2021 Films You Might Have Missed (But Should Definitely Check Out)

Culture
2021 Films You Might Have Missed (But Should Definitely Check Out)
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“Seen any good movies lately?” is a relatively common question, but one that’s both easier and harder to answer with a whole universe of content and platforms promising unmatched entertainment. As such, a lot of great films sometimes fall through the cracks, either due to bad timing, a lack of promotion or simply not finding their intended audience. Our annual round-up of undiscovered gems offers you old favourites and new stars in stories that deserve your attention.

By Victoria Luxford

0/19
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2021 Films You Might Have Missed (But Should Definitely Check Out).
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Finch – Despite being more accessible on the surface, streaming-exclusive movies can often get overlooked as they are not promoted like cinema releases, simply appearing in an app queue. We can’t say for certain how many people watched Tom Hanks’ emotional climate fable, where an inventor makes a robot to care for his dog after a climate change event. However, a lot more people should be talking about it. Moving, funny and thoughtful, it’s another gem from the Oscar winner who seems to always hit at the heart of what it is to be human.

1/19
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2021 Films You Might Have Missed (But Should Definitely Check Out).
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Night of the Kings – African cinema doesn’t often get the spotlight it deserves on the global stage, but this excellent independent film made a big impact on the festival circuit. Set in a prison where the inmates govern themselves, a new inmate (Bakary Koné) is forced to become a storyteller on the annual Night of the Kings, unaware that his life depends on his ability to keep the crowd entertained. Tense and imaginative, a cast of mostly newcomers grabs you from the beginning and doesn’t let go.

2/19
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2021 Films You Might Have Missed (But Should Definitely Check Out).
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Gunpowder Milkshake – Mix John Wick with Baby Driver, serve it through an empowered female lens, and you’ve got Gunpowder Milkshake. Karen Gillen plays a career assassin who falls foul of her employers when she chooses to protect a young girl (Chloe Coleman). With the addition of legends Michelle Yeoh, Angela Bassett and Carla Gugino as deadly trio The Librarians, it’s an action-packed romp that deserved to be hunted down.

3/19
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2021 Films You Might Have Missed (But Should Definitely Check Out).
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CODA – Standing for ‘Child of Deaf Adults’, this wonderful twist on the coming-of-age movie tells the story of Ruby (Emilia Jones), a hearing teenager who translates for her deaf family and who wants to follow her dream of singing. Amazing performances and a brilliant script take what could have been a familiar format and drag it into the 21st century. You’ll laugh, cry, sing and learn a number of crude phrases in sign language!

4/19
Culture
2021 Films You Might Have Missed (But Should Definitely Check Out).
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In the Heights – Lin-Manuel Miranda’s stunning, dreamlike musical story of hope was released earlier this year, and sadly didn’t get the reaction many of its fans were expecting. However, with fine performances from the likes of Antony Ramos (A Star Is Born) and Leslie Grace (Batgirl), it’s certainly a film worth catching at home. If you need a lift this winter, there’s no better place to go than the vibrant, energetic Washington Heights corner of Manhattan where everyone has a story, and everyone is looking to the stars.

5/19
Culture
2021 Films You Might Have Missed (But Should Definitely Check Out).
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Pig – The first of two Nicolas Cage movies on this list that prove the Oscar winner is still one of the more overlooked stars on the movie landscape. In a characteristically unusual plot concept, he plays a loner who loses his best friend, a pig. Teaming up with his employer (Alex Wolff), he heads into the city for answers. What sounds like ‘Taken with trotters’ is actually a very sensitive, moving drama about regret, with Cage’s eccentric mannerisms channelled into an emotionally rounded performance.

6/19
Culture
2021 Films You Might Have Missed (But Should Definitely Check Out).
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The Sparks Brothers – You may know British director Edgar Wright (Baby Driver, Last Night in Soho), but did you know one of his biggest artistic inspirations was the avant-garde pop duo Sparks? As it turns out, a whole host of celebrities and artists are also fans, with the likes of author Neil Gaiman and actor Simon Pegg contributing to an affectionate introduction to the act who have inspired for generations, while always staying true to themselves. For those already familiar, it’s a warm-hearted homage to everything you love about them – and Wright himself.

7/19
Culture
2021 Films You Might Have Missed (But Should Definitely Check Out).
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Synchronic – It’s been a big year for Anthony Mackie, picking up the Captain America mantle in the TV series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. However, many missed this quirky sci-fi mystery, where he plays a paramedic who uses a designer drug with strange time-bending effects to find a lost teenager. Best known as part of an ensemble, Mackie is truly allowed to shine here as the star, with excellent support from Jamie Dornan as his colleague. If you like high-concept science fiction, or just want to see Mackie in a well-deserved leading role, this is the drama for you!

8/19
Culture
2021 Films You Might Have Missed (But Should Definitely Check Out).
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Supernova – When was the last time a movie truly made you weep? Prepare to meet the next movie that will do just that! Colin Firth is stunning as a writer refusing to come to terms with his partner (Stanley Tucci) slowly losing his battle with dementia, as the pair travel to the British countryside for what may be their final trip together. Both heart-wrenching and heart-warming, the duo of exceptional performances was bafflingly snubbed during this year’s awards season, but that shouldn’t stop everyone from embarking on this road trip filled with tragedy and true love.

