From underseen comedies and totally insane gorefests to introspective dramas that have
gotten lost in the shuffle, 2021 has contained a heap of cinematic surprises that all deserve
to get their time in the spotlight.
Here are the most underrated movies of 2021 so far.
Have you ever sat down and asked yourself, "What if there was a Power Rangers movie that
also contained grotesque gore and horror but was also super self-referential?"
If so, then that very specific film you're looking for is finally here!
"PG: Psycho Goreman" is the late-night alien comedy you never knew you needed.
It's a ridiculously cheesy and self-aware story of a bloodthirsty alien warrior brought
back to life who must do the bidding of a little girl, as she possesses the gem that
holds all his power.
An eye-popping, comedically anarchic film, "PG: Psycho Goreman" is that perfect midnight
pulp film to catch with your friends.
This bizarre Canadian flick is filled with gross-out horror, ridiculously silly humor,
and enough eye-catching creature effects to keep you entertained.
Plus, there's a heap of silly performances and some truly stellar costume and puppet
work.
Let's hope that maybe we'll get "PG: Psycho Goreman 2 – The Return of Alistair the Brain
Bot."
"Well, it was nice meeting you."
"It would be nicer if you were dead."
"Alright, bye."
With its initial release coming right in the middle of Oscar season, where attention was
being lavished on a heap of other films, it's only fair to shine a light on "The White Tiger."
This Netflix film was able to snag a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination at the 93rd
Academy Awards.
However, other than that very notable Oscar nod, this movie has been flying under the
radar.
However, as it's been compared to beloved films like "Joker" and "Parasite," it's a
film that definitely deserves some attention.
Adapted and directed by critically acclaimed director Ramin Bahrani, "The White Tiger"
follows the young Balram as he tries to navigate the brutal class system in India.
However, his lower-class beginnings shape the world around him as he tries to climb
the capitalist ladder, a ladder that can only lead to the worst places.
With an exacting eye, lush visuals, and brilliant social commentary, "The White Tiger" is a
film worth seeking out amongst Netflix's wide array of feature film options.
Are we destined to be miserable?
Is marriage really supposed to get worse as the years go on?
If you're still happy in your marriage 14 years in, is there something wrong with you?
Like, actually wrong with you?
Those are the questions brought up in the intriguingly strange "Happily," a comedy that
seems to have slipped under the radar in these weird pandemic times, but it still delivers
on its off-kilter premise with surprising results.
Joel McHale and Kerry Bishe star as the central couple of this story, who receive a visit
from a mysterious stranger who explains that their wonderfully happy marriage isn't all
it seems to be.
What follows from there would be too fascinating to spoil, but it all leads up to a fancy getaway
that isn’t all that it seems.
It's a strange and ultimately daring comedy that asks the sad questions of life that we've
always been too afraid to ask ourselves.
There have been plenty of documentaries over the years following the lives of the rich
and famous, especially musicians and recording artists we know and love.
These films can range from incisive, introspective looks inside the world of an artist or just
another piece of puff-filled P.R. to boost an artist's ego.
"Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry," thankfully, sits primarily in the former category,
providing audiences a dark and detailed look inside the world of this particular brilliant
performer.
We see the emotional, mental, and physical strain it takes to become one of the world's
leading pop stars.
"The World's a Little Blurry" follows the entire songwriting process of Eilish's hit
debut album all the way to her titanic Grammy Awards sweep.
Eilish comes across as a wonderfully personable figure with little desire for the glam of
celebrity and a hyper-focus on the passion of her songwriting and creative output.
It's an epic and humanizing film, one that gives us that most wondrous and personal look
at a world that can often seem so far away.
Is "Shiva Baby" a comedy or a horror film?
More likely, it's some brilliant, fantastically Jewish amalgam of the two.
It’s a combination that's only possible through the mind of writer-director Emma Seligman
in this frighteningly funny debut feature.
Rachel Sennott stars as Danielle, a college senior who's heading straight from her appointment
with her sugar daddy to meet up with her family at a shiva.
But when these two worlds suddenly combine, the levels of anxiety and awkwardness build
in a most nightmarish fashion.
The film features some absolutely fierce and passionate scenes of reckoning with growing
up in contemporary Jewish America, all packed into a tight 77-minute runtime.
