The Five Unsung Films Of 2019
In a sea of worthy competition, it's not uncommon for some great films to get eclipsed by the year's other contenders. There is, after all, a staggering amount of new releases each year, and some of them are here and gone in the blink of an eye, some don't even reach our local theaters at all. This makes it easy for a great film to go by unnoticed, and even when they do get seen, they don't always get the love and attention they deserve. Even when a film gets a lot of media buzz and attention, it can seem — to us anyways — like it still isn’t getting the attention it’s worthy of.
Well, we refuse to let those gems from 2019 remain unsung, so we’re shouting up to the rafters about some of our faves that we think deserve more eyes!
5: Greener Grass
Writing/directing duo Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe made big waves at last year’s Sundance Film Festivals with their feature film debut, Greener Grass, but we don’t feel like enough general moviegoers have sunk their teeth into this quite as much as they ought to. Based off the duo’s short film of the same name, this refreshingly offbeat, delightfully absurd, and totally unpredictable satire unleashes a never-ending barrage on suburban living, and it has all the makings of an instant cult classic. As a backdrop, middle-of-nowhere suburban America is no stranger to cinema satire, yet the bizzaro day-glo world that Greener Grass manages to carve out its own singular space within the sub-genre. The experience could be described as The Stepford Wives on acid directed by the lovechild of David Lynch and John Waters, a late night Adult Swim live-action skit meets SNL burlesque, Tim and Eric's Air Bud sequel, or a version of the American dream as observed and recreated by aliens, but none of them does Greener Grass justice. It really isn’t quite like anything we’ve seen before, and its antics must be seen to be believed. It perfectly encapsulates the oddity of indeterminate suburbia with a surreal acuity (think Blue Velvet by way of Polyester), and it thoroughly sinks its braces into exploring the notion of if the grass is truly greener on the other side.
4: Dolemite Is My Name
One of the many Netflix films to drop this year, and while it may’ve been eclipsed by other Netflix films like The Irishman or Marriage Story (both of which made our top 10 list), we think Dolemite Is My Name needs more eyes on it. The film is important to us for two reasons: 1) it illuminates viewers on the hilarity and importance of Rudy Ray Moore and his beloved Dolemite character, and; 2) most of all, it gives us the kind of quality Eddie Murphy performance that we haven’t seen in a very very very long time. Part Ed Wood and part The Disaster Artist, Dolemite Is My Name is a tale of outsider triumph that champions Rudy Ray Moore’s gumption and entrepreneurial spirit, carrying with it the inspirational message of following your dreams — no matter how bonkers and seemingly out of reach they may be. It finds the perfect equilibrium between being an entry point for the uninitiated and a joyous romp for those long time fans of Moore/Dolemite, and it manages to be informative on both fronts. Overall, we think the film is a real motherf*ckin’ delight! It’s a testament to the things you can achieve when you believe in yourself and the importance of inclusion (whether it’s cultural, racial, or body type), and it’s satisfying as hell, filling you with joy, inspiration, and the want to do something creative.
3: Dark Waters
Dark Waters is an eye-opening true-life tale about the perils of living in the corporate age and one of the “little guys” who choose to fight their corruption and lies against all odds. Coming from the steady and assured hands of director Todd Haynes (Wonderstruck, Carol) the film is a sleek and tightly drawn thriller that hardly anyone talked about. Based on the 2016 article "The Lawyer Who Became DuPont's Worst Nightmare" by Nathaniel Rich (published in The New York Times Magazine), Dark Waters turns this straight-from-the-headlines true story into something pretty palpable and tense. Though it can certainly be faulted for being fairly conventional and paint by numbers, the film’s fascinating and important story, solid execution, and strong performances are enough to make it an engaging night out. Its didactic approach may be problematic to some, but it’s hard to dismiss the importance of the information it presents. If you were already distrusting of your corporate overlords, Dark Waters may have you tossing out your pots and pans and paranoid about the water coming out of your faucet. Despite being pretty Hollywood, there’s a resinous quality to it that lingers after everything’s all said and done. It’s a film that starts discussions about a corporation’s obligations to its consumers and how we should hold them accountable for the harm they inflict, especially when they did it knowingly.
2: Long Gone By
Long Gone By premiered at HBO's New York Latino Film Festival in August of last year, and it really took us by surprise. Understated and emotionally raw, writer/director Andrew Morgan’s feature debut is an intimately unnerving portrait of a woman willing to sacrifice everything to give her daughter the chance at a life she never had, and it’s an indie we’d like more people to actively seek out. The film feels like Hell or High Water meets Good Time in the style of The Rider, complete with flourishes in the vein of Gus Van Sant and Jeff Nichols. Everything is grounded in a palpable sense of reality and presented in a very soft, understated, and intimate way. Morgan effectively puts us into the characters’ situation. If we’re not following the them from behind, literally walking in their shoes in a very Alan Clarke/Gus Van Sant way, we’re focused on the their face as they take in or react to their environment. Other than wanting it to bare its teeth and roar, it’s a very engaging and emotionally resonate thriller that promotes heathy discussion through its topical subject matter.
Before we get to our #1 pick, here's a few that just missed the cut:
And now, our pick for the most unsung film of 2019 goes to...
1: Light from Light
From writer/director Paul Harrill, Light from Light spins a compelling and profound character-driven drama about a paranormal investigation that may (or may not) involve a ghost. Full of elusive mystery, this muted stunner will haunt you in ways you won’t likely suspect. Backed by Executive Producer David Lowery (A Ghost Story, The Old Man & a Gun) and Producer (and actress extraordinaire) Elisabeth Moss, you’d think more people would be talking about it, but this flick just hasn’t gotten the praise it’s rightly owed. Eschewing what another filmmaker would undoubtedly shoehorn full of tired genre tropes, Harril churns his intimate ghost story into a refreshingly potent meditation on loss, the invisibility of faith, and the human desire to make sense of things that defy explanation and are beyond our grasp. Beautifully written and economical at every turn, Harrill uses the film’s two principle plots to reinforce the film’s central theme: the mystery of how we should live our lives when we will always have incomplete knowledge. The film deals heavily with things that can be felt but are otherwise unseen and invisible, and so Harrill appropriately steeps his ethereal drama in a sense of quietude that often speaks louder and resonates harder than any line of dialogue — although there’s some powerful lines embedded throughout the film as well. There’s a quiet beauty and a little magic in this soft and elusive drama with light supernatural flourishes. Harrill and company know that profundity comes not from providing answers but asking questions, and Light from Light gives every viewer something meaty to mull over. The film has the power to instill a sense of enchanted wonder to the world around us, causing you to potentially question and reflect on the invisible forces that may (or may not) cover us, which is why we think everyone ought to check it out.
That's our list! Did we miss any of your underdog picks from last year? We want to know. Share your thoughts and feelings in the comments section below, and as always remember to viddy well!