Knock on Wood

Thousands of movies are made every year – just ask one of our contributors, Shane Conto, who has taken it upon himself to watch each and every new release he can find. While some garner awards attention and box office popularity, and spread rapidly across the zeitgeist through word-of-mouth, the majority find it difficult to break through and surmount the myriad of films available to the public. Today, each of our writers will take you on a journey through some of their favorite underrated movies from this past year – some deserving of a theatrical release they never got, some that flew in and out of cinemas under the radar, and some that are just plain underseen.

You Hurt My Feelings

Following the moderate success of her published memoirs, Beth (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) has submitted her first fiction novel to her agent whose response does not fill her with confidence in her writing ability. When Beth accidentally overhears her husband, Don (Tobias Menzies), confessing to a family friend that he too did not like her latest novel, it feels as if her whole world has begun to crumble around her. You Hurt My Feelings perfectly taps into the fear we all share to one degree or another. Do my friends, family, and coworkers actually like me and my work, or do they simply not want to offend me? Every character, performance, and relationship in Nicole Holofcener’s film rang true in a way that felt specifically targeted to me and my own hopes, fears, and insecurities. From Beth’s questioning of her own creative abilities, to Don’s increasing forgetfulness as a NYC-based therapist, to their son’s (Owen Teague) frustration at his parents’ well-intentioned but misguided encouragement, I found myself shaking my head in disbelief at how much I resonated with each characters’ journey. Holofcener’s ability to portray her keen observations on the contradictory nature of human behavior with such humor and emotional truth is an uncommon gift, and if you don’t want to hurt my feelings, I strongly suggest giving this film a shot. (Foster Harlfinger)

Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game

Mike Faist was one of the most compelling components in West Side Story, a masterpiece of a film full of many compelling components. So I was very interested in seeing Faist’s career evolve and what his next project could be. Lo and behold, that project was a small-scale biopic about the man who challenged New York law to revert a ban on pinball. Yes, pinball, the game that made The Who and Elton John so eloquently sing about wizardry. Though it may seem silly now, there was a time in which it was banned due to gambling and the mob. But a man named Roger Sharpe helped to overturn that, and Faist is once again great in this role. The film is told through a quirky bar styling that injects narrative fourth wall breaking from a ‘real life’ version of Sharpe as Faist simultaneously plays the narrative version of Sharpe. Though the film follows a few tried and true biopic tropes, its humor and stylish storytelling make this a fun underseen watch. (Heath Lynch)

Available to stream on Hulu and Hoopla.

Huesera: The Bone Woman

After Huesera: The Bone Woman ended, I was hit with a wave of passion and love for my favorite genre. Horror truly has the ability to tell stories with such breadth and with a depth of experience that truly speaks to me. Seeing the newly pregnant protagonist’s ever-evolving relationship with her upcoming motherhood and the unexpected horrors that it contains is nothing short of moving. The level of intention in the camerawork, dialogue, and symbolism is all exceptionally striking, and the film is truly haunting in its imagery. Most interesting and special of all though, there is a beating punk LGBTQIA+ heart to this movie that brought me closer into it than I ever could have expected going in. This is truly a must-see for any horror fan. (May Honey)

Available to stream on AMC+ and Shudder.

The Disappearance of Shere Hite

Who is Shere Hite? This documentary puts a large spotlight on the life, influence, and controversy of a woman who exposed the realities of the sex and loves lives of both women and men. There are a fair share of engaging storytelling elements including the inclusion of actual recordings of respondents to Hite’s surveys. Dakota Johnson does a great job bringing the words and ideas of Hite to life as well. But what is most impactful is the way this film captures the complex layers of a woman who wanted to help people be more open but never wanted the spotlight she received. The way this film captures humanity and the ways we struggle with change and confronting our sexuality is poignant. Hite’s name might not be recognizable anymore but Nicole Newnham’s film helps us realize the influence of Hite’s work as well as how prophetic her findings would be on the world around us. (Shane Conto)

