Top Five Recent Movies You've Never Seen (But Should Have)

5: Gwoemul (The Host) - 2006

South Korea isn’t really known for it’s cinema. Matter of fact, it’s not really known for much other than it’s evil twin, North Korea. Then along came a Korean, one by the name of Joon-ho Bong. South Korea had never made a monster movie, so Bong whipped up a script with his buddy Chul-hyun Baek and voilà! a monster was born. 

This movie is, hands-down, one of the best monster movies of all time. Why? Well for starters, the monster is the perfect blend of gross-out gore and awesomeness. The cinematography is gorgeous, and the unusual score works beautifully as a perfect contrast to the violence and gore on screen. The actors are surprisingly very good and worth tracking down for more. Probably the best thing about the movie is something that’s a little strange for a monster movie. You actually care for the characters. The whole movie is centered on a family who’s youngest member is abducted by the monster. Their pain and struggle hits you right where it should; right in the good old heartstrings. 

In short, this is a must-see. Just make sure to watch it in it’s original Korean. It’s worth it to read the subtitles, trust me. The english dubbing is absolutely terrible, as with most foreign films. I give it a 7.9 out of 10. 

4: Music Within - 2007

Nobody has ever seen this movie. Seriously. Absolutely nobody. Which is a real shame because this is easily one of the best drama/comedies of 2007. The acting is phenomenal and the direction is great, especially since it’s Steven Sawalich’s directorial debut. I expect great things from him and hopefully gets rediscovered soon. 

The movie is based on the true story of Richard Pimentel (Ron Livingston), a brilliant public speaker with a troubled past, who returns from Vietnam severely hearing-impaired. When he get’s home from Vietnam, he’s bitter and depressed. He finds a friend in hard-drinking veteran, Mike Stoltz (Yul Vazquez) and foul-mouthed genius with cerebral palsy, Art Honeyman (Michael Sheen). He eventually falls in love with free-spirited beauty, Christine (Melissa George) and plays a pivotal role in creating the “Americans With Disabilities” Act, using his extraordinary public speaking skills.

The performances in this movie are fantastic. Michael Sheen is perfect as Art; so good I had to check and make sure that he didn’t really have cerebral palsy. Ron Livingston really brings a lot of charisma to his role and makes you really care for Richard. All in all, I give this film an 7.5 out of 10 and happily recommend it to everyone who’s old enough to really appreciate the subject matter. 

3: The Maiden Heist - 2009

This little gem never hit the big screen thanks to the distributing company in charge of it going bankrupt. I was lucky enough to find it at my local RedBox. It’s the charming little story of three old men, all of whom are security guards at the Worcester Art Museum. The museum is doing some renovation and a good half of the art housed there is being shipped off to a museum in Denmark. Unfortunately for the museum, they’re shipping away Roger (Christopher Walken), Charles (Morgan Freeman), and George’s (William H. Macy) favorite pieces of art. The trio decide that they have to do something and set in motion a plan. A plan to keep their favorite pieces of art with them. Permanently. 

The story is simple, light-hearted, and fun and the characters endearing. The trio of Walken, Freeman, and Macy is rather funny in the first place, and the film makes most out of it. No, it’s not outrageously funny. No, it wont be one of your favorite comedies ever. But it will leave you with a smile on your face and cleanse your cinematic palate, at least for a short while. Then you can go back to your summer blockbusters and torture-porn. I give this little treat a 7.3 out of 10. 

2: The Brothers Bloom - 2008

Before I say anything about this movie, I must warn you. If you really liked Prince of Persia or your favorite movie is Avatar, skip this one. This is a deep, clever movie that really requires some brains to enjoy. So if you’d rather hang the story and really only care about flashy special effects and “sexy” movie stars, please do so. Just not here. Go buy yourself a couple of tickets for Grown Ups and be prepared for the funniest movie you’ve ever seen.

Okay, now for the good stuff. Oh and, just so no one’s confused, the above comment about Grown Ups is a little thing known as sarcasm. Anyway, The Brothers Bloom is a relatively unknown movie, mostly because nobody has time for clever, engaging films. If, however, you’re like me, you’ll see this film as a beacon of shining, original light, carving a path through the summer block busters, remakes, reboots, and sequels that flood the market these days. No, it’s not the greatest movie you’ll ever see but, like The Maiden Heist, it serves as a reminder that there are still opportunities for original stories, great writing, and real talent. 

The movie is the story of two brothers, Stephen (Mark Ruffalo) and Bloom (Adrien Brody). Even since they were kids, they’ve been pulling cons, with Stephen as the writer and Bloom as the actor. Stephen writes these characters to play, and Bloom plays them perfectly. Bloom is unhappy though, and decides that he’s done. He doesn’t want to play these characters anymore. He just wants to be himself. So Stephen sets up one last job to get Bloom’s self-esteem back. Their target, Penelope (Rachel Weisz), is an eccentric millionaire who inherited all of her money and the mansion she lives in. She prefers to stay indoors and spends her time learning new skills. She joins the brothers on their con, believing that they’re actually smugglers, and they embark on their journey. 

This movie is full of literary references and symbolism, making it one of the deepest films I’ve seen in a long time. The characters are great, each played perfectly by their respective actor/actress. Arguably the best part of the movie is the character Bang Bang, played by Rinko Kikuchi. She doesn’t talk much, if at all, and enjoys blowing up all manner of things. Especially Barbie dolls. 

Even with all I’ve said, this film does have it’s problems, like almost all films. It’s a bit lethargic at times, and the ending may confuse some. This is really a movie that you have to pay real attention when you’re watching it. If you don’t, the ending wont make any sense. All in all, this is a great movie. It’s hilarious at times, touching at others. This is definitely worth tracking down. You wont be disappointed. I give it a 7.9 out of 10.

1: Fantastic Mr. Fox - 2009

This is the story of Mr. Fox  and it’s easily one of the most creative and hilarious movies I’ve seen for a long time. Mr. Fox is an urbane fox who simple can’t resist returning to his farm raiding ways. He starts stealing from the nearby farms, and the farmers retaliate and he has to help his community survive. Eventually, they fight the farmers back and the day is saved.

The whole movie is done in stop motion “claymation”, which really adds to the film. The goofy, slightly choppy way the characters move, talk, and interact with each other is actually the source of a good percentage of the laughs. Another thing that makes this movie so great is the fantastic voice acting from some big names. George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, and Michael Gambon all do a great job with their respective characters, especially Clooney who play's the fantastic Mr. Fox. The casting director for this movie should get an oscar. 

One of the things that makes this movie so great, is the way it deals with adult themes in a funny and interesting way. All the characters swear, but not in the conventional manner. The word “cuss” stands in for all the swear words and it’s cussing hilarious. A lot of the humor is aimed at adults, not because it’s raunchy or crude, but because it deals with things such as real estate, debt, marriages, and coming of age. 

Wes Anderson does a (surprisingly) good job with this one, and it’s definitely a movie you should track down. You won’t be disappointed, I guarantee it. While it’s a little on the short side (87 minutes), it’s one of the most imaginative movies I’ve ever seen. To put it simply, it’s cussing good. I give it a 8.1 out of 10, making it the highest rated film on this list.