In other words, "Shiva Baby" is the perfect comedy to remind you of the horrors and anxieties
of the world, and it'll give you a good excuse to laugh and cry about them all day.
When all is said and done, we'll all look back at 2021 as the year when one of the most
ridiculously joyful comedies ever made snuck into the world.
"Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar” is Kristin Wiig and Annie Mumolo's long-awaited follow-up
to their Oscar-nominated hit "Bridesmaids."
It takes that same kernel of the power of female friendship and explodes it into a madcap
adventure following two middle-aged women taking the grand vacation they've always wanted.
“Let’s go to Vista Del Mar!”
Where "Bridesmaids" reveled in its down-to-earth improv-style comedic trappings, "Barb & Star"
feels like a Muppet movie where all the Muppets have been replaced by humans.
It's a bright and shining absurdist piece of insanity, with talking animals, evil villains,
and Jamie Dornan singing a tragic love song to a flock of seagulls.
It's a film that will absolutely make you grin from ear to ear, and if nothing else,
you'll never look at culottes the same way again.
The most important thing to know is that Derek DelGaudio wants you to leave your assumptions
about him at the door.
That's all part of the illusion — both literally and spiritually — embedded in "In & Of Itself."
It’s a filmed version of DelGaudio's hit stage show that has confounded and enlightened
off-Broadway audiences under the direction of the legendary Frank Oz.
Now available to stream on Hulu, DelGaudio's solo performance and illusionary spectacle
is honestly better the less you know going in.
Even so, be ready for a wonderfully introspective piece of theatrical filmmaking that dares
to ask us all if we really know who we are at the end of the day.
At the beginning of the film, the text on the screen asks us to put our phones away,
and it's advice best heeded for this wonderfully underrated piece of magical filmmaking at
its finest.
If you're someone who's all in on the world of comedic horror, then you definitely need
to know about Josh Ruben.
He displayed a knack for delivering expert spooky laughs in 2020's "Scare Me" which he
directed as well as starred in.
Now, Ruben stays behind the camera for this year's nightmarishly funny "Werewolves Within."
It’s a movie that's also, inexplicably, one of the most entertaining video game-to-film
adaptations in recent memory.
Based on the 2016 Mafia-style game of the same name, "Werewolves Within" takes place
in the small town of Beaverfield.
It follows the one ranger who's been tasked with finding the hairy monster that hides
within this less-than-assuming village.
Anchored by a lead performance from the always wonderful Sam Richardson, "Werewolves Within"
has more than enough laughs, frights, and genuine craft behind the camera.
It’s definitely worthy of being made a new staple of the Halloween season, and we can't
wait to see what Ruben cooks up next.
Edgar Wright makes his freshman foray into the world of documentary film with "The Sparks
Brothers."
Whether you're a lifelong fan of the notorious music group Sparks — comprised of real-life
brothers Ron and Russell Mael or just hearing of them, this is just the thing for you.
It chronicles the duo's musical journey over 50 years and features interviews with titans
of the entertainment industry.
Wright's signature frenetic and free-wheeling style of filmmaking is used to glorious effect
here to make you fall in love with this dynamic duo as fast as Wright did.
This is a huge year for the music duo, as they're also the songwriters and creative
voices behind the new Leos Carax movie musical "Annette."
Who knew that 2021 would be the year that these genius creative voices would emerge
into the mainstream to encompass the world of entertainment?
Maybe it's just the way the Sparks brothers wanted it all along.
It's unclear how we got to this incredible point where Steven Soderbergh is able to churn
out at least one film a year, but why argue with something so wonderful?
Ever since his "un-retirement" in 2017 with the exquisitely goofy "Logan Lucky," Soderbergh
has been steadily releasing new films.
He's been taking each film as a new chance to experiment with form, craft, and storytelling,
resulting in — if nothing else — fascinating new cinematic entries on a yearly basis.
And this year's film, "No Sudden Move," is nothing short of one of Soderbergh's most
entertaining and exciting movies to date.
Set in 1950s Detroit, Soderbergh's latest zippy heist follows three gangsters brought
onto a blackmail heist, tasked with holding hostage the family of an accountant, played
by David Harbour.
With enough twists, turns, and overtly passionate screeds about the dangers of big business
and capitalism.
"No Sudden Move" proves that when it comes to the heist film, Soderbergh isn't getting
rusty anytime soon.
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