Merry Little Batman

Upon finding out that he was going to be a father, Batman decided to rid Gotham of crime once and for all to make the world safe for his baby boy. Now, all the criminals are locked up, Gotham has been voted safest city in the world, and Bruce Wayne lives happily with his son Damian. The only problem is that Damian desperately wants to follow in his father’s footsteps and be a superhero. On Christmas Eve, Bruce gets called away by the Justice League to check out a weather anomaly just before a couple of nefarious robbers show up to Wayne Manor. Damian is thrilled – this could be his chance to prove his super hero abilities by fighting them off! If you’ve been dreaming of an animated Home Alone with baby Batman and adorable family dynamics, get ready to ascend. But even if you’re not quite sold, this is worth checking out for the visual gags alone. Every single thing Alfred does made me laugh, and the animated medium is perfect for additional funny moments in the background of scenes. Merry Little Batman is cute, it’s goofy, and it’s genuinely hilarious. (Davis Mathis)

Available to stream on Prime Video.

The Beasts

Have you ever had a spat with a neighbor? I’m sure it never escalated to the point it does in The Beasts. A French couple moves to the Spanish countryside and gets in the way of a potential deal that can help those much worse off than them. This thriller channels culture clashes and classicism in order to tell a tale that burrows underneath and lingers in you for long after the credits roll. Director Rodrigo Sorogoyen is able to build incredible tension throughout this film where a simple “friendly” conversation at a bar can feel more unnerving than most action thrillers. Anchored by impressive performances by Marina Fois and Denis Menochet, this film is able to balance conflict, violence, aggression, and familial conflict in an impactful and poignant way. It’s a darkly affecting tale that’s worth seeking out. (Shane Conto)

Available to stream on Mubi.

Reality

If 2022 was the year of the big “eat the rich” movie, to a lesser extent, I think 2023 was the year of the small “drastic measures from small people making an important difference” movie. It’s not as catchy, but I think between How to Blow Up a Pipeline and Reality, it’s almost more important. The script is taken word-for-word from the transcript of the interactions between Reality Winner (Sydney Sweeney) and two FBI agents (played by Josh Hamilton and Marchànt Davis), when they raided her house over her allegedly leaking documents about Russian interference in Donald Trump’s presidential election, with redacted sections of the transcript redacted in the film as well. Since it’s not written like a conventional Hollywood screenplay, it makes the conversation uncomfortable for the viewer, especially if, like me, you weren’t aware of the real events. These three leads are great, especially Sweeney, who’s in a completely different type of role than Euphoria or Anyone But You. Reality ultimately makes a good look at the measures that sometimes need to be taken for the public to learn important information, and how governments often don’t want that information shared… (Robert Bouffard)

Available to stream on Max.

Cassandro

The true story of Saúl Armendáriz, an exótico luchador who changed the wrestling landscape, is a fascinating one. In an industry based largely on masculine machismo, at a time when that industry was far less progressive than it is now, Armendáriz challenged the system and made it better. This is a powerful LGBTQIA+ story that’s emotionally evocative and quite compelling. It’s about acceptance and understanding just as much as it’s about loving yourself for who you are and not being tied down to the ghosts of your past. Gael García Bernal dazzles in the lead role with a physical and emotional performance that has to be admired. Bernal alone is more than worth the price of admission. This is a small-scale, personal film that has slipped under most people’s radar, but it very much deserves to have some more eyes on it. (Heath Lynch)

Available to stream on Prime Video.