9/19
Culture
2021 Films You Might Have Missed (But Should Definitely Check Out).
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Misha and the Wolves – Modern documentaries have a habit of making you sit up in your seat and gasp at some incredible twist, and this French documentary certainly possesses that kind of shock value. We peek inside the world of Misha Defonseca, an author who gained huge celebrity in Europe thanks to her memoir about her extraordinary childhood escaping the Holocaust. However, when she gets into a legal dispute with her American publishers, it becomes clear her story is not all it seems. Impeccable storytelling forms the heart of this doc that invites us to become detectives while also questioning why people are so easily deceived.

10/19
Culture
2021 Films You Might Have Missed (But Should Definitely Check Out).
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Surge – You may know Ben Whishaw as the voice of loveable bear Paddington, or as Q in the recent Bond movies. However, he is far from either of those mild-mannered roles in this frenetic film, playing a meek Londoner who cracks under the pressure of the worst day of his life. It’s a salient story that turns the UK capital into a maze while commenting on the pressures we all feel in the increasingly hurried pace of life. Whishaw shows an entirely different side to his repertoire, and though it may be one of the more tense films on this list, it’s also one of the most compelling.

11/19
Culture
2021 Films You Might Have Missed (But Should Definitely Check Out).
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Nobody – Better Call Saul’s Bob Odenkirk isn’t the first name you think of when talking about action heroes, but then again, people used to say that about Liam Neeson! Here, the comedic actor gets tough as Hutch, a run-of-the-mill family man who secretly used to be a highly trained government operative, is forced to turn to his old skills to protect his family. Funny and ridiculous but also enormously entertaining, if John Wick had an office job, he might look a bit like this. It’s the perfect choice for those who like an action movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

12/19
Culture
2021 Films You Might Have Missed (But Should Definitely Check Out).
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The Card Counter – Oscar Isaac is the man of the moment, and while his performance in Dune (rightly) grabbed all the headlines this year, his turn as a card-counting professional gambler with a dark past is a must-see for his many fans. Directed by Paul Schrader, who went to similarly dark places with 2018’s religious drama First Reformed, he turns the card tables of Vegas into a battlefield as Isaac exudes mystery, with excellent support from Tiffany Haddish as his benefactor. It’s an old-school film for those who adore the slow-burning tales made famous during the 1970s.

13/19
Culture
2021 Films You Might Have Missed (But Should Definitely Check Out).
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The Green Knight – Dev Patel has proved himself in a number of genres, from comedy to sci-fi to award-winning dramas. Here, he transforms into a medieval hero as a knight who embarks on an epic quest to fulfil a challenge made a year previously. Director David Lowery gave a Disney classic a new spin a few years ago with his remake of Pete’s Dragon, and gives fans a chance to see Patel in a whole new light in this British independent spectacle.

14/19
Culture
2021 Films You Might Have Missed (But Should Definitely Check Out).
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Zola – We’ve seen films based on books, magazine articles and historical documents, but how about a movie based on a Twitter thread? A waitress (Taylour Paige) accepts an invitation from her new best friend Stefani (Riley Keough) and is conned into a 48-hour road trip filled with money, violence and deceit. While not easy to watch at times, the fine performances, sharp humour and breakneck pace keep you glued to the screen. If you loved the trashy danger of films like Spring Breakers, prepare to meet your new movie obsession.

15/19
Culture
2021 Films You Might Have Missed (But Should Definitely Check Out).
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Val – In the ‘80s and ‘90s, Val Kilmer was as big as it got in Hollywood, famous for films like Top Gun and Batman Forever, and for playing Jim Morrison in The Doors. This video memoir shows the vast footage and diaries the actor has kept of his remarkable life. It’s especially poignant given that the actor recently recovered from a battle with throat cancer, drastically altering his voice and making performing as he once did far more difficult. If you’re a lover of Kilmer’s work, this will make you love him more. If you are new to him, this will inspire you to check out some old classics.

16/19
Culture
2021 Films You Might Have Missed (But Should Definitely Check Out).
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Never Gonna Snow Again – This quirky Polish comedy-drama stars Alec Utgoff (Stranger Things) as a masseur who arrives in a gated community of wealthy but very sad clients, each of whose lives he changes with his mysterious powers. Mixing together elements of several genres, the story stands out both for its unique style and its ability to make you think about the things that truly matter in life. A memorable mystery that will stay with you for a while after seeing it.

17/19
Culture
2021 Films You Might Have Missed (But Should Definitely Check Out).
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Truffle Hunters – We journey to Italy for this documentary about a handful of farmers who uphold the ancient and lucrative practice of truffle hunting. Keeping their methods and secrets to themselves, this fascinating exploration shows how they have become cogs in a machine where nature itself is a commodity to be fought over by the rich. However, despite that sombre messaging, the charm and dedication of these men makes spending 90 minutes in their company an absolute pleasure.

18/19
Culture
2021 Films You Might Have Missed (But Should Definitely Check Out).
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Willy’s Wonderland – We end with our second Nicolas Cage film – and possibly the most unusual concept in our guide. Cage plays a silent drifter who agrees to clean up an old family restaurant in exchange for repairs on his car, only for the animatronic figures within the restaurant to come to life. Strange doesn’t quite cover the sight of Cage doing battle with a fuzzy demonic weasel, but this madcap horror flick has the right kind of B-movie thrills to make it a future cult favourite. The National Treasure star puts out a lot of films, but this stands among his most enjoyable.

19/19
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2021 Films You Might Have Missed (But Should Definitely Check Out)

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