What to watch if you've already reviewed everything - 7 little-known and underrated movies

A weighty box of fragrant popcorn, crunchy chips, favorite drinks and an interesting movie – what else do you need for a successful end of the New Year vacations? The main thing is to choose the right movie to not only not regret the time spent, but also to get aesthetic and emotional pleasure. Collected a few little-known or underrated movies and TV series that are worth including in your movie list.

Table of Contents

“The Haunting of Bly Manor,” USA, 2020

Directed by Mike Flanagan

Starring Victoria Pedretti, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Amelie Smith

Age limit: 18+

After the successful series The Ghost of the House on the Hill, Flanagan released another ghostly project. Two completely different stories, but a recurring cast. “The Ghost of the House on the Hill” turned out to be really scary – there are enough screemers, evil spirits, mystical mysteries, monsters under the bed, ominous shadows in the corners of the old house.

“The Ghost of Bly Manor”, filmed on the basis of Henry James’ work “The Turn of the Screw”, on the level of creepiness inferior to its predecessor. But it also keeps you in suspense. A young girl Dany gets a job as a governess in a huge house. Her duties include taking care of two children: a boy Miles and a girl Flora. At first everything seems calm, Dani is satisfied with the work, even makes friends. But soon she notices ominous oddities – a rag doll without a face, which Flora forbids to touch, a mysterious man wandering around the neighborhood of the mansion. And the children’s behavior changes with frightening periodicity – then they are diligent children, then behave out of hand badly, but then can not remember their misdeeds.

And there’s also a scary legend about the Lady of the Lake, who supposedly comes to the house every night looking for victims. And as confirmation of her existence – wet footprints leading exactly from the reservoir… By the way, not so long ago came out another series Flanagan – “The Fall of the House of Usher”. Each series of 10 is an interpretation of Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories.

“The Ghosts of Blye Manor.”

“Snake Spring”, Russia, 1997.

Directed by: Nikolai Lebedev

Starring: Ekaterina Guseva, Olga Ostroumova, Yevgeny Mironov

Age limit: 12+

A good Russian thriller about a maniac who keeps the inhabitants of a small provincial town in fear. His victims are girls who look very similar to each other. It so happened that a series of murders began with the arrival of Dina – a student of the pedagogical university (by the way, this is the debut of Ekaterina Guseva in the movie). Dina appeared in the town not by chance, she came for the sake of her favorite man, who turns out to be married, and his wife is expecting a child. At one of the crime scenes they find evidence pointing to the student, and an angry crowd of residents is ready to organize a lynching. Only one person seems to believe in Dina’s innocence – a local photographer….

“Snake Spring”

“Ultra Americans”, USA, Switzerland, 2015.

Director: Nima Nourizadeh

Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart

Age limit: 18+

Can you imagine the humble Jesse Eisenberg as a super agent with fighting skills? Mike, the movie’s hero, wouldn’t believe it himself. He is a simple slacker-salesman in a supermarket, living in a small apartment with his girlfriend and dreaming of a better fate. But in Mike’s measured and boring life there is a breakthrough, when he begins to remember the past. And in it he is a hitman in public service, a killing machine, “grown” in an underground laboratory. Mike is hunted by special services and the same super superhagent, but with manic tendencies. And Mike has few helpers – a girlfriend and a former curator. In general, a sea of adrenaline, shootings, chases, fights, explosions and… love.

“Ultra Americans”

“Lair of the Monster”, USA, 2017.

Directed by Dean Devlin

Starring: David Tennant, Robert Sheehan

Age limit: 16+

If you tell anyone, they won’t believe you, and you’ll end up in jail – these are the thoughts that overwhelm petty thief Sean. Sneaking into one of the houses in an upscale neighborhood in search of profit, he accidentally finds a secret room, and in it a prisoner – a tortured girl. Terrified, Sean escapes. But the thought of the poor hostage does not give him rest. In the police he can not go to the police – immediately there will be unnecessary questions. Sean tries to solve the problem on his own and rescue the prisoner. But without realizing it, he traps himself. Now the maniac knows about Sean, and, moreover, he knows that justice is not on the side of the thief. That means the monster has his hands free and will go to any lengths to destroy Sean.

“Monster’s Lair”

“Retribution”, UK, USA, 2010

Directed by Martin Campbell

Starring: Mel Gibson, Ray Winston

Age limit: 18+

Police detective Craven’s daughter Emma is brutally murdered in front of his eyes. The attackers are not found, and the investigation believes that the main target was the detective himself, and Emma only accidentally caught a bullet. At first Craven himself believes so, but in the course of his own investigation he discovers that the assassination attempt was planned on his daughter. The girl was a trainee in a large corporation and dug up so much dirt that, alas, signed her own death warrant. The law is not on Craven’s side, prosecutors, lawyers and even fellow cops are bribed or intimidated. “I’ve lost my daughter, and I have nothing left to lose” – after this phrase Craven realizes that there will be no mercy for the murderers and conspirators. The grief-stricken father will retaliate to the last.

“Retribution.”

“Everly”, USA, 2014

Director: Joe Lynch

Starring: Salma Hayek, Hiroyuki Watanabe

Age limit: 18+

A miniature beauty with a pistol confronts a gang of ruthless yakuza. But what do you do when your ex-boyfriend is a vengeful, sadistic leader of a dangerous gang?! Everly faces an almost impossible goal – to save his daughter and mother and escape from the apartment building, on every floor of which live killers, perverts, maniacs and other marginalized. And everyone wants to literally grab a piece of flesh of the seductive Salma Hayek.

“Everly.”

“Hopeful Girl,” UK, USA, 2020.

Directed by Emiral Fennell

Starring: Carey Mulligan, Bo Burnham

Age limit: 18+

Incredibly beautiful visuals, the film is like a colorful lollipop – but underneath the bright wrapping are pressing social issues. Cassandra was once a successful medical student, one of the best students of her course. Now she’s a waitress in a humble cafeteria. A tragedy that happened to her best friend has forced her to change her life priorities. And the top priority is revenge. Revenge on all men who take advantage of a woman’s defenseless state and don’t understand the word “no.” Cassandra almost every night goes to the local bars, where she pretends to be dead drunk. And, naturally, there is a guy who sees her as an easy prey – weak, helpless. And finding herself in the apartment of her “victims”, Cassandra suddenly “sobered up”. And the only thing left to do is to retaliate.

“Hopeful Girl”