Perfect Days

Perfect Days is one of the many films of the 2023 Awards Season that is being frustratingly gatekept by its distributor, but I was lucky enough to see it at last year’s New York Film Festival. It’s the latest from German director Wim Wenders (known for such arthouse masterpieces as Paris, Texas and Wings of Desire), who is an utter master of “slow cinema” – that much can neither be understated or overstated enough. Perfect Days is quiet, methodical and inoffensive, and plays out like a documentary (which, according to star Kōji Yakusho, was part of the angle and initial idea) in which a contented man’s daily life is injected with a number of visitors of all kinds. There’s slice-of-life, and then there’s Perfect Days, which very quickly masters the sub-genre with a drawn-out depiction of lovely banality, underscored by a host of musical hits from the last sixty years. Yakusho is far and away the best part of the entire experience, delivering one of my favorite performances of the entire year. (Rowan Wood)

Suitable Flesh

The unavoidable fact when discussing or recommending Suitable Flesh is that this movie is aggressively not for everybody. I say that not as anything close to a detriment, but if anything as effusive praise. This film very directly builds upon and continues a very specific legacy and brand of H.P. Lovecraft adaptations that were present during the 80’s most notably films of Stuart Gordon like Re-Animator, From Beyond, and Castle Freak. Like those, Suitable Flesh is tonally completely bizarre, deals with very abstract existential horrors, has incessantly violent gore effects, is immensely erotic in both the overtone and undertone, but above all is an absolute blast to watch. Joe Lynch truly created an experience I thought was well and truly lost forever with a creative exuberance I found to be absolutely infectious going from moment to moment. It starts feeling like it’s firing on all cylinders, but by the time you get to the end you realize you really had it easy in the opening minutes. A true horror gem I hope doesn’t go overlooked this year. (May Honey)

She Came to Me

She Came to Me is a movie full of concepts that are difficult to sell. To avoid spoilers (since this is a list of underseen gems), I’ll just give one example: Brian d’Arcy James plays a Civil War reenactor and Marisa Tomei plays a sex-addicted tugboat captain. That just scratches the surface, because I didn’t even mention the film’s lead, Peter Dinklage, an opera composer with writer’s block. If you looked at the premise and cast for this movie, you’d probably expect it to be a straightforward romcom, but its first aspect ratio change should let you know that it’s attempting to be a bit more. I should emphasize “attempting,” because, like I said, it is plenty weird. But it’s so earnest and excited about love and life in its weirdness that I can almost guarantee you it isn’t putting as much thought into some of its conundrums as you might as they come up. (Robert Bouffard)

Chang Can Dunk

For a sports-drama released on Disney+ in the middle of March that received barely any marketing, Chang Can Dunk has more heart, style, and personality than you might expect. I watched it in the middle of the night and was surprised by how invested I was in a movie about a teenage boy who loves basketball (which is not a demographic I tend to care much about), but the solid coming-of-age storyline at the center of the film kept me completely hooked. Writer/director Jingi Shao shows off his compelling voice and point-of-view in his feature debut, and quickly makes you fall in love with Chang, a 5’8” Asian-American teenager who just wants to dunk a basketball. Sure, the stakes sound low, but it’s more about Chang’s journey towards self-actualization and his relationships than the sport of basketball (the culmination of the initial conflict actually happens much earlier in the movie than you might expect). Chang Can Dunk was a huge surprise for me, so much so that I made my boyfriend (Rowan Wood, as in Mr. “Knock on Wood” himself) watch the movie with me after my first watch just to confirm that I wasn’t crazy and that it’s genuinely very good. He not only agreed, he actually gave it a higher rating than me. So take it from both of us that just because no one is talking about it and it’s a Disney+ original about basketball, it’s well worth the watch. (Davis Mathis)

Available to stream on Disney+.

Great Photo, Lovely Life

What is the most disturbing documentary you have watched? Well…HBO might have a winner with this intimate look at a family with a monster amongst its ranks. This film is a journey for its filmmaker, Amanda Mustard, as she looks at the dark history of her grandfather. Along with director Rachel Beth Anderson, Mustard is able to examine the generational trauma that was imposed on her family through the vile actions of one member of her family along with the complicity of others. You will struggle to find a more intimate and authentic look at a predator. Hearing one speak about his transgressions in this way is one of the most unnerving experiences you will have watching a film this year. But the layers to this shocking and challenging film that help it avoid an exploitative feel are the emotional testimonies of the victims. Mustard must also navigate the challenges of generational differences and the human nature to defend oneself employed by various family members. (Shane Conto)

Available to stream on Max.

