What better way to spend January, infamously the worst month to go to the movies, than to watch ten incredible films from last year that pretty much NO ONE watched. These ten recommendations are films that grossed less than $1 million at the domestic box office (an amount of money Star Wars: The Force Awakens made in about 10 minutes), but absolutely deserve to be seen!
I mostly focused on films currently available on Netflix or iTunes, as well as one still in theaters...
(in alphabetical order)
45 Years (dir. Andrew Haigh) - Box Office: $489,869 (as of January 22, 2016)
This film is about Kate (Oscar-nominated Charlotte Rampling) and Geoff Mercer (Tom Courtenay), a married couple about to celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary, who live a very ordinary and routine life... until Geoff receives a letter in the mail that forever changes their relationship. A film that quietly but powerfully details the disappointing truth that we can never fully know a person, no matter how much time we spend with them, 45 Years is deeply sad, but exhilarating nonetheless. Be prepared to sob.
Where to Watch: Currently still in theaters! Click here to find showtimes in your area.
Girlhood (dir. Céline Sciamma) - Box Office: $60,765
Potentially featuring the most inventive use of a Rihanna song in the history of cinema, this coming-of-age film is about Marieme (Karidja Touré), a deeply confused teenager left with few options, who curiously joins a girl gang. She eventually floats to a different, and more dangerous, group towards the end of the film, but what results is an entirely relatable portrait of a young person desperately trying to figure out where she belongs and where she can go next, losing and gaining friends in the process.
Where to Watch: Currently streaming on Netflix.
Maps to the Stars (dir. David Cronenberg) - Box Office: $350,741
How a supernatural and psychological horror dramedy directed by Canadian icon David Cronenberg, starring Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowka, John Cusack, and Robert Pattinson, slipped through the cracks is beyond me!!! This film is about Hollywood, and the crazy people desperate to make it in that town. It deals with terrifying themes like debilitating mental illness, child abuse, and incest (okay, maybe I can understand why this didn't connect with most moviegoers...) BUT, the film is also easily one of the funniest films from last year (especially to anyone pop culture and celebrity obsessed... prepare for many name-drops.)
Where to Watch: Currently streaming through Cinemax and available for purchase on iTunes.
The Mend (dir. John Magary) - Box Office: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (no numbers available online)
Two brothers (Josh Lucas and Stephen Plunkett), who seem to have absolutely nothing in common, spend some much needed, and unintentional, "bonding" time with one another, which involves numerous fights, complications, and even some occasional laughter. Lucas and Plunkett gave two of the best performances last year in this oddly comedic film about family, heartbreak, madness, and forgiveness.
Where to Watch: Currently streaming on Netflix.
Nasty Baby (dir. Sebastián Silva) - Box Office: $79,800
After a single woman in her 30s (Kristen Wiig) fails to become pregnant using her best friend's sperm (Sebastián Silva), she asks her friend's boyfriend (Tunde Adebimpe) to donate. There is a HUGE change in tone during the third act of this film, which angered and confused many critics, but I found it shocking, ridiculous, and undeniably memorable! I genuinely cannot prepare you enough for that scene... just know that it is coming. Plus, the closing credits for this are awesome! Just TRUST and enjoy one of the strangest films of the year!
Where to Watch: Available to rent on iTunes.
A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence (dir. Roy Andersson) - Box Office: $222,989
The final entry in Roy Andersson's "The Living Trilogy" (you do not need to watch the other films to enjoy this one!) continues his typical style of presenting odd vignettes, which kind of sort of connect with one another, detailing people in various stages of sanity and reality attempting to "live" in the confusing world. With a consistent dry humor blanketed over ever scene, prepare to think about life in ways you never have before.
Where to Watch: Currently streaming on Netflix.
Queen of Earth (dir. Alex Ross Perry) - Box Office: $86,626
Two childhood friends (Elisabeth Moss and Katherine Waterston) reunite at a lake house and soon recognize why they have drifted apart. Men, nightmares, and potential insanity curse these women in Alex Ross Perry's ode to classic psychological thrillers, with a playful slice of dark comedy incorporated as well. Elisabeth Moss' performance is legendary.
Where to Watch: Currently streaming on Netflix.
Results (dir. Andrew Bujalski) - Box Office: $104,507
Easily the lightest film on the list (finally!), this slight twist on a romantic comedy stars two personal trainers (Guy Pearce and Cobie Smulders) in an on-again, off-again relationship, as well as a peculiar client (Kevin Corrigan) who forms changing relationships and friendships with both of them. With shockingly gorgeous and expansive cinematography, this undeniably sweet and often very funny film is definitely worth a watch, and another example of why Andrew Bujalski is such a fascinating director to look out for.
Where to Watch: Streaming on Netflix.
Tangerine (dir. Sean Baker) - Box Office: $702,354
Shot completely on an iPhone 5S (!!!), two trans prostitutes spend Christmas Eve quite differently: one, just released from jail, searches furiously for her pimp boyfriend and another prostitute sleeping with him behind her back, and the other is preparing for a singing performance at one of her favorite bars. Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor, actual trans actresses playing trans women, launched the first Oscar campaign for trans performers, though neither received a nomination. But, that doesn't keep this from being one of the most energetic films not only from last summer, but from the last decade!
Where to Watch: Streaming on Netflix.
The Tribe (dir. Miroslav Slaboshpitsky) - Box Office: $150,564
This is definitely the most challenging film on the list: a foreign film about a deaf boarding school and its destructive students involved in violent organized crime... oh, and it's told completely in sign language without any subtitles. So, yeah... nothing light or easy about this one, but it is definitely one of the most interesting film experiments I have ever had, and any film lover would be a fool to miss it!
Where to Watch: Unfortunately, no legal streaming links are available in the US yet. But, this needs to be on everyone's radar, so remember it!
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More Recommendations: Appropriate Behavior (Cinemax and iTunes), Entertainment (iTunes), Faults (Netflix), Jauja (Netflix), and Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter (Google Play)
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