While it's been nice to say farewell to the flaming shit heap that was 2016, it might be wise to give the year one last look. After all, while there were plenty of amazing films that made our best-of list, there were also a handful that didn't get the love they deserved. Here are eight underrated films that deserve your immediate attention.
8. I Am Not A Serial Killer
(dir. by Billy O'Brien)
On first glance, I Am Not a Serial Killer may appear too low-key to warrant your full attention. Still, this slow-burning and stylish thriller delivers again and again. With a fascinating cast that includes Max Records (Where the Wild Things Are), Laura Fraser (Breaking Bad) and a truly chilling turn from Christopher Lloyd, the film is elevated by its performances. Further, the decision to shoot in 16mm adds a timeless feel to the film's icy Midwestern look. Exploring themes of mental illness and murder, the film also offers a surprise sci-fi twist. A true underdog, I Am Not A Serial Killer is a genre flick worth seeking out. (Read more.)
Josiah Hughes
7. 10 Cloverfield Lane
(dir. by Dan Trachtenberg)
Dan Trachtenberg's 10 Cloverfield Lane snuck up on audiences, both as a surprise sequel originally titled "Valencia" and as a genuinely fantastic film. While its ending was criticized for being a tonal 180, it functions well as a satisfying conclusion that avoids forcing a connection to 2008's Cloverfield, hinting at it instead. Even as a standalone film, 10 Cloverfield Lane was one of the year's best psychological thrillers. Making excellent use of its enclosed setting to build tension and atmosphere as well as a fantastic, foreboding, and terrifying performance by John Goodman, it's a film that deserved more attention than it was awarded. (Read more.)
Laura Di Girolamo
6. A Bigger Splash
(dir. by Luca Guadagnino)
The fact Italian director (and future Suspiria revamper) Luca Guadagnino's stunning A Bigger Splash didn't quite get the attention it deserved isn't all that surprising. It's a reimagining of a Jane Birkin drama, meaning casual moviegoers didn't give a crap, and sensational and playful enough to make snootier cinema types write it off as being all pomp and no poise (especially once Ralph Fiennes dances uncontrollably midway through the movie to "Emotional Rescue" in a scene that is either genius or a step too far, depending on who you ask). Still, you're unlikely to find a thriller as sexy, scintillating and psychologically complex as A Bigger Splash from this past year. (Read more.)
Matthew Ritchie
5. Morris from America
(dir. by Chad Hartigan)
The coming-of-age story has reached over-saturation at this point, yet filmmakers continue to find new, interesting ways of approaching adolescence. With Morris from America, Chad Hartigan transplants his characters into small-town Germany. It's a strange place for a young, rap-obsessed African-American boy to grow up, but that fish out of water element is what makes Morris from America crackle with vitality. Factor in strong performances from Craig Robinson and Carla Juri (best known for the raunchy Wetlands) and you've got one hell of a charming indie dreamed. (Read more.)
Josiah Hughes
4. Tickled
(dir. by David Farrier and Dylan Reeve)
Like so many of the best documentaries, Tickled starts out as an investigation into something relatively simple and even silly before becoming a trip down the rabbit hole into a vast conspiracy that seemingly knows no bounds. Directors David Farrier and Dylan Reeve initially set out to determine the origin of online videos depicting the odd world of competitive tickling, but when their innocent inquiries are met with harassment and the threat of litigation, they know something bigger is afoot. To reveal too much would be to spoil its many surprises, so let's just say that the documentary is another reminder that the internet contains plenty of seedy and lurid enterprises — and they can be far more sinister than you might imagine. (Read more.)
Kevin Scott
3. Ouija: Origin of Evil
(dir. by Mike Flanagan)
The original film in the Ouija franchise is a dismal, derivative affair that offered no thrills or scares, but the prequel to the original, set in 1967 and following a widowed mother of two daughters, was a surprisingly satisfying followup. Ouija: Origin of Evil nails the look and feel of '60s horror in its staging and palette choices. The film itself, in another surprising twist, is quieter and more nuanced than it needs to be, and Annalise Basso and Lulu Wilson put in strong performances as sisters Lina and Doris. As the possessed Doris, Wilson delivers an icily creepy monologue about what it feels like to be strangled that ranks as one of the best horror moments of 2016.
Laura Di Girolamo
2. The Edge of Seventeen
(dir. by Kelly Fremon Craig)
Saying that a film that saw wide release, had a reasonably-long stay in theatres, and received near universal acclaim is underrated is a little strange, to be sure. The shame is just how many got to see writer and director Kelly Fremon Craig's story of high school discovery. This should've filled theatres and been broadly loved for its crackling humour, its light and knowing performance from Woody Harrelson as a high school teacher, and its showcase of the immense talents of Hailee Steinfeld. In the lead role, she manages a challenging mix of tones while carrying the whole film, a feat large enough that it deserves an audience to match.
James Brotheridge
1. Other People
(dir. by Chris Kelly)
There was nothing quite like the Sundance press screening of Other People, which saw a room full of the world's biggest film critics alternate between snotty ugly crying and snorts of laughter. The film really does demonstrate that full range of emotion. Starring Molly Shannon in a criminally under appreciated role, the film documents a mother's death from cancer. But it's also a movie about suburbia, alternative comedy, coming out as gay and the ubiquity of Train's "Drops of Jupiter." Other People is truly a singular film, and one that deserves your immediate attention. (Read more.)
