As is the case ever year, there have been too many movies over the past twelve months for one person to watch them all. It’s inevitable that some gems slip between the cracks when the likes of Avengers and whichever thing Tom Cruise is jumping off of are dominating the box office. We’ve had no shortage of movies this year that haven’t earned the love or audience they really deserve.
But never fear, we have a batch of the most underrated movies of 2018 for you to add to your watchlist whenever you have time. Thanks to the rise of VOD and the general availability of non-marquee names, you have no excuses not to catch up on what you might have missed.
5. Cargo
Tired of zombie movies? Well, we can guarantee that that will be balanced out by Martin Freeman in a zombie movie, who is an actor nobody could ever get tired of. Cargo takes a more emotional approach to the end of the world with a father/daughter dynamic at its core that really resonates, as well as the fact that it doesn’t need buckets of blood to convey the brutality of the end days.
From our Cargo review:
“Cargo paints a desolate yet heartwarming picture of fatherhood that’s hard not to be moved by. If you can overlook some basic flaws, Cargo is a refreshing and hopeful addition to a subgenre that was crying out for some fresh ideas.”
4. Upgrade
Logan Marshall-Green might just be one of the most unsung names in modern horror. After delivering a beautifully tortured performance in The Invitation, he returned this year with his turn in Upgrade, which seems destined for cult status. Coming across like Deus Ex meets Robocop with a helpful lashing of body horror to boot, Upgrade is a breathless story about the loss of principles and decency in a tech-obsessed world.
From our Upgrade review:
“Upgrade has the vibe of a Crow film, or Robocop, meeting the likes of an obscure indie such as Hardware. Also possessing traces of the creepier aspects of 2001, it doesn’t pull back once Hell is unleashed when Man and Machine meld. Upgrade is something to dial in and see.”
3. The Night Comes For Us
Netflix doesn’t know how good it has it sometimes. As commendable as they are for the variety on their service, Netflix don’t always shine a spotlight on their originals that need the exposure. That was the case with The Night Comes For Us earlier in 2018 when it was given next to no promotion despite being one of the best action movies in recent times. Effectively The Raid with the dial turned up to 111, The Night Comes For Us is an exhilarating and absolutely vicious ride with a final fight that will dislocate your jaw.
From our The Night Comes For Us review:
“Nobody comes to an Indonesian action movie expecting Villeneuve levels of character development — you get what you pay your subscription fee for. In the midst of weird gothic cooking shows and painfully scripted horror documentaries, you won’t want to miss this on Netflix this October.”
2. Wildling
Wildling feels rather like a modern fairytale without the glitz or sunshine: it’s a dark and uncomfortable time that isn’t that interested in making you fall in love with it, so much so that it’s actually gone down as one of the year’s most polarising movies. For our money, though, this story of a strange woman being forced into a society that does not understand or want her is one of 2018’s most intriguing movies. There’s more going on here than meets the eye.
From our Wildling review:
“The end result of all of this is another win for IFC Midnight. It demands repeating one more time: If you love horror, I promise you that IFC Midnight is one of the places you need to keep your focus on. They are contributing mightily to horror’s current, and perhaps most notable, golden age. Wildling also gives us yet another filmmaker to watch out for in the future.”
1. The Clovehitch Killer
The most recent movie on this list, The Clovehitch Killer released in a weird period (early November) for a movie of its kind, so there haven’t been the eyes on it it deserves. When a teenage boy suspects his father of being a serial killer, the audience is taken along for a ride that will constantly keep you second-guessing. Perhaps a dark drama more than a horror, The Clovehitch Killer has an aptly killer performance from Dylan McDermott and a pace that rewards ypur patience.
From our The Clovehitch Killer review:
“Just when you have The Clovehitch Killer figured out, its plot all but laid out, director Duncan Skiles flips it and delivers one of the most quietly shocking moments in a mostly bloodless horror movie, leading the film to backtrack and somehow still enthral despite it treading familiar ground. Forget what you’ve been taught by The Silence of the Lambs et al, because The Clovehitch Killer is unlike any other serial killer movie and is all the better for it.”
MORE MOVIES:
– A-Z of the Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century
– 10 Best Horror Movies of 2018
– 32 Best Zombie Movies of the 21st Century
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