>> Speaker 1: Your average movie goer is heading to theatres for
the biggest stars the freshest directors and the hottest movies.
When the Hollywood hype machine stops there's a whole world of incredible films
just waiting for an audience, these are the most underappreciated movies of 2013.
>> [MUSIC]
>> Speaker 1: First up at number eight, Escape from Tomorrow.
It's a story of a family's trip to Disneyland gone very, very wrong.
And it's rife with insanity, like cat flu, robot interrogation, prostitutes, and
some serious paranoia.
But that's not even why Escape from Tomorrow is on the list.
The coolest thing about this film has almost nothing to do with what ended up on
the screen, but
more to do with how Escape from Tomorrow was shot almost entirely in Disney world.
And not by the grace of Walt Disney either.
It was completely undercover.
No permission, no permits, no special access.
Just pure guerilla film-making.
The crew smuggled equipment and posed as tourists, even varied their facial hair,
all in the name of this very strange, very ballsy little movie.
The film is pretty weird and not exactly in a good way,
cuz the acting's a bit stilted and the plot does get lost.
But as far as stunts go, the cast and
crew of Escape from Tomorrow pulled one over on Mickey Mouse himself.
And that deserves some serious appreciation.
>> Speaker 2: What's wrong with me?
I just wanna connect.
Why can't I connect with people?
Right, it's because I'm dead.
>> Speaker 1: At number seven, Warm Bodies.
It seemed like this film fell off the map as soon as it arrived.
Financially Warm Bodies certainly did well where a decade ago fellow horror comedy
flick Shaun of the Dead firmly entrenched itself in the classic zombie canon.
Warm Bodies seems to have only passed through.
At a time where zombie films seem to be all the rage surprisingly
little was said about Warm Bodies.
Which is a shame because its really pretty good.
Its got a fresh twist on the genre.
A cool addition to the zombie world and
a cute love story that you will smack yourself for not picking up on earlier.
The problem is,
much like vampire movies from a few year ago, zombies are pretty played out.
What started out with 28 Days Later, as a cool, modern, rival of the genre turned
into a few bad ass blockbusters, a couple TV shows, and a lot of video games.
But soon every producer and their mom was making yet another zombie movie, and
they got collectively worse.
So when a genuine worth while addition came out,
it just got lost amongst the noise.
Hopefully when the craze calms down and the cult classics rise from the wreckage
of the zombie movie decade Warm Bodies is somewhere on the list.
Next up Blue Caprice.
Blue Caprice is a slow burner, based on the true story of the Beltway Sniper not
too far gone from recent memory the film is small, quite, and reserved.
And very little of the film is dedicated to the shootings themselves.
When they do come they are far from blazing gun battle.
Was an intimate affair between sniper and victim, between father and son.
And there's a cool deep chemistry to that relationship.
No one is showing off here.
Unfortunately, the box office numbers weren't either.
To Blue Caprice's credit, no one should have expected much at all.
None of the actors even remotely resembled a star in the celebrity sense.
And let's face it if you don't have a Di Caprio, De Niro or
Denzel, you're not filling seats.
However we do think this one might be worth a look back.
It's a sundance select that tackles a powerful subject in a mature way you won't
usually find in your average popcorn flick or Marvel Mega Franchise movie.
Because you're definitely not going to find it a cute teaser for a sequel here,
if you wait for the credits to roll.
>> Speaker 3: I know you know where they are.
>> Speaker 1: Checking in at number five, the heavy weight, Prisoners.
It would be a lie to say that Prisoners didn't get any attention with an A list
ensemble, a strong advertising push and a solid opening weekend.
Prisoners seemed to be on the right track.
And it deserved to be.
Villeneuve kept tension cranked to 11 while Jackman and Gyllenhaal took
brilliant acting to some dark places amongst some serious ethical dilemmas.
It was the feel bad movie of the year in the best kind of way.
This late year, philosophically minded complex drama seemed to have Oscar-bait
written all over it.
But the Globes came and went without a single mention and
the Oscars only nominated it for it's cinematography.
So what happened?
Gravity happened.
Two weeks after Prisoners opening,
Gravity flew across the screens like an untethered Sandra Bullock.
Love it or hate it,
Gravity got a ton of press and really kicked off the Oscar talk of 2013.
It's been an exceptionally stong year and unfortunately audiences and
voters have short memories.
While Prisoners was never going to be a big winner it seems like it missed
the boat of even being part of the conversation.
>> Speaker 4: In a world >> Speaker 5: Hey,
make sure your phone's turned off.
I think we're getting some feedback out here.
>> Speaker 4: Sorry.
Duh. When you're ready.
>> Speaker 1: Number four, In a World.
Adored by critics and seen by almost no one, In a World isn't underappreciated so
much as unknown.
With it, Lake Bell breaks out of her typical romcom supporting role and
tries something a little more independent on for size.
