Any film critic’s year end list is bound to be littered with obscurities, but there are some films far too few people even realized existed. Here are three that you almost certainly did not see—and if you did, bravo! If I’m right, though, you should remedy that situation.
Columbus
A Korean-American who man finds himself stuck in Columbus, Indiana meets a much younger woman who should want freedom but instead chooses to remain. The film is a meticulous and quietly beautiful—visually and emotionally—meditation on family, freedom, choice and architecture. First time feature director Kogonada possesses a lovely knack for visual storytelling as well as patience as he develops one of the most quietly moving odd couplings in recent film.
The Survivalist
Lean, mean futuristic science fiction that feels unsettlingly like reality, The Survivalist ranks among the best dystopian films in recent memory. And as writer/director Stephen Fingleton creates an utterly plausible and devastatingly grim future, the film marks a first time filmmaker with an awful lot to say.
Good Time
Regardless of the film’s title, Connie Nikas (Robert Pattinson) does not appear to be having a Good Time. Filmmaking brothers Benny and Josh Safdie create a world that’s simultaneously alien and authentic. The two have proven that they can tell a deeply human story set on the fringe of society. It’s hard to believe people live like this, and yet every moment of Connie’s increasingly erratic evening rings true. Nuts, but true.
CLICK HERE FOR THE TOP 10 FILMS OF 2017
Read more from Hope at MADDWOLF and listen to her podcasts THE SCREENING ROOM and FRIGHT CLUB.