around one million dollars, which wasn't even a lot at the time. The movie revolves around a jury who are tasked with deciding the fate of a young man accused of murder. The entire jury seems content with sending him away, but when they put it to the vote one man defends him and believes they should spend more than five minutes on deciding whether a person is sentenced to death. Shot on a single set, "12 Angry Men" is an example of simplistic film making at its finest. It's just 12 men, sitting in a room and talking; yet, it's one of the most riveting films I've ever seen. I've always thought that movies from the 1950s tend not to have withstood the test of time very well, but concerning "12 Angry Men" it has aged wonderfully.
Every great director has a few great films, and Sergio Leone is no different; Sergio Leone was an Italian director who pioneered and mastered the spaghetti western genre. He's most known for creating the "Dollars" trilogy, featuring the quintessential spaghetti western "The Good, The Bad and the Ugly." Now the problem is that "TGTBATU" is so good, it overshadowed an arguably better movie. Released in 1968, "Once Upon a Time in the West" was the culmination of everything Leone had learned over his career. There are influences of his earlier work, as well as styles he displayed in his later movies; more refined and with a clearer vision, this is arguably the greatest western of all time. Only grossing a messily 5 million at the box office (a fifth of what "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" earned), this is one of the most unappreciated and overlooked movies of all time. While it has gained the respect that it deserved over the years, this is still a movie that not nearly enough people have seen.
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