It seemed to work pretty well for another romcom stud this year.
Bell writes, directs and stars in this charming and hilarious heartwarmer.
The chemistry is spot on and
what looked like caricatures turn out to be three-dimensional characters.
And there's a refreshing twist on the typical ride off into the sunset
perfection of a Hollywood ending.
This kind of success from Lake Bell means it's likely we'll see another
financier taking a bigger risk on her in the future.
And with any luck, her next movie will get the appreciation it deserves.
>> [MUSIC]
>> Speaker 6: Tell me the story of us.
>> Speaker 7: Again?
>> Speaker 1: Closing in at number three, Frances Ha.
Right from the beginning audiences are bound to fall in love with Greta Gerwig,
Frances Ha.
But not necessarily in the same way that they are falling in love with
Jennifer Lorenz's Scarlet Johanson.
Greta absolutely radiates charisma, and it's hard not to smile when she
blunders across the street and trying to figure out her place in life.
The film's modest success and
Gerwig's golden globe nomination are a testament to that charm.
Any audience put in front of this film is bound to come out satisfied.
The problem is that not quite enough filled the seats.
Depending on your affinity for New York indy films,
you may know filmmaker Noah Bomback from the Squid and the Whale.
With a solid writing and directing track record,
it seems like he should have broken out of his niche by now.
But the truth is, his type of filmmaking has limited commercial appeal.
His films meander about, and
they've historically had an uncomfortable edge to them.
And the endings are far from what you would call satisfying.
Fortunately, he's at his most successful with Frances Ha.
He directs with a light touch and
keeps the film clipping along on an engaging pace even with his distraction.
If you haven't seen Frances Ha, yet, don't pay attention to the lack of height.
This one is more than worth to watch.
>> Speaker 8: Do you live around here setter?
>> Speaker 9: How do you know my name?
>> Speaker 8: We go the same school.
>> [SOUND]. >> Speaker 8: I'm Amy.
>> Speaker 9: That's what I was gonna say.
Nice to meet you Amy.
>> Speaker 1: At number two, The Spectacular Now.
Blink and you missed it,
but The Spectacular Now was one of the best indies of the year.
It perfectly captured the almost summer feeling of freedom that comes with
the end of the school year.
And the anxiety that comes with knowing it's all going to be over soon.
But James Ponsoldt's sublime coming of age story is also a portrait of alcoholism and
co-dependency.
And it doesn't spare you the messy details.
These characters hurt each other and they hurt themselves.
They're not mean people.
They're lost and they're easy to root for and love.
They're played with subtle vulnerabilities by Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley
who both have launched from relative obscurity into the mainstream as a result
of the big 2014 projects like Divergent and That Awkward Moment due out this year.
In what is quickly becoming an overarching theme of these underrated films,
The Spectacular Now suffers from the same problem as most of the other indie films
on this list, a lack of recognizable celebrities.
The most important factor in putting crowds in theaters today is the name on
the marquee.
This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but
at some point we have to ask ourselves, are we going to the theater for
a good story or to catch up with a familiar superstar?
>> Speaker 10: Slow this down a little bit.
You all ain't got no rhythm man.
Mace, I love you like a brother but
I've got to say that when it comes to being discreet you're a disgrace.
I mean you think we all don't know about Grace on the low
undercover trying to date.
>> [CROSSTALK] >> Speaker 11: I don't know what you're
talking about.
>> Speaker 1: And finally, number one.
Short Term 12.
With an astounding 99% fresh rating on Rotten Tomato,
Short Term 12 is certainly a critics' darling.
Heralded as touching, compassionate, moving, and heartbreaking.
Short Term 12 is a character piece so
rich with real humans that it's sometimes feels like a documentary.
Brie Larson mixes toughness with vulnerability in a way that feels
brutally honest.
And complex, where it could've easily slipped into two-faced caricature.
She's the perfect response to a decade of manic pixie dream girls, and
their random quirks.
And then there's Keith Stanfield, who breaks out in a big way.
If there was nothing else, this film would be worth the watch, just for him.
But there is, an entire near-perfect ensemble cast.
It's one of a kind, it should be considered a can't this for anyone.
Lot of people did miss it, after winning 2013 South by Southwest.
Short Term 12 went on to an extremely limited theatrical release.
But that's okay, the film recruits its small budget which means it's
very likely you'll be seeing bigger and
better advertised projects from these actress and film makers very soon.
Which is a good thing.
Because it's a rare film to put together a touching story line,
true to life characters and the sense of compassion in humanity.
That's Short Term 12.
Which is why we think it is the most underappreciated movie of 2013.
What about you?
Were there be any films from last year that didn't get the attention
you think they deserve?
Do you find some of these films to be wildly over hyped?
Well let us know in the comments below and
subscribe to Cinefix for more Indiewire movie list.
>> [MUSIC]