While superhero movies continue to impress those who once ignorantly turned their nose up at them, there are still many who dislike the year-round release schedule of blockbuster movies. However, there are hundreds of movies released in the past ten years that are endearing, hilarious, and emotional, and they just didn’t get the attention they deserved.
2013 was one of the best years for those very movies. Between black-and-white father/son road trips, satirical crime dramas, and even an “art house” movie from Michael Bay, there are so many gems from 2013 that have been criminally overlooked ever since their releases.
10 The Place Beyond The Pines
Though it’s one of the best stylish crime dramas, The Place Beyond the Pines is so much more than that, as it’s one of the most unique crime dramas of the 21st century, starring acclaimed actors like Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper.
The movie doesn’t follow the criminal for too long, but the criminal’s son, how his father’s death effects his life, and the relationship he has with his father’s killer. Though it can’t be considered a proper anthology movie, as the characters’ lives cross, the film is split in to three distinctively different stories and periods in time, and they intertwine in the most genius of ways.
9 Nebraska
Nebraska is a road trip movie unlike any other, as that type of movie tends to be full of hijinks and slapstick comedy, whereas this one is a heartfelt and witty drama about the connection between a son and a father.
The movie sees the pair travel cross-country when Woody believes he has won a million dollars from a promotional flyer in a magazine. And though it’s considered a comedy, the humor is subtle, and it’s the relationship between Woody and David that steers the movie. But that isn’t to say it isn’t highly entertaining, and it’s one of the best modern movies shot in black-and-white, thanks to Alexander Payne’s daring direction.
8 Her
Just as most Spike Jonze directed movies are almost anti-romantic, as he also directed Being John Malkovich, the strange fantasy movie about a love triangle, Her is no different.
The movie is one of the most bizarre romantic dramas ever made, as it follows a man’s love with Samantha, who isn’t a woman, but a highly advanced Siri-like software. The movie is beautiful too, as it’s set in a not too distant future, and background shots of Shanghai were composited in to shots of LA to make it look more futuristic.
7 Before Midnight
Before Midnight is a romantic drama that’s so unique, and few others have been able to reach the feat that the Before trilogy has, as Richard Linklater’s film is part of a great low budget franchise. The series is a passion project of the prolific filmmaker, who the director has always experimented with time – as he created Boyhood (which was shot over the course of twelve years) – and the Before trilogy is no different.
The Before movies chronicle the relationship of Jesse and Celine, and they are set nine years apart from each other. The third movie is arguably the best, as it’s the first one to see the couple with a family and deal with the stretch marks that come with an 18-year long relationship.
6 Inside Llewyn Davis
Despite being directed by celebrated filmmakers the Coen brothers, and even featuring a great performance from Justin Timberlake, Inside Llewyn Davis made just $33 million at the worldwide box office. The movie is an incredible drama that interpolates 50s country music in a way that only the Coen brothers can.
Inside Llewyn Davis is a great ode the era, as it follows the titular character, who is a struggling and pretentious artist, reluctantly perform on novelty tracks. And the final act even sees Bob Dylan perform at The Gaslight Cafe. It’s also Oscar Isaac’s first leading role, and arguably his best.
5 This Is The End
There are loads of films that come off as an excuse for actor friends to hang around with each other for a couple months, with Grown Ups being the most glaring example. And This Is The End is no exception, as it sees Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, and so many incredible cameos shooting the breeze for two hours.
But, This Is The End is an exception, because it’s actually so much fun. All of the actors are playing exaggerated version of themselves at James Franco’s house party all the while the apocalypse is happening outside. And, though the film stars actors who have all worked together on tons of ensemble comedies, the movie doesn’t get half as much attention compared to its sibling films, such as Knocked Up and Pineapple Express.
4 Pain & Gain
Though it still had a budget of $40 million dollars and stars Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson, Pain & Gain is Michael Bay’s “art film.” The movie doesn’t have a single explosion or helicopter flying in to the sunset, but besides that, it’s still rife with typical Bay-tropes. Whether it’s bikini clad women, testosterone fuelled gym buffs, or the tyrannical energy, it’s all in Pain & Gain.
But there’s also a grounded story that’s both shocking and satirical, as it’s based on the true story of Sun Gym Gang, who murdered and extorted several victims in Miami. And though it includes most of what people would expect from a Bay-directed movie, it also features many firsts for the director too, as the film is cohesive, dramatic, and clever too.
3 Fruitvale Station
Just like what Inside Llewyn Davis was for Oscar Isaac, Fruitvale Station was Michael B. Jordan’s breakthrough role as a dramatic lead. It foreshadowed just how much of a powerhouse of an actor he’d become.
Fruitvale Station is possibly his best performance in his career, as he plays Oscar Grant, who was killed by a police officer in 2009. It wasn’t just Jordan’s breakthrough role either, as it was Ryan Coogler’s directorial debut too. Since Fruitvale Station, the director-actor duo have worked together on Creed and Black Panther as well.
2 Machete Kills
The character of Machete has such a dense history, as he was first introduced as a gadget inventor in the Spy Kids franchise. And then, he appeared in a fake movie trailer for his own film in Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino’s Grindhouse project. Following that, Rodriguez actually made the movie of that very fake trailer.
And the best thing is that the sequel, Machete Kills, is so schlocky that audiences’ don’t have to have seen as single second of any of them, not even Machete. The film is as schlocky as they come, as Machete is no longer a gadget inventor, but a violent Mexican federal, and it literally sees the character jump on a missile and get launched in to space. The movie is absolute nonsense, but it’s also so unpretentious and massively entertaining.
1 The Bling Ring
Just like Pain & Gain, The Bling Ring is also a satirical movie based on a true story of a group of amateur thieves, and though it takes place in a sun soaked location too, the movies couldn’t be more different. The film follows the titular gang, who are a group of fame obsessed teenagers that burgle the homes of A-list movie and pop stars.
Where Pain & Gain is full of visceral pleasures, The Bling Ring is much more of a character study. The film looks at why the thieves do what they do, and it’s a commentary on the idea of celebrity just as much as it’s an entertaining crime movie.
