Photo Credit (Freepik)

Around the world, 2017 was a very challenging year in many respects. The sense of approaching doom and the unwavering gloom and division of our times were more real than ever, and avoiding despair was a never-ending battle. Therefore, we are grateful to the gods of film for this year’s outstanding films.

There are classics every year, of course, but this year in particular saw the release of a ton of amazing films that provoked discussion, passion, unease, and happiness; films that made you ponder, laugh, or both at once.

This year was so full of films that many of them didn’t receive enough love and acknowledgment, regardless of how many were praised for various reasons.

For the purposes of this list, an underappreciated film is one that merited more attention than it got, but it’s important to note that an underrated film is not just obscure. You’ll probably find it here if a film has received some positive reviews but not enough to be considered a success.

15. Loving Hounds

A terrific movie doesn’t always have to be enjoyable to see. As evidenced by this year’s divisive response to films like “Mother!” and “The Killing of a Sacred Deer,” which were criticized for being bad just because they forced viewers to step outside of their comfort zone, many audience members appear incapable of making that distinction.

One such film is the Australian thriller “Hounds of Love.” The film, which follows the story of a teenage girl who is abducted and the crazy and complicated pair who kidnap her, lasts for an almost intolerable one hour and thirty minutes, during which the audience is unable to turn away from the atrocities the girl is experiencing.

However, the film aims to evoke that uneasy sense, and it does it flawlessly. However, it’s crucial to remember that this is not merely a cheap gorefest in the style of “Saw,” for example; dealing with the relationship of the three main characters, particularly the woman of the couple, who is intensely portrayed by Emma Booth as someone who is constantly on the verge of a breakdown, involves deep psychological complexity. Although she is strong and extremely violent, she also has a delicate nature that makes her easily manipulated by both her husband and the daughter. It is at this point that the film’s conflict emerges and the tension really starts to build.

Although “Hounds of Love” is undoubtedly not for everyone, anyone who is prepared to watch a film that dares to be unpleasant will discover that it is both incredibly cathartic and profoundly disturbing.

14. The villain

Thanks to directors like Park Chan-wook and Bong Joon-ho, who helmed global blockbusters like “Oldboy” and “The Host,” Korean cinema has had a remarkable comeback since the 2000s and has swiftly emerged as one of the world’s most influential cinematic movements. Their film industry has grown so rich that some excellent films, like “The Villainess,” manage to go unnoticed by the majority of people.

The narrative follows the nonlinear story of a female assassin from her training to the final, devastating mission she is assigned, with flashbacks to her early childhood and adolescence that will later play a significant role. It is a crazy action movie in the style of “La Femme Nikita” and “John Wick.”

This film is absurdly extravagant in every way, yet that’s part of its appeal. Instead of merely panning or tracking, the camera actively participates in the choreography, moving in tandem with the performers. This results in utterly bizarre scenes, such as the opening tracking shot and the bus climax.

“The Villainess” also has a heightened dramatic tone that is consistent with the camera technique; it nearly feels like a 1950s melodrama; the colors are vibrant, the music is deceptive, and the dramatic situations are handled absolutely seriously. It’s as though Douglas Sirk directed “Kill Bill,” with erratic but intriguing effects.

Though it’s not the year’s best action movie, “The Villainess” is unquestionably the most unique and deserving of greater recognition.

13. The wheelman

There are several criminal films in the “getaway driver” subgenre that, to a mediocre degree, riff on the same fundamental premise and follow the same plot points as other, superior films. However, occasionally a clever filmmaker can manage to give the formula a fresh twist, as seen in this year’s huge success “Baby Driver” and the more understated and overlooked “Wheelman.”

“Wheelman” is a Netflix original film, which may be why it received almost no attention at all. At a svelte 82 minutes, the film is a real-time thrill ride from start to finish, following the driver (played by Frank Grillo in a career-defining role) as he attempts to find out who betrayed him in a job gone wrong.

With the straightforward choice to always keep the camera in the car—there aren’t even transitional images of the outside until the very last minutes of the film—director Jeremy Rush manages to make the setup, which is undoubtedly familiar, entirely unique, and thrilling. That had also been done a few years prior in the drama film “Locke,” but this is an action thriller, and the choice adds a sense of urgency and suspense that heightens the excitement.

Fans of crime flicks will undoubtedly enjoy “Wheelman,” a tense and sophisticated genre thriller with some unexpected turns and deft methods to overcome the constraints of the car’s single habitat.

12. Macbeth, Lady

Despite not being a Shakespearean adaptation, as the title would imply, “Lady Macbeth” has the same engrossing force of unavoidable tragedy that hovers over everything, as found in The Bard’s best works.