Doctor Who Am I

For someone as entrenched in the Doctor Who fandom as I am, it’s an absolute joy seeing the positivity and acceptance that can come from being involved. The “doctormentary” Doctor Who Am I follows Matthew Jacobs, screenwriter of the contraversial Doctor Who TV reboot from 1996, and tracks his re-emergence into the fandom, which greets him with an unexpected love and joy. Since the series’ revival in 2005, there’s been a resurgence of appreciation for the TV movie, and through convention panel footage, interviews, and incredibly nerdy deep dives, we see Matthew’s journey back into the Whoniverse that had initially spurned him and his ideas because of their initial reaction to the film. The Who fandom is so strong that even single-episode guest stars have a definite future in the convention circuit, and Doctor Who Am I proves that even the screenwriter of an oft-maligned television film from over thirty years ago should, and will, be welcomed back with open arms. It’s a sweet love letter to the series’ following – enjoyable, fluffy, and wholesome. (Rowan Wood)

Available to stream on Prime Video, Hoopla, Vudu, Tubi, and Plex.

Lakota Nation vs. United States

As much as we all love narrative features, hard-hitting documentaries can be just as engrossing, and arguably even more vital and important. For me, the standout, must-see doc of the year is Lakota Nation vs. United States, a gut-punch of a film that shows you exactly how mistreated Očéti Šakówiŋ people have been for hundreds of years. The oppression is on full display as we see the theft of land, the stifling of culture, and the horrific murder of innocent people. But it’s not just that we get to see the pain, we get to see what’s being lost due to this oppression as the film also dives into the history, art, and culture of the Black Hills people. There’s a serenity here that we get to learn about, admire, and respect. The whole film transcends to an almost poetic level in which there’s a spirituality to the story, which leads to a lot of catharsis in the messaging. It’s undeniably powerful, and a story that more people need to get their eyes on. (Heath Lynch)

Available to stream on AMC+.

The First Slam Dunk

Surprisingly, one of the most exciting anime films released this year is about a basketball game. Generally, you don’t see many animated sports films, but The First Slam Dunk will make you question why there aren’t more. The animation employed by director Takehiko Inoue is gorgeous and perfect for this intense and thrilling story on the courts. It’s mostly centered on a singular basketball game that pits some of the most talented young players in Japan against each other. What makes it so unique and exhilarating is the direction and how it leverages a more artful approach to capturing the thrills and energy of a basketball game. But what adds depth and complexity are the cutaways and flashbacks that give layers and connections for our characters. The audience will find themselves conflicted, rooting for both sides as they both have motivations that are admirable and relatable. But the film’s secret weapon is the score from Satoshi Takebe which will almost blow you right out of your seat. (Shane Conto)

The Artifice Girl

10 years ago now, Ex Machina set the bar for what a modern masterpiece about the AI conundrum could be. So it’s only fitting that with the rise of artificial intelligence and machine learning in the last year or two, The Artifice Girl tackles those subjects head-on. What begins as a discussion of the dangers of resurrecting or recreating actors, like Rogue One did with Peter Cushing and Carrie Fisher, turns into a quasi chamber piece made up of three distinct sections, as the AI, Cherry (the incredible Tatum Matthews, in the best child performance since Mackenzie Foy in Interstellar), that Gareth (Franklin Ritch, who also wrote and directed the film) made evolves in capability and humanity. The film is highly compelling in its first two acts, and fairly emotional in its third. But one thing’s for sure: it gives you food for thought on a nuanced and increasingly important topic. (Robert Bouffard)

Available to stream on Hoopla and Tubi.

