Every year there are a number of
great films that seem to be overlooked due to their small budgets, bad
marketing, and/or limited theatrical releases. Here are a few of the best
neglected films of 2012 (that you have probably not seen, but should).
Plot
Summary: This action film takes place in a dystopian futuristic city
overridden by crime in which police officers are judge, jury, and executioner.
On a routine call to investigate a murder, a seasoned veteran Judge Dredd and
his rookie trainee Anderson find themselves in the middle of tenement controlled
by a vicious gang. They have no choice but to fight their way out (and for
Dredd that means bring every criminal to justice).
Why
You Need to See It: What is most incredible about this film is that the
mere idea of a new Judge Dredd project is completely laughable (which is
probably why no one saw this film), because the 1995 Sylvester Stallone Judge Dredd is so
utterly terrible (and a huge disappointment to the fans of the 2000AD comics),
and yet Pete Travis, writer Alex Garland, and
company have made one of the year’s best action films.
Plot
Summary: This sports comedy is about Doug Glatt a club bouncer who finds
that he has a real talent for fighting. Exploiting his toughness and team
loyalty, he earns a place on a small town minor league hockey team as its
enforcer.
Why You
Need to See It: Goon is very funny – graphically violent and vulgar, but
very funny. It is one of the best sports comedies in some time, and is most
akin to genre favorite Slap
Shot (as they both deal with minor league hockey goons). What also works
fantastically well about the film is how it captures the spirit of playing and
travelling as part of a team (the shenanigans and joking).
Plot
Summary: The Yankee Pedlar Inn in New England is famous for being
haunted, but it has fallen on hard times and is closing. During its last
weekend open, two employees Claire and Luke are determined to find evidence of
supernatural activity in the hotel.
Why
You Need to See It: The Innkeepers is thrilling and scary, but this
throwback horror film does not rely on cheap tricks to insight its moments of
terror. Rather, it slowly builds tension and develops its characters (which
gives the viewer more of a stake in the outcome) taking its time to optimize
the impact of the third act. It feels like a classic ghost story.
Plot
Summary: This drama is about Charlie a high school freshman who is
having a hard time. However, everything changes for him when he is taken under
the wings of two seniors Sam and Patrick.
Why
You Need to See It: On top of the excellent performances from the film’s
three main actors, The Perks of Being a Wallflower succeeds because it
earnestly addresses the high school experience through drama, comedy, romance,
and its wonderful characters. It feels in many ways like a film made by John Hughes at his
best.
Plot
Summary: This dramedy is about Darius a magazine intern who has felt
lost since the death of her mother when she was a child. However, when she is
dragged along with another intern by one of the magazine’s writers to work on a
story about a man seeking a companion for time travel, she unexpectedly finds
something that inspires her again.
Why
You Need to See It: Safety Not Guaranteed is a time travel narrative that
plays better than most of its big budget contemporaries. It has a wondrous
genuine tone that draws the viewer in, to go along with its great characters.
Also, it is quite funny.
Plot
Summary: This mystery drama is about Peter a journalist who is
investigating a cult leader, Maggie, claiming to be from the future with the
intension of exposing her as a fraud. To get a firsthand look at Maggie, Peter
and his girlfriend go undercover and are initiated into the cult, only to be
pulled in deeper.
Why
You Need to See It: Sound of My Voice is a mystery built on very
well-crafted suspense and a fantastic payoff (which leaves the viewer
questioning all the details that the film has shown them). Despite its
micro-budget (i.e. lacking big action set pieces or other such spectacles that populate
Hollywood mysteries and thrillers), the film is thoroughly compelling on the
strength of its script and performances.
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