“Lady Macbeth” is a film of outstanding formalism that was made with almost no budget but still managed to seem like a premium period studio picture. This is all the more impressive when you consider that it was William Oldroyd’s first time directing. The audience can appreciate the beauty of it all because every shot is well constructed, the actors’ placement in the frame tells us a lot about their connections and status, and the camera never moves aimlessly—it frequently simply observes the people from a distance.

But “Lady Macbeth” is more than simply a technical skill; it’s a gripping, ethically nuanced story of guilt, betrayal, and emancipation that continuously escalates to ever-higher levels of brutality and depravity. However, Florence Pugh’s performance as the title character, which drives the picture, is the real highlight. She creates a complicated figure of a woman attempting to regain her authority by infusing the character with a spirit of rebellion, a love of life, and a legitimate rage at being denied her basic liberties. Until she begins making incredibly horrible decisions, the spectator is forced to support her, and then the film assumes a completely other thematic significance.

Helped by extraordinary control behind the cameras and complete dedication in front of them, “Lady Macbeth” is an intriguing morality study that everyone will experience differently due to the concerns it raises.

11. Una

“Una,” which was filmed in 2015 and was supposed to be released later that year, maybe for awards consideration, has regrettably been mired in release date hell for a long time. It was postponed to 2016, which also went through, and never happened. Midway through 2017, it was finally revealed to the public with little hoopla, which is unfortunate because Rooney Mara and Ben Mendelsohn ought to have been Oscar contenders.

The basic plot of “Una,” which is based on the well-known play “Blackbird” (the script was created by writer David Harrower), is that a lady confronts the man who mistreated her as a child fifteen years ago. That’s about where the simplicity ends, though, since what comes next is a deeply intricate and nuanced conversation about trauma, dependency, and love. Above all, though, it’s a study of those two characters and their interactions.

Director Benedict Andrews uses the camera in inventive ways, such as when Ray, the abuser, first sees Una and is framed in a disjointed way to convey his discomfort and shock. The film doesn’t shy away from its theater roots and is primarily based on dialogue rather than images. The action is set in cramped, tiny settings, demonstrating the director’s effective use of space.

However, Mendelsohn’s and Mara’s performances—which take intriguing characters from the book and give them new life—are what truly make the film. While Mara alternates between subtle expressions and incredible intensity, she portrays a bitter, angry woman who gradually reveals hidden attachments to her former lover/abuser. Mendelsohn creates a complex figure of a man who regrets his actions but does not want to take full responsibility for them.

“Una” is a compelling drama with superb writing and acting up until the somewhat abrupt ending.

10. A Silent Enchantment

Since the late 1980s, Terence Davies has continuously produced excellent films, but for some reason, his amazing, delicate work has always been on the edge of being properly acknowledged. It has received praise from a small number of critics and fans but has never been able to reach a larger audience or garner the awards recognition it merits. “A Quiet Passion” is the most recent victim of this carelessness.

The film, which uses American poet Emily Dickinson as a metaphor for Davies himself, is a melancholic meditation on resentment and the emotional and psychological effects of living a completely unremarkable and restrained life. Like Dickinson, Davies is an artist who leads a completely withdrawn, modest life. The idea that they are not living life to the fullest and that the world is unaware of the beauty of their work torments both Dickinson and Davies.

The remarkable Cynthia Nixon’s portrayal of Dickinson, in a turn full of controlled wrath but also profound with awe, is what really elevates the already intriguing biopic/self portrait with stunning graphics. Nixon takes the film on her shoulders, making more with a single smile than most actors can with their whole bodies; it’s a quiet, controlled, and dramatic performance.

Although “A Quiet Passion” is slow and without a clear plot, those who persevere will uncover a visually striking and emotionally distressing film that may cause you to reevaluate your own life.

9. Tramps

Like Wheelman, “Tramps” met the same fate of being unceremoniously published on Netflix one Friday with almost no marketing, adding to the growing number of obscure films that are overlooked in favor of Netflix’s original content.

Which is unfortunate because “Tramps” is a charming little film of the kind that is becoming a little hard to find. A low-budget romance film that isn’t overly self-important and is actually entertaining without sacrificing character development. The characters are actually what make this such a sweet and heartwarming film to watch; Callum Turner and Grace Van Patten, who are newcomers, do a fantastic job portraying two impoverished teenagers who have to return a bag full of cash. Their relationship serves as the emotional core of the film, which is essentially a road movie, as we follow them on their journey and gradually come to value each other’s company.

Instead of being a typical “falling in love” rom-com, it’s a lot more intimate and realistic film that merely follows two very different people as they become close via remarkable circumstances. Naturally, the actors who play the characters’ individual characteristics as well as the desire they eventually feel for one another are part of what makes it so delicate and intimate. But it’s also important to acknowledge filmmaker Adam Leon’s subtle style, which always keeps the camera close to his characters and lets everything happen naturally.