Recently, I decided to ask various people their favorite movie that is "under the radar." I have collected their responses and answers why you should watch them here. If these movies are under the radar, maybe they will at least now be on your radar...
1. The Prestige
"It has a lot of foreshadowing and metaphors that you only catch if you watch it multiple times. The characters are complex and the story makes you wonder who the actual protagonist and antagonist is the entire time."
2. Selena
"I love it because Selena’s life was really interesting and it is really cool to see how much of an impact she had on the Mexican American community. It shows Texas culture and Mexican culture and it shows how the dynamic was changing in the 1990s."
3. Good Will Hunting
"I personally love Good Will Hunting because it's a classic coming of age movie with an intelligent twist. As someone who typically opts for documentaries or movies with historical relevance, Good Will Hunting provides an intellectual aspect that satisfies a thirst for knowledge and learning while simultaneously being a movie almost anyone can relate to on a basic level."
4. Begin Again
"The movie had a superb soundtrack. Its characters went against the odds and took risky chances and you got to follow them throughout their journey. It had real-world problems in it like divorce, financial struggles, cheating in a relationship, growing up as a teenager, losing a job and trying to make your passion work, so it was relatable to a large audience in one way or another. Also it had Adam Levine in it, who's a total hottie."
5. Arrival
"I really enjoyed Arrival because it was extremely well filmed and thought out with a comprehension of a fictional alien language that blew my mind honestly. Stunning. Then to find out that the movie was non-linear in its chronological order literally brought to tears it was so unexpected."
6. Moulin Rouge
"It's greatest showman before greatest showman was cool. Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman in a musical... What more can you ask for?"
7. Goodnight Mommy
"It’s a super unique horror movie that plays on fears that people didn’t even realized they feared. The horror is subtle and there are lots are cool twists."
8. Scott Pilgrim VS. The World
"It’s basically a nerdy movie that has to do with a guy who likes a girl and has to battle her 7 evil ex’s. Eventually he comes to terms the fact that he is kinda jerk and so they break up, but comes back again to fight the last ex and loses. Then gets a video game restart of the fight and realized that he isn’t fighting for her but for his own self respect allowing him to grow as a character who can truly appreciate what it means to be in love."
9. The Babysitter
"It’s super low key but you think you know what’s about to go down then it takes a wyyyyyyyld turn... like you think it’s a typical babysitter scary movie but omg it’s completely different. It has the quiet girl from pitch perfect and Bella Thorne and that super hot guy who shows up in most movies but is a super douche."
10. The Way We Were
"I love 'The Way We Were' because it's a realistic love story. It's beautiful because it shows people trying to work through their differences and views, and that life does not always work out like a movie, even if you want it too."
11. Boyhood
"This movie means so much to me. It's just the story of a boy growing up from early childhood to the day he moves into his college dorm room. It came out right before I went to college and I have never felt so emotional leaving a movie. It's incredible in that it's very well acted and filmed, but also because everything about the movie takes you back to a specific time: sharing a room with your sister, middle school, your first heartbreak, not getting into the college you wanted to go to... all of it feels so real and relatable. I feel like I truly could have grown up with this kid, especially since it takes place in Texas."
I think this movie also makes an interesting commentary on the idea of storytelling in that nothing "spectacular" ever happens to him. No incredible heartbreak or terrible circumstance occurs, yet you sit in the audience waiting for something to happen because that's what we're used to seeing on the big screen. It highlights the beauty of a normal childhood, something that is rarely celebrated so honestly in film."
12. The Secret Life of Bees
"I love The Secret Life of Bees!!! It's one of those movies that when you watch it it's like it brings you back to a different time. It's full of so many emotions: you'll laugh, you'll learn, and you'll cry. It's one of those movies where you don't really know what to expect when you first turn it on, but once it's over you'll be so glad that you watched it. I would definitely recommend it for someone looking for a movie that has culture, passion, life lessons, and all of the emotions under the sun!"