When Evil Lurks

An Argentinian horror film that cares as much about visceral experiences of pure horror and terror as telling a layered and meaningful story. The most impressive thing about When Evil Lurks is how it never lets its tone and sheer volume of disturbing and graphic content override its characters and themes. The film not only surprised me constantly with memorable scenes and disgusting images one after another, but also the mournful and contemplative mood it built up by the end. Bar none, this will be one of the most unique films you will see all year. It’s the perfect balance of some serious technical excellence, soul-crushingly powerful performances, effective scares impressive for any horror film, and layers and layers of meaning that will have you reeling days after the credits roll. (May Honey)

Available to stream on AMC+ and Shudder.

To Catch a Killer

To Catch a Killer is the sort of mid-budget crime thriller that used to be commonplace in the 1990s but has since fallen by the wayside. A spiritual successor to films like The Fugitive, The Negotiator, or In the Line of Fire, this classic killer-on-the-run premise is elevated by its stylish presentation from director Damián Szifron and earnestly committed performances from Shailene Woodley and Ben Mendelsohn as two unlikely partners on the hunt for an elusive rooftop sniper. This is a by-the-books, no-fluff procedural that knows the tropes of its genre, both fulfilling and subverting them in equal measure. Criminally underseen and refreshingly straightforward in its plot, To Catch a Killer does not seek to reinvent the wheel, but it captures that tense, anything-can-happen energy so perfectly that you will be leaning forward in your chair from beginning to end. (Foster Harlfinger)

Available to stream on Hulu.

The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial

William Friedkin’s last hurrah, based on a play (itself based on a novel) is a gripping, tense courtroom drama that acts as both a stellar performance showcase and a masterful show-off from a brilliant filmmaker. Among its star-studded cast is Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Clarke, Jake Lacy, Monica Raymund, Lewis Pullman, and Jay Duplass, in addition to featuring one of the final performances from legendary performer Lance Reddick. Friedkin’s script is fantastic, and his directing is subtly effective, building pressure while stealthily building to an unexpectedly satisfying conclusion. The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial had a prestigious debut at Venice Film Festival, and then was unceremoniously dumped onto Paramount+ with little promotion a month later. Do yourself a favor and check it out, especially if you’re a fan of Friedkin or any of the cast. (Rowan Wood)

Available to stream on Paramount+.

The Royal Hotel

Writer/director Kitty Green’s followup to 2020’s The Assistant, The Royal Hotel feels almost completely different in all but voice. Loud and straightforward, it follows Hanna (Julia Garner) and Liv (Jessica Henwick), a couple of 20-something American backpackers who find themselves in Australia and in need of a job. They procure jobs at the titular hotel, which is populated by men who employ varying degrees of misogyny, from seemingly well-meaning kindness to out-and-out hostility. The film slowly builds to a surprising finale which leaves you looking back at the preceding events, more fully understanding the warning signs they gave. (Robert Bouffard)

Mike Birbiglia: The Old Man and the Pool

Standup comedy is an art form. Though it may not receive the recognition and acclaim it deserves, it is an art form. And there’s arguably no one who does it better these days than Mike Birbiglia. He doesn’t just stand there and rattle off jokes, he tells a story; he weaves together relatable themes about the joys of life and finding happiness through hilarious tales and anecdotes. In his past specials, he’s talked about teenage adolescence, finding love and marriage, and becoming a parent. With The Old Man and the Pool, Birbiglia is coming to terms with his own mortality as he sees the lights going out in his own parents’ generation. But he has this sincere and honest conversation with his audience while talking about cheating on his wife with pizza, famous chicken parmesan family dinners, and what it’s like to come face-to-face with old man testicles at the YMCA pool. This special is absolutely an underseen gem that will get you thinking while it leaves you laughing. If you’re a fan of standup, this is must-watch material. (Heath Lynch)

Available to stream on Hulu.