Josiah Hughes
8. I Am Not A Serial Killer
(dir. by Billy O'Brien)
On first glance, I Am Not a Serial Killer may appear too low-key to warrant your full attention. Still, this slow-burning and stylish thriller delivers again and again. With a fascinating cast that includes Max Records (Where the Wild Things Are), Laura Fraser (Breaking Bad) and a truly chilling turn from Christopher Lloyd, the film is elevated by its performances. Further, the decision to shoot in 16mm adds a timeless feel to the film's icy Midwestern look. Exploring themes of mental illness and murder, the film also offers a surprise sci-fi twist. A true underdog, I Am Not A Serial Killer is a genre flick worth seeking out. (Read more.)
Josiah Hughes
7. 10 Cloverfield Lane
(dir. by Dan Trachtenberg)
Dan Trachtenberg's 10 Cloverfield Lane snuck up on audiences, both as a surprise sequel originally titled "Valencia" and as a genuinely fantastic film. While its ending was criticized for being a tonal 180, it functions well as a satisfying conclusion that avoids forcing a connection to 2008's Cloverfield, hinting at it instead. Even as a standalone film, 10 Cloverfield Lane was one of the year's best psychological thrillers. Making excellent use of its enclosed setting to build tension and atmosphere as well as a fantastic, foreboding, and terrifying performance by John Goodman, it's a film that deserved more attention than it was awarded. (Read more.)
Laura Di Girolamo
6. A Bigger Splash
(dir. by Luca Guadagnino)
The fact Italian director (and future Suspiria revamper) Luca Guadagnino's stunning A Bigger Splash didn't quite get the attention it deserved isn't all that surprising. It's a reimagining of a Jane Birkin drama, meaning casual moviegoers didn't give a crap, and sensational and playful enough to make snootier cinema types write it off as being all pomp and no poise (especially once Ralph Fiennes dances uncontrollably midway through the movie to "Emotional Rescue" in a scene that is either genius or a step too far, depending on who you ask). Still, you're unlikely to find a thriller as sexy, scintillating and psychologically complex as A Bigger Splash from this past year. (Read more.)
Matthew Ritchie
5. Morris from America
(dir. by Chad Hartigan)
The coming-of-age story has reached over-saturation at this point, yet filmmakers continue to find new, interesting ways of approaching adolescence. With Morris from America, Chad Hartigan transplants his characters into small-town Germany. It's a strange place for a young, rap-obsessed African-American boy to grow up, but that fish out of water element is what makes Morris from America crackle with vitality. Factor in strong performances from Craig Robinson and Carla Juri (best known for the raunchy Wetlands) and you've got one hell of a charming indie dreamed. (Read more.)
Josiah Hughes
4. Tickled
(dir. by David Farrier and Dylan Reeve)
Like so many of the best documentaries, Tickled starts out as an investigation into something relatively simple and even silly before becoming a trip down the rabbit hole into a vast conspiracy that seemingly knows no bounds. Directors David Farrier and Dylan Reeve initially set out to determine the origin of online videos depicting the odd world of competitive tickling, but when their innocent inquiries are met with harassment and the threat of litigation, they know something bigger is afoot. To reveal too much would be to spoil its many surprises, so let's just say that the documentary is another reminder that the internet contains plenty of seedy and lurid enterprises — and they can be far more sinister than you might imagine. (Read more.)
Kevin Scott
3. Ouija: Origin of Evil
(dir. by Mike Flanagan)
The original film in the Ouija franchise is a dismal, derivative affair that offered no thrills or scares, but the prequel to the original, set in 1967 and following a widowed mother of two daughters, was a surprisingly satisfying followup. Ouija: Origin of Evil nails the look and feel of '60s horror in its staging and palette choices. The film itself, in another surprising twist, is quieter and more nuanced than it needs to be, and Annalise Basso and Lulu Wilson put in strong performances as sisters Lina and Doris. As the possessed Doris, Wilson delivers an icily creepy monologue about what it feels like to be strangled that ranks as one of the best horror moments of 2016.
Laura Di Girolamo
2. The Edge of Seventeen
(dir. by Kelly Fremon Craig)
Saying that a film that saw wide release, had a reasonably-long stay in theatres, and received near universal acclaim is underrated is a little strange, to be sure. The shame is just how many got to see writer and director Kelly Fremon Craig's story of high school discovery. This should've filled theatres and been broadly loved for its crackling humour, its light and knowing performance from Woody Harrelson as a high school teacher, and its showcase of the immense talents of Hailee Steinfeld. In the lead role, she manages a challenging mix of tones while carrying the whole film, a feat large enough that it deserves an audience to match.
James Brotheridge
1. Other People
(dir. by Chris Kelly)
There was nothing quite like the Sundance press screening of Other People, which saw a room full of the world's biggest film critics alternate between snotty ugly crying and snorts of laughter. The film really does demonstrate that full range of emotion. Starring Molly Shannon in a criminally under appreciated role, the film documents a mother's death from cancer. But it's also a movie about suburbia, alternative comedy, coming out as gay and the ubiquity of Train's "Drops of Jupiter." Other People is truly a singular film, and one that deserves your immediate attention. (Read more.)
Josiah Hughes